Show: LA Dispute
Date: April 6, 2012
Venue: Center for the Arts
City: Eagle Rock, CA
LA Dispute
Photos by Nicolas Bates
Written by Katie J. Norris
Singer Jordan Dreyer knows how to open a set: full of energy and passionately intense lyrics screamed into a mic. And Brad Vander Lugt’s drumming style is so slick it’s hard to take eyes off him, as he skillfully switches between a hard rock rhythm and a fast punk pulse. Lugt is completely focused and plays in present time with everyone else in the band, which makes for a performance that isn’t dry or repetitive. The chord progressions used are melodic and moving, while Dreyer’s poetically talked/screamed vocals run alongside in a twisted parallel, making it rock and roll you can bob your head to or thrash your body to.
A handful of crowd surfers ride the “crowd wave” toward the stage by the time the second song hits the chorus. The room is packed and hot and stinky and no one seems to care about any of that. More fearless fans hop onto the crowd to surf and ride through the tunes. The band is totally chill about the slight self-inflicting body damage that’s happening before them, and they continue to play their hearts out like everyone in the room is existing in one moment together. This venue is the Center for the Arts in Eagle Rock, and Dreyer announces his absolute appreciation for venues like this and how they aid the community. La Dispute has been touring for four and a half years now, and yet Dreyer still knows not only what town he’s in, but what the mission of the venue is. They are definitely out to make a difference with good music for a cause they’re enthusiastic about.
Guitarists Chad Sterenberg and Kevin Whittemore are solid on their intricate parts with their quick finger runs. The attention the band has put into the song structure details really impress. The melodies are fun and clever and create a good balance with each other. Every note seems purposeful and polished, as opposed to just playing improvised solos. Even the dynamics are well rehearsed. The third song in their set is “Number 11 (I See Everything)”off their album Wildlife. This is an instant favorite! The guitar melodies are absolutely fantastic! The guitar line becomes the ‘singing’ of the song and the vocals are the lyrical and rhythmic constants. It’s a unique choice that everyone totally digs. This song is such a hit that the crowd surfers who are still riding the waves of hands are let back down because there is the creation of an all-out mosh pit churning up in the center; the likes of which I haven’t seen since the late nineties. The entire middle of the crowd joins in creating a growing hurricane of wild body movements.
La Dispute played songs across the span of their career, some off their brand new album, and some from their first EP. With a lot of speak-singing in every song, it’s kind of incredible that the audience knows most all of the lyrics to every single song in perfect time.
Dreyer announced their next song, “Andria,” which had the audience erupting in cheers again. The song opens up with a spoken word intro and leads into a hyper-speed spoken/sung first verse. Everyone knew EVERY word and that, in and of itself, was quite the sound spectacle.
La Disputes’ writing and music is good all on its own, and the stylized vocals and intricate lyrics make for a new slice of the hardcore/screamo genre. They are original and have incredibly dedicated fans. The five musician friends are genuinel people on stage and it’s enjoyable to watch them connect with their fans and see their fans connect right back with them.