Smaller concerts can either leave the audience feeling listless and unimpressed or give a crowd good music in an intimate setting.
Saturday's show at the Catacombs Café on First Avenue definitely boasted the latter -- probably because the venue seems to lend itself to the progressive and less aggressive rock styles of Caveat and A Moment's Loss.
Candles decorated the Catacombs' "living room" -- the venue is actually a house without residents -- while couches and chairs lined the walls. The faint smell of coffee carried through the room from the pot brewing in back and several of the attendees were seen with Styrofoam cups in hand.
The music got to a late start because of cancellations by the Electric Pie Band as the singer was ill with food poisoning, leaving the show to a two-band bill. But the shower didn't suffer and the bands simply got to enjoy the extra time to play.
A Moment's Loss started the evening with a very unique blend of rock. The five piece -- two guitar players, a bassist, a drummer and a keyboard -- played the songs well, moving between covers and originals.
It's worth mentioning that the keyboards did exactly what a keyboards should; add atmosphere. More often than not, and especially in live settings, the keyboards are either too loud and overpower the guitars, or are completely inaudible.
The original compositions are complicated, but not "math-rock." A Moment's Loss proves that musicianship can still be applied while maintaining the catchy sensibilities of pop. The song "Roommates" started with a funk edge that progressed to a straight-ahead rock verse and ended in a ska breakdown. The best part? It was pulled off perfectly.
Caveat started the night almost unexpectedly, but flawlessly with a brand of rock that defies genre and description. The band describes its music as "retro-indie-brit-pop" on the Web site. But the words short-sight the depth of the musicality.
"Just use the word 'Brit' a lot when you're describing us," guitarist/keyboardist Kirt Lind said.
Guitarist and Singer Seth Friesen said that the band's genre defiance works in its favor because the band attracts people "from all the different scenes." Music lovers might think it's good because the band is a breath of fresh air in Chico's sometimes-stratified music scene.
This shows in Caveat's show listing. The band has played at nearly every venue that hosts live music and in regular rotation at the Riff Raff. But Saturday's show was its first time at the Catacombs Café, and an all-ages concert.
"This is a cool place," Friesen said between songs. "I've never been in here before. "I always drive by and see people and say, 'What's going on in that house? There's a party every weekend.' Turns out, it's a venue."
At the end of the evening, the band was more than happy playing to a crowd of mixed ages.
"It was cool cool to play an all-ages show," bassist Adam Dieter said. "I wish we could do more."
Dane Grace can be reached at dgrace@orion-online.net
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