Live Review: Whiskey Circus @ Aqua Lounge 2/24/10

Low ceilings. Dim lighting. The walls an adobe beige. Strobe lights dance across the walls intermittently accompanied by clips from old Cult videos….welcome to the Aqua Lounge.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Beverly Hills at its most blasé…One would have never guessed upon entering this subterranean club on North Beverly Drive that the oeuvre of the evening was to be gritty blues-based rock.

The ambiance was prototypical twenty-something chic which was fine but it really didn’t fit the vibe of the music on display. Sofas, tables and mini-rolling chairs adorned a room much more befitting either a jazz ensemble or a mega-rave.

I found the place inviting, on the whole; it toes the line neatly between deco carelessness and professional restraint (the big lounge next to the stage was roped off, apparently just for show). Though once I had secured a seat in front of the stage I made peace with the vibe. About three fingers deep into a very satisfying gin and tonic, the show began.

Whiskey Circus kicked off a sweaty eight-song set with a Slash-inspired riff eliciting an eruption of claps and catcalls. All I knew of this band going into the show was their video for “Lay It On Me” which I caught earlier that day on YouTube. It’s a solid pop song and an entertaining video, but to my disappointment the horde of curvaceous coeds featured in the video was nowhere to be seen in this club.  Which is a shame. It really is. Because this band has charisma, dammit!

Their singer was equal parts Steven Tyler and Chris Robinson replete with raspy caterwauls and the occasional shrieking descant. The first two songs were indicative of their entire repertoire, i.e. they were energetic rock tunes, pure and simple: guitar-driven and female-friendly. They reminded me a bit of early Led Zeppelin with backing harmonies punctuating their catchy hooks.

The tone of the show was overtly sensual and kinda dirty—as good rock n’ roll should be. After a brief introduction, Mr. Sweaty Singer grabbed his tambourine and continued to gyrate around the stage as the band played their YouTube single, which got a few lovely ladies shaking in their velveteen chairs, but unfortunately not out of them.

Like the two ditties before it, “Lay It On Me” featured a brief but well-placed guitar solo. The guitarist, tall and frizzy-haired, was the most compelling presence onstage and his solos comprised the most technically impressive facets of the songwriting. Their bassist kept a rolling rhythm and rocked out just as relentlessly as the others, though he only had one real song in which to shine (which is one song better than the drummer, but I am getting ahead of myself). I was also dismayed that the bassist, who displayed a strong harmony voice, was not louder in the mix.

The show’s pace was well orchestrated and I must compliment the band on their professionalism. At no point did they pander or bore the crowd with excessive chatter.

The majority of the set was comprised of lively rock numbers balanced out by three slower numbers. One of these slow songs, “That’s Life,” was an impressive slow builder that climaxed with a wall-of-sound chorus, and I could easily see “She Lights It Up” as a Top 40 or Soft Rock sensation; it’s a heartfelt piano-driven ballad with vocal cascades reminiscent of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” All in all, I enjoyed the band’s performance and I wish them loads of success but I feel like they are emulating a style whose heyday (at least in LA) was the mid-to-late eighties.

Perhaps this is why they have yet to attain a rabid following?

All speculation aside, the aspect of the show I found most disappointing was the robotic and unimaginative drum parts. Now I don’t know whether this is a result of ability or songwriting but in a genre like this, the drums should be a presence to be reckoned with, not merely a click track. What would The Who have been without those epic fills? (Not to mention lead drum tracks like “Happy Jack”) Not that Whiskey Circus is trying to be The Who, but they are essentially trying to drive a sports car on three wheels. The three scruffy guys in front of the kit were all over the place while their seemingly facile percussionist tapped out a trite 1-2-1-2 through each and every song. Just a shred of inventiveness in this arena would have done wonders for the show’s dynamics, believe me.

They closed with a raucous tune called “Dirty Angelina,” which again elicited a wave of shouts and applause, though what this band really needs at their shows is a dance floor full of sweaty twenty-somethings on a galaxy of psychotropics.  Okay maybe that’s a tad extreme, but seriously: this band needs the zeal of dedicated fans to mirror the passion and raw energy of their music.

As I said before, I wish only the best and bluesy-est for Whiskey Circus. The passion and precision of their performance is enough to convince me that this band can attain commercial success. They are a no-frills, good-times power rock band in the tradition of Aerosmith and Guns n’ Roses. I enjoyed watching them perform and I feel like they are capable of making a significant dent in the LA rock scene. However, in order to cultivate a following, they absolutely must take more substantial risks in the songwriting department and that starts by allowing their drummer some more opportunities to shine. The man keeps a precise beat, but rock drummers have got to flash some flair once in a while.

Who else is going to trash the hotel room? Let loose, drummer boy!

Bottom Line: Whiskey Circus delivers an exceptional performance and I believe they are capable of excellent songwriting. It is my sincere hope that they will challenge themselves to push the envelope and expand the blues-rock genre as it exists today; provided they do that, I am confident that the throngs will follow.