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LIVE: Silversun Pickups At KROQ’s Red Bull Sound Space, LA
10-years after the release of their debut EP, Pikul, Los Angeles’s own Silversun Pickups are back with a new batch of their Indie Post-Grundge Rock music. With their 4th full length album, Better Nature, set to release on Friday, September 25th they played KROQ’s Red Bull Sound Space for a couple hundred call-in winners excited to see the hometown kids turned good.
The bastard child of Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies, Silversun broke internationally in 2006 with their single “Lazy Eye” which remains a staple on modern and alternative Rock stations. Introduced by the station’s own Kat Corbett the band adorned the small stage in front of its backdrop wall of old boomboxes and stereo equipment. Fronted by Brian Aubert on vocals and guitar with Nikki Monninger on Bass and backing vocals (in true Pixies form) they kicked things off with the new tune “Cradle” before cranking out the latest single, “Night Light”, with it’s crowd ready refrain that had the audience screaming back, “we want it!” The set of 8 songs is longer than the typical Sound Space performance and allowed the quartet to touch on every album. Favorites like “Panic Switch” and “The Royal We” from their 2009 album Swoon and “The Pit” from 2012’s Neck Of The Woods all reached noise levels not meant for the intimate room, but nobody was complaining. The climax came in the obvious form of Carnavas's “Lazy Eye”, fitting since it's the single that launched their decade long career.
Post show, Kat brought the crew back for a Q&A which showcased Brian’s extroverted spontaneity peppered with Nikki’s occasional shy and quiet retorts. The banter almost felt like a perfected comedic routine with the loud and the quiet one in the way their opposite personalities invoked timely laughs from everyone in attendance. At times Kat was no match, standing speechless searching for a response to the antics. Considering the cold angst that is represented in most of the band’s repertoir this was a surprise bonus that brought a strong final connection between artist and fan.
You can Stream the performance along with many others in the KROQ Red Bull Sound Space archive at KROQ.com
Pick up the new album Better Nature September 25th on Dangerbird Records.
- Dominic Painter
photos courtesy of the Red Bull photo pool
