Vista Chino Performs At House Of Blues Anaheim

By Andrew Bansal

September 14th 2013, House Of Blues, Anaheim CA: After dealing with a lawsuit and the subsequent demolition of the Kyuss Lives name, former Kyuss members John Garcia and Brant Bjork started afresh with a new band named Vista Chino, promising to not only continue the Kyuss legacy on stage but also to release new music of their own. Besides Garcia and Bjork, the band features Bruno Fevery on guitar and Mike Dean on bass (at least for the time being, while he’s off C.O.C. duty). They released their debut album ‘Peace’ via Napalm Records in August, and are currently on a North American tour to promote the new album as well as to play some of the Kyuss songs they were playing as Kyuss Lives a couple of years ago. Last night, the tour made a stop at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney.

They hit the stage at 10:30, started off with a song called ‘Adara’ off of Peace, and then dived into a 90-minute set that consisted of a healthy Kyuss dose mixed in with just the right amount of the Vista Chino debut material. As someone who witnessed a couple of the Kyuss Lives shows back in 2011, at first I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between that band and its current incarnation under the new name. To me, even though it was basically the same band save for Mike Dean playing bass, their look, feel and sound was somehow different from that of Kyuss Lives. The relatively small size and better sound quality of this House of Blues compared to the two venues I saw them as Kyuss Lives in 2011 (the Wiltern and the Fox Theater) might have had something to do with it too. Besides, the impact of Mike Dean’s contribution on bass was undeniable as he gave Vista Chino a solid, dirty low-end touch.

The Kyuss songs in the set list were well picked and done justice to, and I enjoyed them as much as anyone else in this crowd, but I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that I was equally curious to hear the Vista Chino material, if not more curious. To me, the fact that they started under a new name meant that they couldn’t and shouldn’t merely be a Kyuss cover band anymore. It would have been lame for them to do exactly what they did as Kyuss Lives, and I’m glad they put out a new album before going on this tour. It was clear for everyone to see and hear the difference between the Kyuss tunes and the five songs off of Peace that were played. The Kyuss tendencies are still very much obviously there in these new tunes, but tonally and structure-wise it’s a whole another animal. I think they achieved the aim of what they were going for with the studio album itself specially in terms of the production, although it takes a while for the listener to get into it. But in the live setting, the organic and barebones nature of the music is that much more prominent and takes upon a life of its own. ‘Planets 1 & 2’ was my favorite amongst the five Vista Chino songs. I was hoping to hear ‘Barcelonian’ somewhere in the middle of the set but they didn’t play that one this time.

As good and worthwhile as Vista Chino’s show was, the turnout at the venue was pathetic. There were barely a 100 people in attendance at a place that can hold several hundred, which was a bit surprising to be honest because this is currently the only band playing Kyuss tunes live and unlike their show at the Echoplex on Friday night which conflicted with the big Iron Maiden show, there was no such conflict on this Saturday night and every reason for fans to attend the Anaheim show. Regardless, aside from a couple of interruptions owing to technical difficulties, John Garcia and his band mates in Vista Chino put on a solid show. They’ve certainly continued from where they left off in Kyuss Lives, but with new original material, Vista Chino have something more to offer as well.

Set List:
1. Adara
2. One Inch Man
3. Gardenia
4. Dargona Dragona
5. Sweet Remain
6. Asteroid
7. Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop
8. Hurricane
9. Thumb
10. Green Machine
11.Freedom Run
12.As You Wish
Encore
13.Planets 1 & 2
14.Whitewater
15.Odyssey

Related – Interview: Former Kyuss Singer John Garcia Discusses Vista Chino Debut Album ‘Peace’

Visit Vista Chino on the web at:
VistaChinomusic.com
facebook.com/VistaChinomusic
twitter.com/VistaChinomusic

Remaining North American tour dates:
9/16: Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
9/18: Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
9/19: Chicago, IL @ Metro
9/20: Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom
9/21: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theater
9/23: Montreal, QC @ Corona Theater
9/24: Quebec, QC @ Dagobert
9/25: Ottawa, ON @ Ritual Night Club
9/26: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
9/27: Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
9/28: Columbus, OH @ Alrosa Villa

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