This past Saturday I was amped to see Frankie Cosmos grace the Echo again. This time she brought new friends, iji and Remambran.
Santa Barbara duo Remambran opened the show with folky alternative rock that was mostly gentle, but sometimes packed an unexpected punch. But I was most impressed with Seattle-based supergroup, iji, who really got the crowd moving. They played catchy, upbeat tunes with seriously unique lyrics and song titles including Orange Peel Moniker and the audience participation-friendly Candle Flame. This group was quite talented and very fun to watch. At times they reminded my of Vampire Weekend and Mac DeMarco, but their transitions were clearly all their own, incorporating several bass slides and intricate riffs into their heavily syncopated tracks. Their lyrics were almost comical as well, and it grew clear that this group truly has a good time creating their sound.
What was most inspiring to also see was the mutual admiration between Frankie Cosmos and iji, as each frontman and woman donned each other’s caps and were invited to perform during each other’s sets.
Frankie Cosmos has quite a cult following in Los Angeles and I’m sure in various parts of the U.S. With her talent and charm, how could she not? Singer Greta Kline brought her A-game to this show with on-point vocals and engaging remarks to her fans.It was also not to my surprise that the frontman of iji happened to be a skilled saxophone improvisor, as he came to Cosmo’s rescue when she coyly asked if anyone in the audience played saxophone. For some of the tracks, she’d provide a brief, charmingly somber intro, such as “This song is about remembering that we all die alone,” with a smile, of course. They began with tracks from Next Thing and ended with a medley of tracks from Fit Me In.
I looked to the side after the show ended and to my delight there stood Mac Demarco, greeting and taking photos with concert-goers and fans with a beer in his hand. And with that, the night ended at an early 9:00 p.m.—enough time to catch an entire new show or get really excited about being in bed by 10.
Indiecation 