Whisky the right ‘Spot’ for weekend concert
Up-and-coming UCLA band breaks through L.A. scene with distinct
sound
By Michael Nazarinia
Sometimes a rock song just rocks. Other times, it starts out as
one beast and through the course of the song metamorphisizes into
something else completely. "Our music takes the listener on a
journey," says Spot guitarist Bill O’Neil, commenting on what sets
the group’s music apart.
"Where you started out may not be quite where you end up."
The mood created by the musical journey is reminiscent of the
showmanship apparent in The Doors music but with the hard edge of
Jane’s Addiction. The band, consisting of O’Neil, drummer Pete
Doan, bassist Ali Sagheb and lead singer Larry Casey, has played
and performed together in its present incarnation for the past two
years.
Best described as a blend of Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden
with the personality that made those bands accessible, Spot has
attracted a loyal and growing audience in the Los Angeles and Santa
Barbara college scene over the past few years.
With frequent tempo changes that are frighteningly smooth,
Spot’s forays in songwriting like "Breed" and "Physical Lizard"
take on a fluid texture that comes from good band chemistry.
"Bill asked me back in late ’91 if I would like to try to sing
for a band he had put together, and on a whim I thought, ‘what the
hell, I’ll give it a shot,’" says Casey, who began singing while
pursuing his design degree at UCLA. All members of the band are
either Bruin alumni or current students.
"After going through our first drummer and bassist, and
continually improving, we found ourselves moving up, from playing
in a small apartment, to college parties and now headlining such
local establishments like the Whisky and Roxy" says Casey.
Growing in popularity, Spot is now being courted by major labels
such as Epic, Interscope and Geffen.
Spot’s main purpose at its live shows is to get fans to drop
their guard, if for only an hour, to let the music transport them
to another region of consciousness.
"We try to make the atmosphere at our shows very warm and
conducive to people just relaxing for a bit and having fun," Casey
says.
Besides bringing an Oriental rug to every show to lay down in
front of the stage for their fans, a trademark of recent Spot shows
has been the strawberry platter that gets passed around before the
band performs.
"The idea behind that is to basically make you feel welcome and
to get you to lose some of your insecurities and a little bit of
your shell, which is not especially easy in a town like L.A.,"
Casey says.
Spot has become a favorite of the promoters at the Whisky and
the Roxy, clubs the band has played monthly for the past year. With
dedicated practice habits and the unique chemistry that has
developed within the band over the past two years, Casey feels that
"this is it. This current unit is the one that’s going to make
it."
The mindset behind all the practice and dedication is basically
"to make a living playing honest music," Casey says. But the hard
effort is worthwhile considering the members don’t really feel that
it is work.
"If there is one thing that keeps me going  even if we’ve
had a shitty practice, or something  I’d rather be doing that
than anything else in the world," adds O’Neil. "To be able to make
a living off what you enjoy doing the most."
CONCERT: Spot at the Whisky, Saturday, Jan. 14, $8 with flyers
at the door. For more info call (310) 652-4202.