The band came up in Los Angeles playing stripped-down blues-rock powered by slide guitar, harmonica, and a lean rhythm section.
Homegrown grit, ten years on
This run marks ten years of their debut
Give It Back To You, the raw homegrown record that introduced their no-frills sound. Expect them to lean into the album era, likely hitting
Off the Ground,
Rita Mae Young, and the title track
Give It Back to You, with later favorite
Life to Fix folded in.
Songs that built the handshake groove
The crowd tends to be a mix of longtime vinyl diggers, local rock radio listeners, and younger guitar heads who show up for the groove. You will hear steady claps on the two and four, and see folks nodding close to the kick instead of waving phones. A neat note: much of that first record was tracked in their living room with modest gear, favoring early takes over polish. Another: Chris Vos often swaps between slide and harmonica mid-song, keeping arrangements nimble without extra players. Note that any talk of set choices and production flourishes here comes from informed guesswork rather than a confirmed plan.
Denim, Dust, and Tape Hiss
Communal claps and low-tech charm
The scene leans practical and worn-in: denim jackets, boots, and vintage tees that look like they actually saw the 90s. You will spot harmonica cases clipped to belts and a few slide tubes tucked in pockets, which tells you people are here for the playing. During
Off the Ground, claps land right on the snare and a low sing-back often rises on the last chorus.
What people trade and treasure
Between sets, fans trade notes about pressings of
Give It Back To You and which small LA rooms they first saw the band in. Merch tends to lean simple and sturdy: heavy cotton shirts, retro fonts, and a tour poster that nods to home-recording gear. Post-show talk is about tones and grooves rather than spectacle, and the mood stays friendly without pushing into rowdy.
Slide, Stomp, and Space
Small band, big pocket
Live, the vocals sit rough but tuneful, with Chris Vos leaning into chest voice and a sandpaper edge that cuts through without shouting. The trio keeps arrangements concise, letting bass and kick drum lock a dry, thumping center while the slide paints around it. You might notice the guitar in open-G for the slide numbers, which lets him fret simple bar shapes while adding those vocal-like bends.
Moves that shape the room
They like to flip verses into low-volume breakdowns, then slam the choruses back at full weight to reset the room. Harmonica often trades the lead line with guitar, so the hooks feel sung even when no one is singing. Bass tones skew gritty, sometimes splitting to a small guitar amp for extra bite, while the snare stays tight and dry for that foot-stomp feel. Lights usually stay warm and steady, with a few sharp hits on downbeats rather than busy video or laser work.
Kindred Road Warriors
Neighboring sounds on the road
If you like gritty guitar tones with a song-first pulse,
Gary Clark Jr. sits nearby, trading in heavy blues textures and pocketed solos. Fans of
The Black Keys will recognize the stripped duo-to-trio crunch and the love of vintage drum sounds.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats bring a horn-fueled, soul-rock stomp that lands with the same barroom energy even when the tempos drop. For a newer, psych-soul color that still values groove and space,
Black Pumas make sense, especially for listeners drawn to warm analog tones.
Why these bills feel right
These acts all care about live dynamics over backing tracks, and their crowds tend to listen hard, clap in time, and sing when invited. The overlap comes from a shared respect for classic forms delivered with modern punch, more grit than gloss, and sets that breathe.
