By Andrew Bansal
May 31st 2013, The Viper Room, West Hollywood CA: Rising from the ashes of their previous band The Binges, guitarist Mayuko Okai and her sister Tsuzumi Okai on bass recently formed a new band called Boost, originally as a classic four-piece lineup much like the old band, but later on moving to an instrumental power trio style whilst their search for the perfect singer continues. Having seen and admired The Binges plenty of times in the past, including what turned out to be their last show in Pasadena with Holy Grail two years ago, I was yet to see them in this new incarnation, and was very much stoked to get the chance to do so last night. The Viper Room, a venue frequented by the sisters probably more than any others in the Los Angeles area, was chosen this time too, and the stage was set for a fun night of LA-style rock n’ roll.
At the advice of a friend whose opinion I trust, I got to the venue early enough to catch the whole of the first band Brainspoon‘s set. I’m certainly glad I heeded that friend’s suggestion, because I did not regret seeing this band. They came across as a very simple, straightforward and in-your-face rock n’ roll band whose sound is easily accessible even for first time listeners, as was the case with the small but enthusiastic crowd gathered in the Viper Room at this time. Their music pays homage to the likes of AC/DC, but with females Daphne Vandervalk on lead vocals and Michelle Balderrama on guitar & backing vocals, I think they’ve carved out their own style to an extent. I particularly enjoyed the interludes in their songs which would consist of only the rhythm section of Tom Underhill and Chris Diez. They would keep the song going on bass and drums alone for a little bit, then Michelle would pick it up from there with her riffs, before they explode into full gear with the lead vocals. It was very AC/DC-ish and I loved it. Even though the guitar could have been louder in the mix, music-wise the band was great and their energy level picked up gradually through the 40-minute set, by the end of which Daphne and birthday girl Michelle were going nuts. I could easily envision their music as being a perfect fit for a highway drive. Good band, impressive performance.
facebook.com/Brainspoon
Brainspoon.com
The moment I was waiting for had finally arrived, with Boost hitting the stage at 10. There were no microphone stands on the stage, none of the three members spoke during the set, and there was hardly any eye-contact with the audience either. It was just straight-up, pure heavy music from start to finish. As soon as they started, they immediately hit a groove along which the rest of the set flowed smoothly. It seemed to me that the Okai sisters were enjoying the instrumental form of the band a lot more than whenever they played with a singer. They were freed of any inhibitions, and moved around on that stage as if they owned it. I’ve been told they’re looking for a singer, but I honestly wish they don’t, because the kind of impact they created with the sheer power of their music is unheard of these days in the local scene, specially amongst West Hollywood crowds that have an extremely short attention span. In what was very untypical of Viper Room crowds, nobody was yelling and talking over the music, as everyone’s undivided attention was firmly fixed on this band.
Even though technically they played eight tunes, with no lyrics to associate with it was really more like a single 40-minute piece of music. The band looked confident and sounded like a group that worked hard in the practice room. Their performance had absolutely no deliberation to it, as they let all of their musicianship flow out into their respective instruments. It was as if they were in a state of trance. They’ve had problems with rotating drummers in the past, but based on their current drummer’s playing last night, they’ve seemingly found the right guy and I hope this lineup remains stable. All in all, this instrumental power trio avatar of Boost won over the entire crowd. As long as there are bands like Boost playing gigs as powerful as this one, there will always be hope for the LA rock n’ roll faithful.
P.S. They’re playing another show at the Viper Room on June 17th, so if you were not at the show last night, take my word for Boost’s awesomeness and make sure to check them out then!
facebook.com/pages/BOOST/272939806094547
twitter.com/Boost_band
Set List:
1. Mike Tyson
2. Elephant
3. C’Mon
4. Slow Train
5. Pterandon
6. Boost
7. Sling Shot
8. One In A Million
[Boost and Brainspoon live photos taken from the bands’ facebook photo albums. Credit to the respective photographers]