Photo courtesy Amy P.
I headed out to the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Center on Saturday night to check out local band Laser Cake’s EP release party. They invited two other bands to join in on the fun; the Flyin’ Black Byrds, and Ryan Bourne.
The night started out with the Flyin’ Black Byrds. Their sound was a blend of classic rock with a bit of folk mixed in. Watching them was kind of like witnessing a hippie bromance -they stood in a circle and played to each other. They may as well have been jamming at a party filled with close friends. The vibe worked, and it made them fun to watch as they clearly love to play together (and probably do jam out at parties a lot). The lead singer’s voice reminded me of Bob Dylan, in a good way. Overall, they impressed me and I would definitely watch them again.
The second band was Ryan Bourne. Their set started out with a recording of bird sounds. At first I was concerned, as I found it a little to “trippy” for my taste; but as they got going I started to get into the groovy experience. I felt super relaxed throughout their set, and enjoyed just sitting back and taking them in. They were not afraid to experiment with sounds and switched up their instruments a few times. Their psychedelic music made me wish I liked to smoke and paint, because they are the kind of band you would want to do that sort of thing to.
The third band was the headliner Laser Cake. Their first song got the crowd on its feet and dancing immediately. The music provided a high energy party feeling, and they kept it up all the way through their set. I wanted to sing along – they have catchy songs that make you want to dance and sing – but I don’t know the words to some of the new tunes they played that night. The thing that I really like about Laser Cake is that they balance their catchy fun vibe with an amazing ability to rock out. They are all solid musicians, which they highlighted to the energetic crowd by taking their existing songs and having a bit of fun with them. They are a fun act to catch live and would also be great to listen to at home.
Their EP consists of four songs: Oh my A’s, Lose Your Cool, Dreams in the Witch House, and Sunny Bono. The eclectic song choices really highlight their versatility and range. If you want to pick it up, you can find them on Facebook. If you do, you won’t regret it – other than when you can’t stop singing Sunny Bono. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!