Scapegoat Wax, Maroon 5 & Pyrx

Scapegoat Wax frontman and mastermind Marty James was back in his native Chico last week, celebrating the release his latest album, SWAX, with his third hometown album release party in two years. Touring with a new guitarist, bass player and drummer (the drummer, DJ, played live with the band for the very first time at this show), Marty showcased new songs and a polished presence. But before the local crowd went nuts for the hometown hero, the stage was primed by L.A. pop scene up-and-comers Maroon 5 and local hip-hoppers, Pyrx.
Pyrx got started early at this all-ages show, and they have a solid fan base, so although they didn't play to a tightly packed house, there was still a good-sized crowd getting down to their funky sounds. This is a live hip-hop band á la 311 - a full group of instrumentalists and two MCs - whose blend of positive and smoke-infused lyrics and a myriad of edgy, funk-based and rasta-flavored licks is rhythmically infectious, and can be smooth and lowdown or heavy and stomping at any given change in the music.
Maroon 5 is still a burgeoning force in the rock world and because they're not local or wildly famous yet, they didn't enjoy the crowd participation that the show's local acts garnered. However, this five-piece Los Angeles-based crew is being billed by national indie music press as one to watch in the coming year. As the group showcased for the Chico crowd, their brand of radio-friendly pop-flavored jams employ a bit more of a soulful influence, creating a crisp blend of head-nodding, shoe shuffling alt-rock.
And while the two opening acts did a great job, it was clear that Scapegoat Wax and Marty James were why the majority of The Brick's audience was in attendance. The house lights went out around 10 PM, and as the light show began and the silhouettes of the band members became visible on stage, the opening keyboard lines of Scapegoat's signature set kick-off, "Star 6," from the Okeeblow album, rang out over the speakers. Then everything exploded. The house lights came up, the crowd went nuts and came alive as one contained sea of people, ebbing and flowing with the music, singing along with every lyric. It was almost inspiring, and it was obvious that Marty was a bit surprised by all the love coming at him. Throughout the set, the Scapegoat frontman reminded the crowd how much he loved to be home and playing in front of friends, family and the Chico audience. They responded with thunderous replies, and he gave them back what they were clamoring for - songs from Okeeblow like "Freeway," "Almost Fine," "Aisle 10 (Hello Allison )" and "Space to Share," which the audience sang along with so loudly, the crescendo of young voices could be heard even over Marty's mic'd vocals. He also regaled the crowd with songs from his newest album, SWAX (Hollywood Records, out September 17th), mostly upbeat or downright funky numbers, with a ballad or two for good measure and of course, the new hit single and MTV-spun video, "Lost Cause."
Through it all, the band stood strong, the songs sounded great and Marty interacted so well with the crowd, it's obvious that the experience of his last year on the road has translated into a deft stage presence. Scapegoat closed with a three-song encore that was capped by a cover of Terence Trent D'Arby's "Wishing Well," which the band gave Limp Bizkit's "Faith" treatment - they delivered the verses in a smooth croon and attacked the choruses with a savage rhythmic and riff-oriented bounce. Marty finished the night right; he sent his fans home frothing for more.
- Max Sidman
- Photos by Alyssa Starkey

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