SANTA ANA, CA- As someone who lives in Orange County, it can be a bit of a chore to see certain bands that are local to LA. But on December 8th, the commute up the five freeway wasn’t necessary as Froth were coming to The Constellation Room. The line up consisted of bands you would expect to see at The Echo so it was certainly nice getting those LA vibes right here in my neck of the woods.
I situated myself right up front in time to see the band set up before their performance. As Joo-Joo (guitar/vocals) was setting up his gear, I watched in wonder as he connected his vast array of guitar pedals. “It’s like a science isn’t it?” I said to him as he was plugging everything in. “You get used to it” he joked.
As the band began, the house lights dimmed engulfing the band in a cozy blue light to set the mood for the evening. This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen Froth live but it was the first time catching them since the release of their latest album Outside (Briefly) and I was looking forward to hearing some of their newer tunes.
My first introduction to this band was via the song “Lost My Mind”. The song undulates in tempo, starting slow, then crescendos to fast and energetic, then returns back to its origins. Part of me was hoping this show would include a bit of them thrashing about, but since this past album (the third addition in their discography) Froth have really established themselves as one of the leading acts in the shoegaze revival and with that, their sound has really settled into something more soothing and dreamlike.
The room gently swayed as the band carried the crowd with their fuzzy, “frothy” goodness. As the mood was delightfully mellow, the audience wasn’t very chatty in between songs. “We’re not used to this awkward silence as we tune so feel free to ask us questions” joked Joo-Joo right before someone from the back of the crowd loudly asked what the title of the last song was. I couldn’t remember the response but the interaction got a chuckle out of me.
During their next break the room once again fell silent prompting Joo-Joo to remind us that he’s happy to answer questions. I saw my opportunity. “Is blue your favorite color?” I asked (every single time I’ve seen them, the room was filled with mainly blue light and this night was no exception) “Not exactly, but it’s always in my head” replied Joo-Joo. A fitting response considering their melancholy vibe.
I was far over due for a Froth show so getting the chance to catch the band at my most visited venue was an absolute delight. As the years have gone by, the band has yet to disappoint me and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what they’ll be up to in this year.
[A few days after the show, Joo-Joo had a microphone and a case of pedals stolen while recording at Non Plus Ultra. Sasami (Sister) set up a gofund me page for him to replace all the stolen gear]
Link: https://www.gofundme.com/froth-stolen-pedalboard
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