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Gonzo Report: Pleasure Pill and Benches pack the Music Box
Local bands make good
Local bands Pleasure Pill and Benches spent two weeks performing together on a tour that stretched from the Pacific Northwest to the mountain states before returning to southern California for a performance at Little Italy’s Music Box. The evening got off to a great start when I stumbled upon an open meter spot on Ash Street about five blocks east of the club. Reader, please cherish these days of free parking after 6 pm while you can: extended parking meter enforcement hours may be on the horizon.
Before Pleasure Pill even hit the stage, patrons filing into the main floor area were greeted by a massive image of Brian Wilson serving as the band’s backdrop. The openers even walked onstage as “Good Vibrations” blasted through the PA speakers; they would go on to dedicate their song “Wonder How” to him. It served as a lovely tribute to the recently deceased Beach Boys songwriter — and showed that his music continues to influence younger generations, though Pleasure Pill’s sound draws much more heavily from the Britpop movement of the '90s, with a heavy emphasis on Oasis.
That being said, if you trace back how Oasis was heavily influenced by The Beatles, and how The Beatles were heavily influenced by The Beach Boys, then the Brian Wilson backdrop at the Music Box still makes perfect sense. After dedicating their entire set to "immigrants in crisis," the local boys delivered a barrage of shoegazey Britpop that included songs off their new LP, Hang a Star, such as “Line Up the Stars,” “My Way to You” and “Favorite Color Gold.” The main floor was about three-quarters full while they were playing, with most of those attending this all-ages show seeming to hover in their teens to mid-20s. The majority of this young crowd seemed to be thoroughly entertained through the duration of the set, thanks in large part to lead singer Jonah Paz’s skills as a frontman. He has a quiverful of Mick Jaggerisms that come in handy on the stage. He also knows to hold his vocal mic up next to the tambourine or shakers he is shaking during the instrumental sections so that those additional percussive elements can actually be heard — the sign of a true pro!
I was impressed by the number of devoted local Pleasure Pill fans that showed up, and was downright blown away by the hundreds in attendance who absolutely worshipped Benches. I watched most of the latter’s set crammed into a back corner of the floor area and was amazed by how many people were singing along to nearly every song. Not only singing: jumping around, dancing…basically just losing their shit to the music. It was like hardcore Swiftie-level devotion to both the band and the songs. A rowdy group of raging “Benchies” in front of me sang their hearts out to songs like “Crash.” Whereas Pleasure Pill’s Britpop leaned into more of a raw guitar sound, Benches' traditional guitar/bass/drums attack had a pop sheen that felt reminiscent of the alternative French band Phoenix. Their poppier songs seemed to get the most enthusiastic responses from their fans, but their occasional forays into post-punk, psychedelic and prog territory were what fascinated me.
Video:
Benches: "Crash"
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a club that has the same layout as the Music Box. You have a bottom level that consists of the stage at the far-end of a large general admission floor area, and then you have two additional levels minus the floor space where patrons peer down at the action from balconies as if they were watching a band play in a courtyard in some sort of Melrose Place-style apartment complex. When I saw the '90s alternative act Failure here a couple years back, every level was open and packed, while shows with slimmer ticket sales can easily be relegated to the bottom level being the sole option.
On this evening, the second level was serving as a sort of VIP area with limited access, while the third level was open to everyone (the lower-level floor space was completely packed by the time Benches played). Capacity was just a hair over 700 patrons, and the show felt very close to being sold out. In short, it was a great showing for two young San Diego bands that are both riding hot streaks.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Gonzo Report: Pleasure Pill and Benches pack the Music Box
Local bands make good
Gonzo Report: Pleasure Pill and Benches pack the Music Box
Local bands make good
Local bands Pleasure Pill and Benches spent two weeks performing together on a tour that stretched from the Pacific Northwest to the mountain states before returning to southern California for a performance at Little Italy’s Music Box. The evening got off to a great start when I stumbled upon an open meter spot on Ash Street about five blocks east of the club. Reader, please cherish these days of free parking after 6 pm while you can: extended parking meter enforcement hours may be on the horizon.
Before Pleasure Pill even hit the stage, patrons filing into the main floor area were greeted by a massive image of Brian Wilson serving as the band’s backdrop. The openers even walked onstage as “Good Vibrations” blasted through the PA speakers; they would go on to dedicate their song “Wonder How” to him. It served as a lovely tribute to the recently deceased Beach Boys songwriter — and showed that his music continues to influence younger generations, though Pleasure Pill’s sound draws much more heavily from the Britpop movement of the '90s, with a heavy emphasis on Oasis.
That being said, if you trace back how Oasis was heavily influenced by The Beatles, and how The Beatles were heavily influenced by The Beach Boys, then the Brian Wilson backdrop at the Music Box still makes perfect sense. After dedicating their entire set to "immigrants in crisis," the local boys delivered a barrage of shoegazey Britpop that included songs off their new LP, Hang a Star, such as “Line Up the Stars,” “My Way to You” and “Favorite Color Gold.” The main floor was about three-quarters full while they were playing, with most of those attending this all-ages show seeming to hover in their teens to mid-20s. The majority of this young crowd seemed to be thoroughly entertained through the duration of the set, thanks in large part to lead singer Jonah Paz’s skills as a frontman. He has a quiverful of Mick Jaggerisms that come in handy on the stage. He also knows to hold his vocal mic up next to the tambourine or shakers he is shaking during the instrumental sections so that those additional percussive elements can actually be heard — the sign of a true pro!
I was impressed by the number of devoted local Pleasure Pill fans that showed up, and was downright blown away by the hundreds in attendance who absolutely worshipped Benches. I watched most of the latter’s set crammed into a back corner of the floor area and was amazed by how many people were singing along to nearly every song. Not only singing: jumping around, dancing…basically just losing their shit to the music. It was like hardcore Swiftie-level devotion to both the band and the songs. A rowdy group of raging “Benchies” in front of me sang their hearts out to songs like “Crash.” Whereas Pleasure Pill’s Britpop leaned into more of a raw guitar sound, Benches' traditional guitar/bass/drums attack had a pop sheen that felt reminiscent of the alternative French band Phoenix. Their poppier songs seemed to get the most enthusiastic responses from their fans, but their occasional forays into post-punk, psychedelic and prog territory were what fascinated me.
Video:
Benches: "Crash"
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a club that has the same layout as the Music Box. You have a bottom level that consists of the stage at the far-end of a large general admission floor area, and then you have two additional levels minus the floor space where patrons peer down at the action from balconies as if they were watching a band play in a courtyard in some sort of Melrose Place-style apartment complex. When I saw the '90s alternative act Failure here a couple years back, every level was open and packed, while shows with slimmer ticket sales can easily be relegated to the bottom level being the sole option.
On this evening, the second level was serving as a sort of VIP area with limited access, while the third level was open to everyone (the lower-level floor space was completely packed by the time Benches played). Capacity was just a hair over 700 patrons, and the show felt very close to being sold out. In short, it was a great showing for two young San Diego bands that are both riding hot streaks.
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