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Setlist
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Incan Abraham graced the stage of the Bootleg Theatre in LA on Tuesday night in celebration of their new album Tolerance. Along with Black Apples and Vanaprasta, I was stoked to be apart of this special evening for them, as I’ve been following the band for three years now. I’ve only seen them in their native LA setting, however the guys have been busy touring in 30 states for the past few months. Seeing Incan Abraham is not just seeing live music, it’s a psychedelic experience, it has a beating heart and a definitive aura that you don’t always get at rock shows. These guys are pure magic from the inside out.
The first band up was Black Apples. This Denver band has been playing some major shows all over Los Angeles, and had residency last year at the epic Harvard and Stone. Their latest album Tales and Truths is dreamy and an easy listen; reminds me of a more psychedelic 70’s version of The Wonders (you know, from the movie That Thing You Do). This band had some monster guitar solos, and brothers Andrew and Campbell Scarborough produce some mega pop tunes you can dance around to. I look forward to seeing these guys again.
Next was Vanaprasta, LA’s own quintet consisting of Steven Wilkin (vocals/keys), Collin Desha (guitar/vocals/keys), Taylor Brown (bass/vocals/keys) Cameron Dmytryk (guitar), and Ben Smiley (drums). These guys wake you up, they have a perfect mix of ethereal melodies and full on head-bangin’ tracks. Steven is a sick vocalist, his range had me impressed from the very first note. Their single NYF is elating and captivating, perfectly polished with a full-bodied sound. Check out their acoustic video for ‘Flash Flood Warning’ on YouTube. It gave me chills.
Now for the foursome and stars of the night Incan Abraham. They opened with one of my favorite tracks Springhouse. I noticed right away they had a new drummer, and Spencer (bass) told me that he’s Andrew Lessman, a jazz-trained “boss” who studied at Cal Arts. I thought he was a wonderful addition to the band. After thanking the audience for their continuous support over the years, the band rocked out in front of their infamous trippy background, which is one of my favorite things about their show. It’s a cinematic visual to go along with their dripping-with-synth tracks and luscious harmonies. The way Teddy and Guils’ infectious vocals blend together never ceases to amaze me; it’s a soft blanket to cuddle up in under the stars on a summer night. They’re beyond festival-worthy.
The band brought up a special guest tambourine dude and a lovely lady named Sophia for Desert Hold, which might be my favorite track on the album. The audience was swaying back and forth to this lovely campfire tune. The band gave us two encores, the last being the song that ends their album of the same title Tolerance. This track is mind-blowing and heartbreaking at the same time. Guils bid the fans farewell, with an ending statement “Thanks for being apart of this-we’re so happy we were able to make the record we wanted to make.” A huge applause cascaded over the venue.
These days it’s not enough to record an album and twiddle your thumbs while your publishers and managers do all the promoting. Bands have to tour, play gigs consistently, produce their own records, keep up with social media, all while keeping it real in the industry. And not to mention actually creating good music. I’m always impressed by the bands who manage to juggle all of these responsibilities- and I think Incan Abraham does this in an incredible way. Tolerance has been getting a lot of play from yours truly- plug it into your stereo and take a ride through the galaxy IA has created.
The first band up was Black Apples. This Denver band has been playing some major shows all over Los Angeles, and had residency last year at the epic Harvard and Stone. Their latest album Tales and Truths is dreamy and an easy listen; reminds me of a more psychedelic 70’s version of The Wonders (you know, from the movie That Thing You Do). This band had some monster guitar solos, and brothers Andrew and Campbell Scarborough produce some mega pop tunes you can dance around to. I look forward to seeing these guys again.
Next was Vanaprasta, LA’s own quintet consisting of Steven Wilkin (vocals/keys), Collin Desha (guitar/vocals/keys), Taylor Brown (bass/vocals/keys) Cameron Dmytryk (guitar), and Ben Smiley (drums). These guys wake you up, they have a perfect mix of ethereal melodies and full on head-bangin’ tracks. Steven is a sick vocalist, his range had me impressed from the very first note. Their single NYF is elating and captivating, perfectly polished with a full-bodied sound. Check out their acoustic video for ‘Flash Flood Warning’ on YouTube. It gave me chills.
Now for the foursome and stars of the night Incan Abraham. They opened with one of my favorite tracks Springhouse. I noticed right away they had a new drummer, and Spencer (bass) told me that he’s Andrew Lessman, a jazz-trained “boss” who studied at Cal Arts. I thought he was a wonderful addition to the band. After thanking the audience for their continuous support over the years, the band rocked out in front of their infamous trippy background, which is one of my favorite things about their show. It’s a cinematic visual to go along with their dripping-with-synth tracks and luscious harmonies. The way Teddy and Guils’ infectious vocals blend together never ceases to amaze me; it’s a soft blanket to cuddle up in under the stars on a summer night. They’re beyond festival-worthy.
The band brought up a special guest tambourine dude and a lovely lady named Sophia for Desert Hold, which might be my favorite track on the album. The audience was swaying back and forth to this lovely campfire tune. The band gave us two encores, the last being the song that ends their album of the same title Tolerance. This track is mind-blowing and heartbreaking at the same time. Guils bid the fans farewell, with an ending statement “Thanks for being apart of this-we’re so happy we were able to make the record we wanted to make.” A huge applause cascaded over the venue.
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And not to mention actually creating good music.
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Incan Abraham at The Bootleg, Los Angeles (04/02/2014) |
