ALO @ Martyrs 5/24/07

This was one of the best shows I've ever been to. If you're a Jack Johnson fan you probably already know of Zach Gill, the keyboardist and vocalist on the last couple albums Jack put out. In addition to performing with Jack, he is in the band Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) with friends from his college days at UCSB. They signed with Johnson's Brushfire Records and released Fly Between Falls, and their latest Roses & Clovers.

I'm not sure how to describe their music, but the best I can put it is that it's a cross between Stevie Ray Vaughn and Phish with a splash of P-Funk, Marley and mariachi music. I know that probably sounds weird, but to be honest I'm probably not doing a very good job of describing them. What I can say is that everyone that I've let listen to my copy of their last album has ended up loving it.

Awesome does not go far enough to describe how good this show was. I've never seen a group attack a set list the way that they did. Even though the bar was packed, the air conditioner was busted and the temp inside the bar had to be in the 90's, the band never let up. In fact they played two sets, with an intermission, and an encore. Inspite of the heat, the crowd, and the fact that it was a school night, Clare and I couldn't bear to leave such a good show. You could tell how much they enjoyed performing together and how much they loved the audience's enthusiasm for their music. The last time I saw anything like it was at the Jack Johnson concert I went to a couple of years ago.

Clare and I vowed to drag as many of our friends out to see them when they come back to town. I'm not sure when that will be, but we will definitely be there. In the meantime you can check out pictures and a couple (low quality) videos that I took at the show.