Sir Sly | El Rey Theatre (Los Angeles, CA) | September 29, 2014 |
© Amanda Bard, 2014
You would have been hard pressed to walk out of the El Rey after Sir Sly’s thrilling set without it having some kind of impact on you. There’s a good chance you might have found yourself absentmindedly singing or humming to any one of their songs or, perhaps, you might have found yourself commenting to a friend about how the intensity of the show was like nothing you had seen from Sir Sly before. These are very valid, acceptable and expected ways to have felt after they tore up the El Rey. Granted, their set was only 45 minutes but they made sure to pack in as much music as possible.
Their entrance set the tone for the show as the curtains opened to display multiple vertical lights staggered along the back of the stage. As the intro to “Where I’m Going” began, one by one, the two touring members emerged to light being thrown onto their bodies and fading away. Once Landon Jacobs (vox), Hayden Coplen (drum) and Jason Suwito (everything else) aka Sir Sly took the stage, Jacobs opted to keep the music going, hardly pausing between songs for any kind of usual show chitchat. The only exceptions being a handful of song title announcements, a check in or two with the crowd and a thank you for the openers, the tour and everyone who came out. Not only was this a hometown show, it was also the tour closer.
© Amanda Bard, 2014
It was clear to see that Sir Sly had upped their game in every way and it was evident, not only by their mesmerizing performance on stage but by the captivation and attitude of the audience. There was a very real and raw sense of emotion that seemed to drive the band on stage and it was easy to get the impression that they feel what they are playing as if it’s the blood pumping through their veins. It’s hard to describe the way Jacobs physically moved about the stage but it was obvious he put his soul out there for everyone to see. When Coplen wasn’t playing his heart out, maintaining the tight beats with his kit and drum pad, he would get up and grab a cymbal, then lean out and over it in a completely unnecessary – and yet – sexy way that only a drummer can do. As a multi-instrumentalist, Suwito played either bass guitar, synth, a large floor tom or any combination of the three. Although more understated in his performance, Suwito’s ability to easily maintain pace and energy made him a joy to watch.
© Amanda Bard, 2014
At one point during “Ghost,” a group pushed their way to the front with what looked like little ghosts over their faces. They danced, sang along with the band until the song finished and then retreated back to wherever they came from, taking their ghosts along with them. About two-thirds of the way through the set, Sir Sly did their cover of Drake’s “Marvin’s Room”: something that can only be enjoyed at a show as it’s only a video on YouTube. They closed the show with their hit single “Gold,” to which everyone in the room was singing along. It was a sad moment when the music stopped and the show ended but after playing every song in their catalogue, there wasn’t much more to be done. The only thing fans can do now is eagerly await the next show and some new music. Everyone is hungry for it.