Photos By: Rachel Frank
By: April Almaraze
“I had no idea we were playing in a church”
That statement is typically one of the first things I hear from any artist performing at The Irenic. Touring their new record, Music for Dogs, Gardens & Villa made one last stop before heading to Pappy & Harriets in Pioneertown. To open up for their October 9th show, they brought along Los Angeles based act James Supercave. Unfortunately I was only able to catch one song, but that was more than enough to get me pumped for the night.
Before Gardens & Villa took the stage, I decided to grab a drink. To my surprise, the venue hosted a makeshift, poorly lit “bar” in the back of the venue. The bar consisted of one fold out table, one cooler with the smallest selection of beer in North Park— PBR, Stone IPA, Sierra Nevada — and one sad lonely “bartender”. With drink in hand I moved towards the stage to secure a spot where i could witness all the action — being only 5 feet has its disadvantages.
As the first cords of Cruise Ship blasted through the speakers, my excitement started to grow. Although their new songs were well received by the crowd, the energy was felt most when they ripped through their oldies. Songs like Orange Blossom and Black Hills brought were well received. My favorite song of the night was Domino from 2014 record Dunes. For this specific track, lead singer Christopher Lynch brought out an unconventional instrument, the wind pipe! I have been to many shows where bands play pre recorded samples of their best instrumental sections, but not Gardens & Villa. I could tell that G&V wanted to bring every aspect of their recording to life.
Gardens & Villa, I would go to church on a Monday for you any day.