Opening the show for Milo Greene was Wardell, a five piece band hailing from Los Angeles. The band went right into it, enthusiastically jamming away. They had an air of grooviness and carefreeness, at home on the stage, connecting with the crowd as soon as the first note was played. The lead vocalist, Sasha, seemed to hit every note on the scale, with an impressive range. Each song seemed to have its own unique feel, yet flowed seamlessly into the next. This band made for a marvelous beginning to the concert, and had the crowd cheering and dancing less than halfway through the set.
Fast forward 40 minutes, and it is 9:17 pm in a room full of anxious fans waiting for Milo Greene to take the stage. The lights dimmed, cloaking all but a glowing Milo Greene banner behind a wide array of instruments. When the 5 piece band hailing from LA stepped on stage, the entire venue erupted in excited applause. As soon as the music began, the crowd was swaying happily to the flow of the music. With 4 lead vocalists, there was an ending evolution of the sound throughout the show. The sound that filled the venue had a smoky, organic, flowing quality to it; the type that would leave a smile on your lips, and your cheeks flushed. There were at least 20 different instruments on stage, the tools of the artists who occupied it, and were never stationary. One instrument after the other was continually passed along to different members of the band, played with unfaltering skill.
This was the last show of Milo Greene’s month long tour, and it is safe to say you could feel the passion and importance of this show in the band’s performance. The crowd knew every word to every song, and in more than one song, sang the chorus unaided, and cheerily. The set list was a wonderful mix between new and old, from both their new album, Control, and their first self titled album, Milo Greene. Although the crowd has less than 2 months to learn the contours of the newest album, it seemed as if the album was a fond memory of many. Bringing back memories for most was an impeccable cover of Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home.” Throughout the show there were hoots of excitement and joy at the music that was being played, and I personally couldn’t keep a smile off my face the entire night.
After finishing the show, the band hung out and manned their own merchandise table, signing every single thing handed to them, from set lists, to tickets, to T-shirts, to LP’s, to posters. This was a legendary concert, by a soon-to-be if not already legendary band, with a crowd that was as happy as could be.