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Trampoline Records Night : HOB Sunset
By: Jenn Cassie
Tuesday night at the House of Blues ushered in one of the most exciting new musical developments in the LA music scene. This night marked the launch party of Trampoline Records, a new record label established back in September by Pete Yorn, Rami Jafee of The Wallflowers, and Marc Dauer of Jukebox Junkies…a label created to offer an outlet to good old-fashioned rock and roll, the kind banked in country/folk roots and classic rock tradition. Anyone already familiar with Pete Yorn's music (which should be all of you!) already knows his gritty rhythms and soulful lyrics and how listening to his songs can recall fond memories of the way good rock music used to be. Now, take Pete, add twelve more of the most talented up-and-coming bands around, and what do you get? The Trampoline Records launch party.
All of this talent, one night, one stage: Mavis, Happily Ever After, The Hangups, Evan Frankfort, Rusty Truck, Jeff Trott, Phil Cody, Gary Jules, Peter Himmelman, Gingersol, Minibar, Jukebox Junkies and Pete Yorn. Whew! With so many bands, it's impossible to do each one justice. To touch on just a few…Gary Jules was obviously held in high regard by both the other bands and the patrons of the HOB this evening as "Mr. Hotel Café", and brought some thoughtful observations of Los Angeles with his songs. Phil Cody brought a unique passion to the stage that proved to be infectious with the crowd. Peter Himmelman, while certainly an exceptionally talented singer and guitarist, also provided some very entertaining comic relief. The Hangups brought with them a bit of a Beatles influence, with their appealing pop beats. Minibar, as always, blew the house away. Without bringing too much bias into it, they are without a doubt one of the most promising emerging talents around Los Angeles today. And Pete Yorn. Nothing needs to be said - he never fails to astound. Whether it's his passion, his talent, or his affability, you name it, he's got it and then some.
The format of the show at first seemed unworkable. Only 2-3 songs per band? It didn't seem like enough time or space for the artists to really show what they had. But soon enough, this unusual format turned from unrealistic to pretty smart. Turns out, just two songs by performers gives you at least enough of an insight into where they've come from, and what direction they're heading, to give you a sense of their musical style. Plus, with 13 bands playing, the clock doesn't stop, so compacting the set lengths is fairly essential to maintaining an interactive and involved crowd. Most impressive was the time between bands, or rather the lack of time. One band was off, the next on, within 3-5 minutes of each other. And if any technical difficulties arose, not to fear, Rami Jafee is here, working his other job of the evening: stand up comedian. (He and Peter Himmelman really could work some magic together)
In the midst of all of the incredible songs, fun atmosphere, and excitement over a record label that has been long awaited by some of us, one thing stood out this night - collaboration. This was not a night of opening acts and main acts, nor of fame or popularity. This was a perfect display of some of the most incredible, rising musicians around, coming together to create some truly amazing music, pure and simple. From Chris Joyner of Mavis who played in several other acts including Jeff Trott and Peter Himmelman, to Malcolm Cross of Minibar and Rami Jafee, both of whom played in just about every band of the night, and culminating brilliantly in the collective JamFest as the show's finale, complete with a rocking cover of Elvis' "Suspicious Minds" with Pete Yorn's vocals, collaboration was the name of the game. And it certainly paid off. The House of Blues was filled with more promising new music than has been seen around LA in a long while. Thank you Trampoline Records, because it's about time.
For more information on Trampoline Records, or to order the Trampoline Records Greatest Hits Vol. 1 CD (do yourself a favor and grab this one), please visit http://www.trampolinerecords.com.
Submitted: Early November 2002
Email: Jenn@thelamusicscene.com
Photos Provided By: Trampoline Records
Artists website: http://www.trampolinerecords.com
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