Show at LA’s Moroccan Lounge Impresses
By DONNA BALANCIA
Faulkner knows how to sell themselves and they did a great job of it the other night at the Moroccan Lounge in downtown L.A.
Anyone who knows sports has heard Faulkner’s hit singles, “Revolutionary” and “New York Anthem,” which are loved by the NFL, played at New York Yankees home games, and at major sporting events like the U.S. Open.
We won’t hold the Yankees thing against them, after all, a musician’s gotta do what a musician’s gotta do these days to make a living. Licensing is critical to music careers and it’s a score to score commercials, movies and TV, as well as get some love from major league baseball, the U.S. Open, the NFL and ESPN.
Faulkner’s hot tunes have captured the world of the sports entities. But if those aren’t impressive enough initials for you, the band’s big supporter has been RZA, the famous ringleader of the Wu-Tang Clan, who produced and co-wrote “Revolutionary.” It certainly helps to have friends in high places in the music business.
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But that’s not to take anything away from the prog-rock-leaning Faulkner, which sounds better in person than on the new album, PARIAHS. They’re entertaining guys. Frontman Lucas Asher does the ol’ Pete Townshend windmill arm, clad in red leather jacket, Dmitri swings his full head of curly locks and rips on bass, while keyboardist and producer Eric Scullin, gets in his share of vocals, and all the while Christian Hogan keeps the beat.
The Venice-NYC band had a record release party for PARIAHS a month ago and the band is on the hustle promoting the music. The guys in Faulkner are four showmen-musicians, remincent of Todd Rundgren and Utopia (who are touring this summer). And Faulkner definitely takes a page out of the Utopia book. The tunes “Hot Streak,” and “I’m Stoned” are fan favorites.
“Todd is a big influence and so is The Clash,” Asher said after the show.
Faulkner Supports Mona
Headliner Mona has a fan base that’s pretty impressive. The band has played the festivals and packed the house at Moroccan Lounge the other night, with people driving from as far as two hours away to see the group.
With Nick Brown fronting, Jordan Young on guitar, Justin Wilson on drums and Sean Keegan as touring bassist, it’s a powerful group with a fun persona. Their songs sound like life is a carnival, especially the latest song, “Kiss Like a Woman.”
In concert, Mona is a fun watch. Wilson’s physical drumming is almost like a car wreck, you can’t take your eyes off his entertaining ways.
Frontman Brown goes beyond singing to the audience, he engages them with his hospitable southern personality. The band is based in Nashville and the guys have amassed awards, records and social media love.
Main Man brought some true “Lovin'” to the party as the music was upbeat and the guy with good taste in playing the Hofner bass is Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Morgan, Nick and Ryan round out the group. Main Man’s a band worth checking out and we look forward to seeing these locals around town.
