Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Quarters stopped by The Regent Theater as part of their tour to support their recent “I Hope This Isn’t The End of the World” album release. It was a New York City love-fest night in Los Angeles that can only be described as a swoon city moment. The crowd chanted “Quarters! Quarters!” as the band took to the stage.
Quarters wraps up the tour tonight and tomorrow in NYC. Tickets here.
Lead vocalist Ben Roter put the passion into the band’s alternative rock tunes. Whenever bassist Jasper Harris stood atop one of the stage monitors, the crowd went wild. As soon as the first notes to “Kiwi” were played, the crowd roared their approval. The band showed off their artsy experimental side with their introduction to “Depression II” before blasting up rock volume.
Their set came to an end with “Rift” and the band wanted to have some final moments of fun. Harris went up to the front of the stage and began to encourage the crowd to start a mosh pit. Once one started, Roter left the stage to join the pit. When he returned, his microphone stand had collapsed on him.
The crowd just wasn’t ready to depart from the venue after the band left the stage. The night started off early with Telescreens going on at 7 p.m. and Quarters going on at 8:30 p.m. An overheard statement from someone in the crowd, talking to a friend was, “It is 9:19 p.m.” The band came back out on stage for an encore with “T Love.” The night ended with the crowd singing along with the band.
Fun observation was that you knew when the band was finished with a song, because Roter would often go into a frozen stance.
In a three band line-up, Charlie Burg stood out from his tour mates. His set was filled with crooner R&B tunes. It was a switch that the crowd loved. He held off playing his most beloved song “I Don’t Wanna Be Okay Without You” until the end of the set. Phones popped up throughout the crowd with flashlights turned on, swaying to the smooth vocals.
His set had perhaps the most amusing moment of the night. He motioned for the crowd to separate down the middle before he played a cover of The Police’s “Message in a Bottle.” He was hoping for a crowd-rush into the middle, but the audience didn’t fully understand what he wanted them to do.
He gave a slightly disappointed, “Los Angeles.” For a moment, he thought about explaining what was supposed to happen, but then he took a look at his watch. Time was ticking towards the end of his set time and so he decided it best to just start playing the cover. Some in the crowd picked up on what he was hoping would happen and a mosh pit started up. How often does “Message in a Bottle” get the mosh pit treatment?
Opening up the night was Telescreens. Drummer Oliver Graf went up to his drum kit to start off the set with a steady beat to introduce his band mates to an eager crowd. Lead vocals-guitarist Jackson Hamm took a modest approach to the crowd’s adoration, saying at one point, “Trust us. I know you don’t know who we are.” While he said that, the screams from those at the front of the stage told a different story.
Hamm decided to leave nothing to chance should there be those who were unfamiliar with the band. He wanted to make a good impression. During “Commotion,” he stepped over the photo pit and into the crowd to rub shoulders. He took his guitar with him and two fans near the stage made sure that his guitar cable followed him on his journey. His journey resulted in technical difficulties and when he got back to the stage he was forced to reset his pedal board. That only meant that keyboardist Joiah Valerius got to do some improvisation on his Roli Seaboard keyboard, lifting it up to his shoulder to play as his bandmate was pushing and tapping his pedals.
This is a band that likes to keep the communications flowing. At certain points, for example, bassist Austin Brennar would make his way to Valerius for a brief discussion. All the communication made for a tight set that highlighted their (as per their publicity) “chaotic, immersive energy” rock music.
As the set came to an end, the band had created a strong bond with the crowd. When Hamm stomped his feet, the crowd stomped. When Hamm jumped, the crowd went into a mosh pit. To end the set, Valerius was the last to leave the stage and got a pumped up crowd to give one final cheer.
Quarters: EZ, Heaven Bound, SUPERSONIC, PLUMMET, Kiwi, Depression II, PERFECT WORLD, HEADLIGHT, What Is Real, Rift. Encore: T Love.
Charlie Burg: Episode III, Chicago (Take It Or Leave It), Lanky Nights, I Think About You, Every Second, Message in a Bottle (The Police cover), I Don’t Wanna Be Okay Without You.
Telescreens setlist: Come Down, Preacher, Commotion, Phone Booth, Baby I Know You Well, Games, Nothing.
