It will suffice to say that getting to Hotel Cafe on Tuesday night to see UCLA-born Lady Danville was a harrowing and arduous trek. However, the rewards were bountiful despite mix-ups, a rather mean bouncer, and an incredibly crowded and hot venue.
Granted, I have a history of swooning around men with guitars, drums, pianos, lutes ““ well, really anything. And Lady Danville is no different. But members Dan Chang, Michael Garner and Matt Frankel have something that sets them apart from other musicians ““ earnestness. It’s not that they are unpolished at all. In fact, for a band that is only a few years out of college (Chang and Frankel graduated in 2005, Garner in 2006), they have a performance comfort and energy to rival bands with years more experience. There is a fresh and genuine perspective not found in the super packaged music of late.
Let’s first start with their covers of Lily Allen’s “Everything’s Just Wonderful” and MGMT’s “Kids.” When performing a cover, the presentation needs to be impeccable and clean. Lady Danville met this challenge, and “Kids,” especially, had an honesty and spirit that surpassed MGMT’s original.
In an age where music is becoming less personal and more commercialized, audience participation and acknowledgement are refreshing. During “David,” Garner and Chang coached the audience in harmonies. It was this effort as well the anecdotes of touring that encouraged the audience to experience the music rather than just listen to it. Not to mention that their synced head bops, their John Mayer-like singing expressions, and overall enthusiasm kept the energy going throughout their short 45-minute set.
Although it was a disappointment not to hear old favorites, like the 2006 Spring Sing winner “Cast Away” and Star 98.7 winner “Tired Magician,” the introduction of new material was exciting, including “Sophie Roux” and “Spoon.” The songs are sweet and cheeky but still hold on to that guileless nature that so defines the band. It is no wonder that these boys have maintained the Los Angeles support, as evident by the packed house. It only speaks to their potential to expand their base.
Following in the talented musical tradition of previous Spring Sing winners like Maroon 5 and Sara Bareilles, it’s really only a matter of time before these boys also hit it big.