Los Angeles League of Musicians, or LA LOM, played a sold-out show at Stable Hall Friday night, generating an intoxicating ambience with its retro-style tropical grooves. Though only three members deep, the band filled the room with a wall of sound, compelling bodies to move.
It can sometimes be hard for an all-instrumental band to hold the attention of an audience without resorting to gimmicks. Such is not the case for LA LOM, who didn't need flashy tricks to keep the audience riveted from beginning to end.
The band opened up the set with “Cafė Tropical,” a seamless transition from the opening cumbia band Radio Malilla out of El Paso.
Several tracks from LA LOM’s newly released album Los Angeles League of Musicians made it onto the setlist. These included “Ghosts of Gardena,” “Danza de LA LOM,” “Rebecca” and “Figueroa,” the latter named after a street in the group's hometown of LA.
A few covers delighted the audience, including the crowd pleaser “Como La Flor” by Selena. Naturally, the band had to perform its popular rendition of “Juana La Cubana,” which has garnered millions of views online. The night's most unexpected, however, was a cumbia version of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”
The band further demonstrated its wide-ranging influences with tracks including “Alacrán,” meaning "scorpion," which includes elements of Arabian belly dancing music between its doumbek-esque percussion and harmonic minor guitar work. The band also oscillated between cumbia, chicha, Tejano and other styles throughout the evening, blending them all seamlessly into its singular sound.
True to its music videos, the band visually adopted the Mid-Century era it evokes sonically. Guitarist Zac Sokolow had a toothpick in his mouth the entire performance as he lifted his vintage National guitar high on his torso. Jake Faulkner, hair greased up and a bandana dangling from his back pocket, deftly spun his upright bass around. Nicholas Baker pounded the drums, often by using his bare hands instead of sticks, while sporting slicked-back hair and a neckerchief.
Though there wasn’t much room to dance at the sold out show, people found a way. LA LOM left no choice.
