Indecisive Youth, The Imps & Isabell

Well kids, the long awaited follow up to Indecisive Youth's debut CD, From Now On is finally here, and what better way to kick off this celebration of the "uncool" than by throwing a big ol' blow out at The Brick Works? That's exactly what was done and I was lucky enough to be there.
The new album is called Songs To Celebrate The Uncool, but the performances and the music in store for the night were anything but uncool. The opener for the party was Isabell, Chico's very own indie-rock crew and they were a great choice for a warm up act because they lit the place on fire. If you like to see a band move and get rowdy on stage, these guys are for you. Unparalleled stage presence with fat melodic riffs and vocal lines make Isabell one of Chico's smoothest acts. If you have yet to see these guys perform don't miss the next opportunity to check them out.
Next on the bill was The Imps, a local act that has been rockin' the set longer than most of us have even lived here. I have been seeing their stickers on cars and street signs for the better part of five years now and this was the first time I was able to catch a show. Was it worth the wait? Yes and no. I liked the music for the most part, but found myself sort of lost from one song to the next. The levels must have been all screwed up, because all I could hear were the drums and bass, and the guitar and vocals were non-existent from where I was standing, which sucks because when I did catch a quick bit of the singing I liked what I heard. I wish I could give a better description of the over all sound and feel of this seasoned act, but I wasn't even able to formulate one myself. That's cool though, it gives me an excuse to go see them next time they play.
Indecisive Youth took the stage in true rock star fashion. They marched through the upstairs bar area, down the stairs and immediately broke into a blistering set of music. Dressed to the nines for the occasion, the four guys wore outfits ranging from a tight fitting wrestling singlet a la David Lee Roth to the ever-popular urban cowboy look made chic by Hank Williams. The winner of the costume contest, hands down, was the singer and front man, who in the true spirit of being uncool shaved his head to resemble an '80s weight-lifting truck driver with severe male pattern baldness, complete with fu-man chu. Despite the costume carnival that lent itself to a twisted Village People reunion, the night was all about the music, and in the end the music reigned supreme. I have seen these guys in the neighborhood of 25 times, but this night was different.
Their sound and energy was huge, they could have rocked a venue ten times the size of the one that they were playing. Transitioning effortlessly from old material to new, they orchestrated a flawless set that had almost no breaks. Any down time between original material was filled with sitcom theme songs from such shows as Growing Pains and The Greatest American Hero.
The performance went off without a hitch. Indecisive Youth played as tight and as well as could have possibly been done, making it the best set of local live music that I have ever been witness to.
- Bryce Barnhart

Bookmark:

Comments down for maintenance.