So you thought you’d left that teen angst behind when you
came to UCLA. There wasn’t going to be any more weeping in
the bathroom over boys. That was high school.
Let’s face it though ““ no one’s ever too old
to be thrown right back into that awkward, uncomfortable state of
mind. Take, for example, the Optimus Prime Time concert in the
Cooperage on Monday night. There was enough emo-pop to bring out
the inner prom/chemistry-class/smoking-in-the-boys’-room
demons in anyone.
The show that was arbitrarily named for one of the all-time
greatest Transformers was opened by local scenesters The Silversun
Pickups. The band has also recently opened for Elliott Smith and is
doing its best to propagate its mellow brand of rock. The Silversun
Pickups were the weakest act of the night, playing music that
purposely avoided dynamism. It was loud monotonous rock that relied
on uninteresting sampler effects.
Fairview, the second act, also perpetrated the dull sampler
technique, but on the whole played a much more satisfying set. They
invoked the spirits of high school in references to the Max and
Zack Attack, and in the undeniably youthful guitar rock they
play.
Their best songs were the faster, catchier tunes, which sounded
perfectly fit to be played in a party scene on any number of shows
on the WB. Their more intense songs lacked the emotional substance
to be truly engaging, but it was all easy enough to listen to
them.
The one major hitch the show encountered was extremely long
downtimes between sets. The small Cooperage stage didn’t
allow for more than one band to have equipment on stage, so it got
an entire makeover between each act, which made it hard for the
show to get momentum.
Headliners the Jealous Sound also came out with a guitar assault
and an emotionally nostalgic sound. Less poppy than Fairview, the
Jealous Sound brought out the angsty side of high school. Sporting
a Billy Corgan-esque bald head, the lead singer also had about the
same amount of personal issues to wail through as the egghead
alt-rock icon.
This set was not particularly dynamic either, but it
didn’t offend, and it was free and on-campus and at least as
worthwhile as most of the schlock playing around Westwood movie
theaters.