Show Me The Coast - The War on Drugs

Wagonwheel Blues, the 2008 album from Philadelphia rockers The War on Drugs, was a record whose praises were almost-totally unsung by critics. Pitchfork left them out of their top-50 albums of the year - they didn't even get an honorable mention. Normally, this wouldn't mean much. The popular music website also snubbed albums released in 2008 by the Jonas Bros. and Miley Cyrus, mostly because their records are terrible.

And yet Craig Finn of The Hold Steady and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver both listed Wagonwheel as one of their top records of the past year. So it was with little critical buzz and only a travel-sized amount of artist hype that The War on Drugs took the stage at The Echo on April 21st, ready to earn a reputation the old fashioned way - by touring the country, playing shows, and winning fans.

Though there weren't many fans to speak of (that night, most of the Los Angeles music scene seemed to be at Cinespace watching a surprise DJ set by Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter), it didn't much seem to bother The War on Drugs. Performed live, Wagonwheel's songs played to The Ramones' live credo: louder, faster, tougher. The War on Drugs have adopted a sound somewhere in the spectrum between Bob Dylan and Groove Armada, a spectrum only they inhabit.

The Philadelphia- based trio played nearly all of their released material for a crowd that numbered, generously, in the high 40s, most of them friends of the band. But, the extra space in the club let room for the superfans to emerge. One, intent on shouting his voice hoarse, traveled to the club from Rochester, NY. All in attendance seemed grateful to hear the dense, jangly melodies of Wagonwheel recreated on stage.

At times, the band's music seemed bigger than three could create, and indeed it proved to be at least once - lead singer Adam Guranciel recruited an audience member for her skills on the tambourine.

It was a performance that highlighted just how difficult it must be for a young band to tour without the blessing of the almighty internet elite - and just how little that can matter when you're performing for friends.

Originally in Los Angeles Magazine at: http://www.lamag.com/do/blog.aspx?dt=04/23/2009