Although an out-of-towner was the catalyst for the show, local acts shined on January 3rd at Pehrspace. The event was curated by the prolific LA label Folktale Records, famous for its handmade releases and roster of intimate, visceral musicians. The night started off with a set from Moomaw, a one man electronic symphony. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he performed, setting a groovy mood for the evening. Litronix followed, a duo fronted by the theatrical Kevin Litrow, backed up by the guitar-scapes of Avi Zahner, known to many as Avi Buffalo. Litrow barraged the audience with eye contact, managing to be both intimidating and inviting, like a space-age preacher using fancy footwork to tempt you into joining his cult.
Nashville’s Night Auditor took the stage next, and gave what should go down as one of the most passionate performances of 2016 (yes, even though it’s only 3 days in). Frontman Hilal Omar Al Jamal’s booming voice startled everyone during the soundcheck, and he continued to push boundaries during the set, aggressively hitting himself with a tambourine as he sang. His bandmate switched between playing guitar and adding electronic flourishes atop funky beats. Closing out the show was West Covina-based band Math. Once a bedroomy solo project, Math has expanded to a four piece, with Josh Lopez’s straining, emotive vocals now backed by familiar San Gabriel Valley musicians, such as Gio Chumpitazi of Stupid Bummed. The amount of gloom one comes to expect from one of Lopez’s sets was a bit toned down with the new instrumentation, except for the final song which he did by himself, utilizing loops and vocal effects to create a haunting cautionary tale. – Brittany Scheffler