Indecisive Youth, 30 Seconds To Mars & TheCondition

We are now in February, the fabulous month where Chico is bombarded with countless rock ‘n’ roll extravaganzas. This particular February night was no stranger to that rule.
The show began with a debut performance by TheCondition, a semi-new Chico band with a Santa Cruz boost. It took a song to get warmed up, but soon enough they were in full force, with frontman J.C. Haydon screaming his heart out. The guitar, by Jai Luna, purred heavy and strong and drummer Beau Murray showed true talent. Haydon’s voice varied from song to song, but the majority of songs were sung beautifully, often muted and Tool-like. He crouched on the ground, effectively whispering lyrics tinged with echo, which helped dramatize the thundering rifts that would follow. The band just reunited after a two-year break of dabbling in other projects. Expect to see plenty more where this came from.
At the tender and impressionable age of 16 I became obsessed with the television program My So Called Life and its succulent male star, Jared Leto. Like other girls, I taped 17 posters of his glimmering eyes and perfect teeth on my walls. Tuesday night my dream came true when Thirty Seconds to Mars paraded on stage. I think I actually saw “The Light.” Yes, his hair is now abnormally styled to hang in front of his face (a true high-maintenance rock star coif) but his band was super-duper good. Whoever said a pretty boy can’t rock? With three guitars and a shadowing of electronica, Thirty Seconds had a full sound and a dollop of outer space magic that helped give meaning to their name. Leto’s voice is powerful, effective and surprisingly satisfying.
One look at the wrists of Indecisive Youth’s lead singer and there is no question that this band is punk rock. I don’t have to tell you that bracelets make the man. “Thanks to the ten of you who stuck around!” he joked after a gaggle of young gals left to throw panties at Leto’s tour bus (I’m not clowning, I’d be throwing my chonies at him too!). For a Tuesday night the place was still hoppin’. The louder Youth got, and the more they jumped around, the more fans came to get down on the dance floor.
By far the most lively and entertaining band of the night, it’s easy to see that Indecisive Youth loves to perform. The floor literally shook until a song would end in the traditional punk rock guitar’s version of “ta-dah!” The music quickly swirled from guitar, bass and drums creating a musical hurricane.
The night was near its end when I spotted Leto across the room, loitering near the bathrooms. I suddenly became numb and blindly forged ahead, ready to introduce myself, and possibly slip him my digits. But, retarded with lust, I proceeded to grab his arm in an attempt to bond. We didn’t go home together that night, but believe me, this won’t be the last time he and I will cross paths.
–Rachel Krampfner
–photo by Alyssa Starkey

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