Menomena

All Smiles

Troubadour - June 12, 2007

Live Review and Photograph by Alexis Roberts

Shining ultra bright among all the other Portland superstar musicians of the less-mainstream world are the three young gents of Menomena. I say less-mainstream because a lot of these Portland natives have been playing shows at large venues that are more and more frequently sold out. The Troubadour is hardly the largest venue in Los Angeles, but if the show is sold out, that means that there is a decent-sized crowd there [capacity is 450-ish].

All Smiles played their set over an anxious and noisy audience, which was disappointing if you really wanted to hear their poppy folk songs. From what you could hear they seemed like they were playing their hearts out whether or not the crowd was going to pay them any attention. Ex-Grandaddy guitarist Jim Fairchild, the man behind All Smiles, is a bit of a one-man act with help from friends while he tours. Fairchild would probably prefer to now be known for his effort in All Smiles, but it’s difficult to leave behind a legacy like Grandaddy. It is also quite obvious that the time Fairchild took to learn how to sing properly was well worth it because he sounded great on stage. All Smiles reminds me of the Fruit Bats, in a good way, not in a “this band is a total rip-off of Fruit Bats” way. In a way that would make me listen to them because they are a bit peculiar and nerdy, but inviting, user-friendly and almost familiar. They did have a row of people pressed right up at the front of the stage watching them though. Was this row of people just waiting for Menomena? I don’t know. But I’m giving All Smiles the benefit of the doubt because when they finished there were a few minutes when a new group of kids pushed their way up to the front. Most of them had their digital cameras, and were enthusiastically snapping away as Menomena set up.

Earlier in the night while All Smiles was still playing I saw the guys of Menomena walking around the club and chatting with fans. I even caught their drummer autographing a tour poster for an adoring female fan. I was only eavesdropping, but it almost seemed like he felt slightly awkward giving out an autograph like he was some kind of celebrity; which immediately lead me to believe that not only do the lads of Menomena have a good sense of humor (see their music video for “Wet and Rusting,” or just take a look at some of those bathtub promo pictures) but that they are also just all-around good guys and care about the people who care about them.

Naturally, the set was fantastic. It’s unreal how only three guys can replicate the same exact sound that they have on their album. I guess it helps when you bring along your trusty laptop, a plethora of percussion, a key board, a few xylophones, and a few saxophones (yeah, remember when I said the saxophone is cool again? Well, I was right!) and have everybody play a few different instruments and sing at the same time. Multitasking is a key feature of why Menomena is so good. They can all play more than one instrument and they can all sing. Oh, can these boys sing! Their three contrasting voices make for tremendous harmonizing, which isn’t easy to pull off live, but they were dead-on throughout the set.  This was particularly noticeable during “The Pelican.”  It kind of knocked me off my feet, actually.

As I mentioned earlier, the show was sold out and packed to capacity, which made it disgustingly hot inside (it was hot outside, too, mind you) but a few hundred people in a small room drinking and sweating made it humid, too - but that didn’t seem to bother anyone except for me. So we all sweated away and Menomena continued their set, playing most of Friend and Foe. When the time came to play “Wet and Rusting,” the crowd went nuts; it felt like this was the only song everyone knew.  They played a few oldies but the crowd just gave the familiar Los Angeles blank stare.

The more shows I go to lately, the more I realize that maybe the rest of the world is finally catching on to the underground. Or maybe it’s just Los Angeles. More often than not, too, I have started seeing odd characters at shows. I met a nice young man on my way in who I thought had accidentally gotten lost on his way back to the frathouse but he chatted with me about how much he loved Menomena and how excited he was to see them… and there were several others just like him wandering around in their loafers and button down shirts. Still you see the characteristic too-cool-for-life scene kids swaggering in with their vintage-chic style and snarling in the direction of anyone like a frat boy. The diversity of the crowds is pleasant, though, and I’m sure that Menomena appreciates the fact that their music is reaching a more broad audience.