LIVE REVIEWS

Venice West Venice, CA

Contact: Bradshaw Lambert, bradshaw. lambert@gmail.com

Web: undertherugmusic.com

Players: Casey Dayan, lead vocals, mandolin; Brendan McQueeny, drums, piano; Sean Campbell, guitar; Dominic Turchiarelli, keyboards, drums; Alec Woodruff, bass

Material: Playing to a packed room on a Tuesday night, Austin rock band Under The Rug shared music from their 2023 album, Homesick for Another World, and 2022’s Dear Adeline, as well as singles “I Don’t Want To Cry,” “Three-Legged Dog,” and “I Want To Go Home.” With a low-key, unassuming, forthright demeanor and great energy, the group shared a fabulous blend of vocals and instrumental musicality. Frontman Casey Dayan also got vulnerable, sharing about the challenging journey to their latest recording project in Los Angeles with direction from engineer Dave Peters.

Musicianship: Masterful in their delicious use of space and tension, opening song “Raindrops” brought gorgeous bass lines and gentle mandolin strumming. “Bolo Tie” offered a great mandolin bridge and breakdown that included some heavy guitar decoration. A tongue-in-cheek ode to bad advice, “Happiness Is Easy” delivered a great rock jam, while “I Needed Love” revealed a fabulous drumkit sound. “I Should Be Sleeping” revealed a gentle falsetto lullaby that transitioned into a rock ballad, while “As Long As You’re Here” added great vocal leaps and turnarounds, beautiful harmonies, and an elasticized time signature.

Performance: The show continued with colorful chords and dissonant sprinklings