Our latest excursion last night was taking off to the Great Western Forum and seeing the awe-inspiring Incubus destroy the Los Angeles crowd. It's the second time I've seen the band perform, and this performance blows the previous experience out of water. No doubt this is because I had a much better view this time around. As opposed to the horrid lawn-stylings of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, the arena floor at the old GWF was more accommodating.
Opening act Sparta was serviceable. The other band comprised of At the Drive-In remnants played a relatively ordinary set, and although they put their hearts into it, they couldn't quite get the crowd going. I imagine this was due to the fact that there was no particular melody or structure going on with most of their songs. There were some interesting ideas, but I'd have to listen to one of their CDs to get a better idea.
As headlining acts go, Incubus is one of the better ones I've seen that relate to the crowd. They certainly know how to read the crowd's mood and fit their set list accordingly. What's most impressive is their ability to improvise. There were so many solos and breaks in the music that I lost count. Their musicianship and jazz/funk influence is one of the main reasons I like them, and it showed every time they broke it down. The special onstage guests, the set list, the crowd vibe, everything came together and made this show one of the best I've seen so far this year.
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