By snoadmin
The 88, a Los Angeles-based indie rock/pop band, has become increasingly popular since its debut “Kind of Light” was released in 2003.
The quartet has scored more than 40 song placements in television, film and advertising. The band’s songs have appeared in “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The O.C.,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “You, Me and Dupree,” “Failure to Launch” and even commercials for Target and Sears–all without a major label.
Now that The 88 has signed with the Island Def Jam Music Group, the possibilities are endless for the hard-working foursome. The guys got their big break when a sampler they passed out at a show landed in the hands of a music supervisor for “The O.C.” Their continued success has snowballed from there.
“We didn’t have any idea we would become the TV band that we have,” lead singer/guitarist Keith Slettedahl said in an interview with MTV last August. “I mean, we definitely didn’t set out to do that.”
This low-profile band won’t be low-profile for long after numerous appearances on big-name shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” MTV News and “Last Call with Carson Daly.”
Considering that The 88 has played sold-out shows at the Troubadour in West Hollywood and The Fillmore in San Francisco (where they opened for the Smashing Pumpkins), it was surprising to see them play Saturday at the small but cozy Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.
The atmosphere of the Detroit Bar Saturday night was amiable, with a wide array of fans young and old in attendance. It was a cultured mix of people who sipped on cocktails and discussed news of the day, work, music and politics as they waited for the show to begin.
By 10:30 p.m., the show kicked with an opening set by Satisfaction before the members of The 88 took the stage while looking might spiffy in their suits, which they routinely wear for their shows.
The band had the whole crowd’s attention as it jammed the night away. There was a good vibe in the audience as everyone bobbed their heads up and down to the beat of the music.
The band members were pretty into their music. The more the crowd went wild, the more the band rocked out. Keyboardist Adam Merrin was just awesome as he made amazing sounds come from his keyboard that amplified the room.
With his piano hooked up to an Apple computer, Merrin set it up to get just the right sound with each song. His long fingers eloquently moved across the keyboard as he bounced up and down or side to side with every stroke of the keyboard.
Slettedahl was a charmer as well, dressed in black slacks, a burgundy button-up and a polka dot tie. His facial expressions showed just how much he felt the music as he spouted every lyric. He also has a nice set of pearly whites, which he often displayed with a grin while singing.
Some audience members had a lot of heart for the band’s music, too, as a girl wearing a striped belt and low-rise jeans danced the night away and twirled her friend in circles. The girls looked like they were having a blast, as did others in the audience. Even this big Shrek-looking guy I was standing right next to swayed his arms all over while attempting to dance.
My personal favorite part of the concert was when they sang “Coming Home,” a song used for the latest Sears commercial.
When Slettedahl shouted, “Everybody!” the crowd started waving their hands in the air while singing, “La, la, la, la, la, la, la…”
