Music • Stereolab
performed March 1, at the Detroit
Bar in Costa Mesa.£Greg Brown
Stereolab serenades Costa Mesa with rarities plus crowd
favorites
By Valdas Karalis
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
If you have ever been to the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa, you know how intimate
and small the space is. It’s the size of a fast food restaurant with an
indoor playground. Drinks are within reach and the bathroom doesn’t seem
like it is a mile away. It is such a glorious treat when bands like Broadcast
and Stereolab take over the tiny club for a night.
The opening band was Azalia Snail, a futuristic, sleek white-clothed lady with
a female drummer and a duo horn section playing with her. They proved reminiscent
of Pram’s low-fi keyboard bliss with extra soft, comfy vocals. Her Omnichord
keyboard reminded me of an ironing board without clothes on it. Little white
buttons and a keypad made sounds from a distant beyond.
After Azalia Snail was done, faint blue lights came on for 15 minutes, while
the disc-jockey spun Electrelane songs and early
Barrett-era Pink Floyd. The “group” Stereolab came on in pairs, drum
and bassist first, two guitarists next, one of them the fabulous Tim Gane, and
then onward with two moogist. Finally Laetitia Sadier, the lead singer, climbed
over the bar to get through the crowd and onto the stage. The warm-up included
a brief jam on Floyd’s, “Interstellar Overdrive,” by the bassist
and drummer. It was quick but smiles were blooming in the crowd because everyone
was locked in for a superb night.
Pedals and coils covered the stage floor and were going and coming from every
amp and instrument. With all the Nord Electros,
Moog Keyboards and a laptop hooked up, they began with a galactical song called, “Miss
Modular” from the ’97 jolty, up-beat album,’“Dots and
Loops.” A light show faintly played in the background and we were off.
There was surprisingly enough space for some people to boogie and dance a bit
but no one moved around for the next hour and a half.
Touring on the release of a new album, they plan to hit cities all over the United
States. “Fab Four Suture,” is actually a compilation of recently
recorded 7-inches. The new album is going to be released on CD and vinyl in sets
of three. Both of the sets are now available.
The band’s live set was filled with songs from the new seven-inches but
they mostly played songs that date back to older albums, such as “Refried
Ectoplasm” and “Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements.” The
older songs like, “Pack Yr Romantic Mind,” and “Mountain,” blew
me away because they are rarely heard live.
A highlight for me was when they finished with the newer song, “Interlock,” and
somebody yelled, “Play another good song!” A quick retort from another
ecstatic fan, Bill Gentry, replied, “They’re all good!” Everyone
was in high spirits; smiles came from all over the place, while blank in-awe
stares seemed to be a popular face on the crowd. There wasn’t a negative
Nancy in sight.
There was an instrument that did bring sadness to me because it sounded like
Mary Hansen’s voice. The trumpet and horns played by the keyboard player
were used as back-up vocals for Sadier. Mary Hansen, the young sidekick vocalist,
died a couple years ago but it made me realize she lives on through the band
and their music.
Stereolab has been sharing its bright, euphoric electronic pop with the world
for over a decade now. Its library of recordings has no dust on them whatsoever
because the particles bounce right off and into the hypnotic beat. The band closed
with an amazing extended version of “We’re Not Adult Orientated,” from “Space
Age Bachelor Pad Music.”
The group added glorious build-ups and noise galore
to extend this one for 10 minutes. Stereolab has perfected what it does, its
sound is solid, the rhythm section is sacred and the vocals are melodic sounds
of warmth and radiance. Be sure to check your local record store for the new
releases.
Don’t worry if you missed the Costa Mesa show because they are coming back
to Los Angeles at the end of their tour. Stereolab is playing the Henry Fonda
Theatre March 28.
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