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[review]
from Jason (altdotcom):
Hey, i don't know how i'm just now seeing this
thread about all the shows, but anywho, i was at that show at the Smell.
i don't remember the specific date but it had to be sometime between
late september and mid-december 2000. i had just moved to LA and was
crashing at a friend's place during that time, and that's when the show
was. i also remember it being on a wednesday? it was quite random. RK
had a residency at Spaceland playing every monday night for a month. at
one of those shows i met a girl who was friends with them (ended up
being Morgan. random!) and she told me they were playing the Smell just
2 days from then. i think i remember looking again in the LA Weekly and
seeing it listed after all in the tiny text. no actual ad for the Smell.
i think there were only about 10 people at the show, not including the
band. and being in a huge open space room (maybe 20 by 30 feet?) it was
a little awkward. everyone was either in the back or against the side. i
can't remember any songs played particularly but i remember it being
very similar to what was being played at Spaceland for around that
time... so nothing out of the ordinary. but it was a solid show. I do
remember at one point Blake coming off the "stage" (if you could call a
6" increase from the floor a stage) and towards the middle of the room
jamming during one song while facing the band. probably Science vs.
Romance.
and i remember Alex's solo set melting my heart. it was all non-Phantom
Planet songs. maybe 5 or 6 songs on both guitar and keyboard.
[ed. note: This show was said to be
acoustic, but Jason confirmed that it was in fact electric. Here is more
info from him, including info on other early shows.]
it was definitely electric. i don't think i
saw any acoustic shows from them back then.
when i first started seeing them they were playing a mix of stuff from
the self-titled EP and what was to be Take Offs and Landings. that
pretty much remained a constant thing with newer songs from Take Offs
replacing the EP stuff. i remember hearing Gravity and that song from
Annie at my first show. (i only knew it was the song from Annie because
my friend recognized it.) you could tell that they were generally trying
to veer away from playing the EP.
the general feel of the shows was a bit more folky and subdued. i think
mostly in part to two things. one being the drummer, Dave Rock, who was
good, but just didn't seem to really want to rock out (i remember when
they got Jason and you could instantly tell a difference). and the other
being that Jenny used to have NO stage presence whatsoever. she usually
just stood there at the mic or behind her keyboard like a dear in
headlights. slowly but surely she started getting more comfortable being
on stage and now you can see how she's done a complete 180.
i really wish i had started a blog back then! i kick myself thinking
about it now. so many good moments that kind of blur together.
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