Thursday, February 26, 1998
Common anything but in live concert
MUSIC: Listeners marvel at band’s energy, talent in House of
Blues show
By Jeremy Engel
Daily Bruin Contributor
Southern California’s home-grown ensemble, Common Sense,
flaunted their professional, crowd-moving sound Saturday night at
the House of Blues.
Bringing elements of reggae, ska and rock to their tunes, Common
Sense’s energy and style gave concertgoers something to get excited
about during their hour-and-a-half set.
Common Sense has a large local following that could expand to
the national level soon. They have already sold out the House of
Blues several times before, evidence of their snowballing
popularity here in Los Angeles. Additionally, their professional
stage presence and stellar musical skill make them a treat to
experience in a live performance, and their jolly lead singer, Nick
Hernandez, can surely pump any crowd into a fun-loving frenzy.
Lead by Hernandez, who danced, contorted and gestured to the
music like a Joe Cocker and Chris Farley hybrid, Common Sense’s
stage presence allowed for a lively and entertaining evening.
Furthermore, the band’s tight horn section and talented
musicianship made the songs memorable and the dancing impossible to
avoid.
At the House of Blues, the upstairs bar splits in two so the
show can be heard throughout the whole place. This happened shortly
after 9 p.m. Saturday. First-time patrons stared in awe. The split
also allowed restaurant goers upstairs to join the festivities.
Two unremarkable bands opened for Common Sense. The first, a
punky rock group that sang a song about kissing someone’s ass; the
second, a groovy though dull band known as Spencer the Gardner.
Common Sense made the wait worthwhile, however, recharging the
crowd around midnight when they finally blasted onto stage.
"Yes, Common Sense!" one drunken fan yelled before collapsing to
the floor, miraculously not spilling a single drop of the Rolling
Rock in his hand even as he fell into a deep slumber under the
bar.
Highlights included a rousing anthem of perseverance and
devotion called "Never Give Up," and a clever tune with a lot of
pep called "Good Girl/Bad Man."
Hernandez, who hopped around stage in a black feather boa and
frequently rubbed his newly clean-shaven head, kept chatter to a
minimum and concentrated on the music. His smiles, giggles and good
mood quickly brought the crowd up to his cheerful level, and
strangers were embracing each other even before Common Sense
finished the first song of their set, a pumping number called "In
Your Eyes."
The band paid homage to their influences, incorporating cover
tunes throughout almost half of the entire set.
Common Sense did them justice. Their rendition of "Sexual
Healing" stayed loyal to the tempo and sound of the original, and
if Marvin Gaye could have attended the show he would have been more
than pleased with the result. Hernandez’s voice provided a pleasant
surprise as he crooned like a pro in want of a little lovin’.
Shortly after, keyboardist Jai Vatuk stepped over to guitar and
showed his mettle when the band cranked out a rocking cover of Jimi
Hendrix’s "Hey Joe," with drummer Chuck Morris dazzling the crowd
with a five-minute solo in the middle of the song. Under
alternating flashes of blinding white-hot and bright blue lights,
Morris looked like some kind of space alien pounding away at the
control panel of his rocket ship.
Later, Common Sense lofted the crowd to another plateau with
their cover of the Steve Miller Band’s "Fly Like an Eagle."
"We’ve been playing this song for years," Hernandez said.
"All the guys had command of their instruments … they sounded
solid and they sounded tight," said Jason Bonilla, a fourth-year
UCLA English student. "If you wanted to include them in some genre,
I think they could be categorized with Sublime and 311."
Another group of fans stood in back of the crowd and raised
their arms in victory, clapping like a bunch of crazies.
By the end of their set, rowdy applause and fervent cheering
from the crowd prompted the band to play a 20-minute encore set.
Common Sense took this time to tell their story in one particular
song, referring back to their roots in "south-central Laguna." They
included three more tunes, including a cover of Bob Marley’s
anthematic "Get Up, Stand Up," which had the crowd going home in
high spirits.