CONCERT REVIEW: Misterwives at the Belasco

While in LA for a few days, I was able to catch a show by pop alternative group Misterwives. For those unfamiliar with the name, the group hails from New York City and released their debut album earlier this year. They've had a huge year and are enjoying selling out nearly every night on their first current headlining tour.

The show I saw was at the Belasco Theatre, which already had the floor at capacity when I arrived at the venue. I grudgingly had to watch on from the balcony, which is a different and non preferred experience for myself.

The band came out strong with energetic tune 'Best I Can Do' to open. This song summarized Misterwives' abilities well. It features two horn players, adding a strong brass sound that most alt bands don't have. The trumpet and saxophone players were fun to watch throughout the entire set. They even had a battle of sorts at one point, which was very entertaining.

The catalyst for the group though is lead singer Mandy Lee. Mandy might have the best vocals of any band I've seen all year (sorry Florence). Her voice is powerful and unique, drawing the audience in. She's also infectious to watch on stage. Mandy could easily get the entire crowd to jump around with her, or command their quiet attention for the stripped down slower tunes. (See 'Coffins' for a good example)



Probably the most disappointing part of the night for male attendees at this show was when Mandy revealed she's dating the drummer of the band. Other than that though, she was definitely one of my favorite lead singers of any group I've seen on the year.

Favorite tunes on the night were probably the stomping 'Vegabond,' the flashy 'Not Your Way,' and 'Oceans,' which best shows off the vocal abilities of Lee. Misterwives also threw in a cool cover of the The Weeknd's 'Can't Feel My Face.' For those that have never listened to this band at all, check out their most popular tune in 'Reflections.'

Overall, it was a very enjoyable show. Misterwives is a great festival band, and they're also fun in a club. They should get even bigger with some new material in the future.

Concert Rating: 3 Stars



SETLIST:

1. Best I Can Do
2. No Need for Dreaming
3. Oceans
4. Hurricane
5. Coffins (with Landslide)
6. Vagabond
7. Queens
8. Reflections
9. Can't Feel My Face (The Weeknd cover)
10. Our Own House

Encore:
11. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston cover)
12. Imagination Infatuation