Local Natives- Riverside Theater 3/22/13

A lot can be said (or not said) about a band's name.  In the case of Local Natives, the name makes great sense with the sound.  Local implying current and natives implying what's been there before. Hailing from the Los Angeles area, Local Natives put a modern twist on what one could describe as the "greatest hits" of the California rock sound.   Local Natives are a unique act, as their biggest asset is the harmonizing vocals from guitarist Taylor Rice, keyboardist Kelcey Ayer, and guitarist Ryan Hahm.  The vocals sounded good on the album, but blew me away live.  This, coupled with the driving drums of Matt Frazier, make Local Natives sound like Pet Sounds era Beach Boys if they were to cover the Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense.  All the musicians in Local Natives share collaboratively in the songwriting practice and this is quite evident in the live performance, as there is not really a clear "front man" in the band. 

Speaking of Talking Heads, the 80's band's influence on Local Natives was quite apparent, as they delivered a rousing cover of "Warning Sign" which also appeared on the band's debut record, Gorilla Manor.

The set consisted of much of Gorilla Manor and the band's latest, Hummingbird.  This was Local Natives first trip ever to Milwaukee, and the band declared this the best show of the tour so far.  The band, for the most part, nailed their tunes with great percission.  My favorite was the tribal anthem"Wide Eyes" which kicks off Gorilla Manor.
 

The crowd, consisting of high school and college students to folks like me in their 30's and 40's were very receptive of the act, and nearly filled the Riverside Theater, a venue known for hosting larger and often times more established indie acts that come to town.  This show was actually moved from Turner Hall to the Riverside due to overwhelming crowd demand. 

Local Natives are a young band, and will need to gain experience and a deeper and more diverse collection of tunes before elevating to the next level of indie rock acts.  However, the future is very bright for these California rockers, and I feel this band's best is yet to come.

Grade: B