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Although I was at Johnny Brenda's on Friday specifically to review The Comas, I really went because they were co-headlining with The Broken West, who I've been big on since I first heard "Brass Ring," their first single off of I Can't Go On, I'll Go On. Opening for them was Nethers, whom Pencopal had told me, prior to the concert, that she loves. Unfortunately, either we have more disparate tastes in music than I thought, or Nethers was having an off night. I liked the band's music fine, and thought that their lead singer did kind of suggest Jenny Lewis, as Pencopal had noted, but I found their performance to be a little too low-energy and unpolished. There was nothing interesting or compelling enough to help me see what some of the others in the audience were so psyched about. There's potential there, sure, but not much yet in the way of execution.

On to The Comas, whose music I'd listened to and enjoyed (albeit in the background, while I was multitasking) prior to the show on Friday. But listening to them live, I was less enthralled by what they were playing. I imagine their creative process to be something like the band sitting around while one member starts to absently improvise a guitar riff. "Yeah, I like that, man! I like that!" says another member of the band. "You just keep playing that, and I'll come in with the bass like this..." In short, they're more practiced jam than composed, which isn't usually to my personal liking. (On top of that, I couldn't hear a single one of their lyrics.) Fortunately, even if you don't like the music of The Comas, they're entertaining onstage. Their drummer was especially fun to watch: a darker, longer-haired, tattooed version of Animal. (Yes, that Animal.)

Finally, The Broken West took the stage to wake everyone else up. Unlike the two bands before them, they had both thoughtfully-composed music and the kind of charming stage presence that made you wonder why there wasn't a bigger crowd in attendance to drink it all in. Aside from being an all-around nice guy (we met him at the merch table after the show), the band's frontman, Ross (no last name on MySpace) sang with the clarity that The Comas had lacked. Every lyric was crystal clear, even from the balcony of Johnny Brenda's, where sound can sometimes get trapped. This set was the real payoff of the evening, and made the hours leading up to it (the show started over an hour late) more or less worth it. I only wish they'd been able to play a longer set! (Or I would have wished that, but for the fact that it was after one a.m. by the time we left Johnny Brenda's. I'm getting old.)

All photos by author.