By DAN MACINTOSH
The irresistible mixture of inventive guitar music and powerful lyrics, is one timelessly appealing combination. Luna offered definitive proof of this truth before a small but loyal gathering at The Moroccan Lounge.
Dean Wareham leads Luna with his smart lyrics and a distinctively Lou Reed-esque vocal style. In fact, Luna brought The Velvet Underground to mind — or more accurately, back to life — when they performed “Friendly Advice.” This song’s propulsive guitar groove allowed Wareham and lead guitarist Sean Eden to saturate this tiny venue with glorious guitar rock.
Although Eden added most of the cool guitar effects during the set, both he and Wareham oftentimes alternated lead duties. Each is talented a soloist, which gives Luna an impressive one-two sonic punch. Eden was at his best on “Sideshow by The Seashore,” where he applied its beautifully druggy and twangy lick.
Wareham expressed his sensitive side with “Bewitched.” This beautiful portrait about “the girl of my dreams,” is as detailed as it is sweet, not unlike one of those memorable Bob Dylan ballads. It revealed how Luna can switch gears, and go from loud to quiet without missing a beat.
Bassist Britta Phillips provided backing harmony vocals throughout, but became Wareham’s duet partner for the encore of “Bonnie and Clyde,” which found the pair exchanging verses in French.
This was the first of two Luna shows at The Moroccan, where the band promised to perform different sets each night. And this is a band with the sort of extensive catalogue to pull off such a feat. With so little guitar rock making it to contemporary radio these days, Luna’s strong set was certainly sound for sore ears.
