Live Report: Matt Pinfield's Birthday Show at The Viper Room (May 30, 2024)

b.liebman

June 3

Any real music fan should know who Matt Pinfield is. Though the former MTV VJ and current DJ/Host/Music Personality is most associated with rock, he's truly a wellspring of music knowledge and love (and just a super friendly human being). So in honor of his birthday week, Hollywood's famed Viper Room hosted a gathering of rock n' roll friends and admirers, along with some talented bands, to celebrate the man.

The night started before Matt had even arrived, with melodic rockers That Summer taking the stage, dressed for the occasion in stylish suits. The group's songs brought the kind of youthful melodic energy of the early 00's pop punk I used to love, so though I was seeing them for the first time, it almost felt nostalgic to hear them. The only outlier was pending new song "Villains", which took on a darker, harder sound. But clearly the group specializes in hooky tracks like "Say!!" and "A Place to Call Home".

Matt arrived during their set, and was immediately swarmed by friends wanting to pass on their blessings. Certain faces looked familiar. I recognized Theory of a Deadman's Tyler Connolly, and late in the night Midtown/Cobra Starship/TAG Music Mgmt's Gabe Saporta, who I chatted with. But the night was about music; Pinfield's love.

I previously saw Devon Thompson at Hotel Ziggy, and speaking with her before the show, Thompson sounded like she wanted to forget that performance. The Viper Room was a better fit for a true rock act, and the young musician let loose with full hard rock fury. Though acknowledging that on record, her songs are closer to Mazzy Star than say, Halestrom, but live she and her two band members plugged in and play loud. She dedicated new song "Straitjacket" to all the crazy people (like herself) in Los Angeles, and then slowed things down slightly with "Poison Me".

Thompson showed off a good sense of humor, sometimes at her own expense as she mistook how many songs they had left to play a couple times. "Napoleon", a kiss-off to men with Napoleonic complexes, had an extra fire to it as she belted it out. Speaking to her after, she told me her goal for her next record is to capture the hard rock she shows off in her live show on record. Look forward to hearing it, and until then, you can listen to her recent EP Skin.

I had a chance to chat with Matt for a bit after this performance, and he was as welcoming and chatty as you would hope for. I also had the opportunity to meet members of young band Billy & the Kidz (in from Portland, but planning to move to Los Angeles) and Birthday Girl (visiting from NYC). Be sure to check out both of these groups!

Next up came New Jersey's Kanak. This band made up of a number of Jersey music vets like Tom Kanach, Johnny Rao and Peter Wood, brought a powerful dose of alt rock with some power pop sheen. Tracks like "Outside" showed off their ability to craft meaningful lyrics around tight hooks. The bright, catchy "Too Late" sounds like the energized child of Cheap Trick and Big Star, while the jangly "Without a Clue" would have perked up Tommy Keene's ears. Their EP On the Outside is strong all around, so I'm glad they came out from Jersey to play.

Matt joined the band after their initial set to bust through some covers of The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer". This was really the spirit of the evening - rock and roll for the love of music. Fun, friends and enjoying being alive and being able to sing.

The evening closed with alt metal band Budderside. I had never heard the band before, but they immediately gave of Guns N' Roses vibes in their pure, Sunset Strip sound and hard rock sound. Not taking themselves too seriously, the band seemed to be having a great time on stage, and the audience reciprocated. I didn't stay too long into their set (it was a week night after all), but I was happy to have been there for the fun event.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5serWOcy2Xgd5lahJiZQfp?si=VqcglxPTSAew7p8AYKF3_w