Photos By: Summer Luu
By: Amanda Martinek
It’s hard for me to write objectively about a Gardens & Villa show, considering after meeting them earlier this year at ListenSD’s One Year Anniversary show, little cartoon hearts pop up in my eyes every time I see them. Not only are these guys some of the nicest, most genuine human beings I’ve ever met in my entire life, but their live performance only seems to get better with time.
But first things first, the show opened with a band out of Philly called Alex G. The moment they started playing, I immediately thought I was listening to a Pavement cover band (high praise). Their slacker rock attitude paired with baggy pants and tucked-in shirts brought me back to a mythical period in the 90’s I myself was too young to experience. The lead singer lazily mumbled through the tracks, interspersed with intense outbursts of energy. I got the feeling they could not give one single fuck, which made me weak at the knees. In summary, I loved them.
Next up was the Garden boys. All decked out in “working men” button up tan shirts, black boots and various fingernails half painted, the group played against a backdrop of fantastically colored triangle lights. They ran through favorites from their 2011 self titled album and last year’s album Dunes. My favorite part of the show was when they covered Fleetwood Mac’s “Gypsy“. Girls and boys alike sweated and danced and rocked and rolled; it was a fantastic time by all. I will continue to live on the high I seem to get after every Gardens & Villa show until they swoop back down into San Diego again. Next time with new songs in tow!
