JEFF the Brotherhood, The Milkstains, Hoax Hunters
Sunday February 12 at Strange Matter
JEFF the Brotherhood may be the best thing rock music has going for it right now. There is finesse behind their live performance that comes from years of relentless touring, ambitious recording, and finding new homes for their quirky pop jams in the ears of new listeners everywhere. In what has now become a regular touring destination for the group, Richmond greeted the band with a wonderful showing of local support on the bill as well as a general enthusiasm to have them return so soon after their last visit.
Hoax Hunters started the evening off with a crushing set that left the slowly growing crowd craving more. The excitement started from the get-go as PJ Sykes raced between frantic vocals and rampant guitar licks. In what has been a constantly evolving rhythm section, Sykes has truly found a great backing band in Noell Alexander and Tim Falen. While Alexander and Sykes play off of one another as chaotic foils, Falen discovers a way to offer stability. In the role of bassist, he showed incredible promise with impressive fills on an instrument that's unfamiliar for him considering his full-time gig as the drummer of the one and only Diamond Center. In early incarnations, the band was still full of chaos. This time around, the results felt more contained and realized. Hoax Hunters closed with their namesake song while Sykes flung himself and his guitar across the stage of Strange Matter to thunderous applause. Their next set will be with The Men at Strange Matter and it’s only a matter of time before they become a favorite band to many.
For a band that plays out as frequently as The Milkstains do, they have yet to find a way to disappoint. It would be simple to proclaim the band’s surf jam antics as the heart and soul of the group, but it really isn’t that easy to pinpoint what makes them so great. The essence of The Milkstains is that they are a tight, succinct musical unit. Their live sound is not based around what you have come to expect as much as it is a celebration of how much they bring to it. Put John Sizemore, Gabe Lopez and Raphael Katchinoff on a stage together and watch magic happen. Their set offered many entries from the EP Hot Sauce Cemetery, while also debuting a new song that displayed a slightly heavier, dirtier side of The Milkstains that has yet to be delved into. To close out their portion of the evening, The Milkstains invited Richmond celebrity Jamie Lay to sing on their rendition of Black Flag’s “Nervous Breakdown.” This larger than life performance laid the perfect groundwork for JEFF the Brotherhood to close out the evening.
The strobes from Jamin Orrall’s drum kit illuminated the room as Jake Orrall sprang a few riffs into the packed room on his three-stringed clear body electric guitar. JEFF the Brotherhood operate with very few filters and they are all the better for it. Their abrupt rock sound blends effect-laden riffs across the sonic spectrum. What may come as a surprise is how the unique personalities of the two brothers can uncover a deep, understated pop sensibility behind this musical approach. They embrace their adoration of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Weezer while making a comfortable spot next to musical peers like Screaming Females, Best Coast and Ty Segall. JEFF the Brotherhood’s set was filled with material taken from their 2011 full-length We Are The Champions, while throwing in a few offerings from their impressive back catalog. One of the strongest showings of the evening was their performance of “Bone Jam,” from Heavy Days. Despite “Bone Jam” being an old tune, it felt right at home besides newer tracks like “Ripper” and “Shredder.” Another strong suit of the group was Jake Orrall’s ability to let a song linger with just voice and guitar. Each word of “The Tropics” was followed with deliberate attention from the audience. It was when Jamin Orrall finally rose to the occasion on drums that the end result was yet another highlight of their impressive set at Strange Matter.
As the night came to a close, JEFF the Brotherhood complied with requests for one more song. The house lights came on and the beer-soaked venue floor didn’t seem unnatural. The best rock and roll is a reaction to a pure, honest expression. Each band on the bill this evening not only fit this description, they left a strong impression on everyone in attendance. There’s a reason why JEFF the Brotherhood is a band that has been on the tips of everyone’s tongues for this long. With the unbelievable live show that they put on night after night along with their remarkable decade worth of material, they are a band that I cant see slowing down anytime soon, nor would I want them to.