So, last night, I was fortunate to catch a gem! Cobra Lilies played a fun and energetic set last night at Mr. T’s Bowl. Who is Cobra Lilies? I didn’t know of them until last night. Cobra Lilies rolls with 9-10 members, instruments ranging from saxophone to glockenspiel to pots and pans to kazoos! These kids had no pretension except to have fun and their excitement for what they were doing radiated Mr. T’s. Anyone who was there last night witnessed something special that is not always witnessed in super-cool Los Angeles.
I noticed a red and black theme going on with the band’s clothing attire, but that was not the only theme I noticed. All their songs had a quirky thematic element to them, whether it be singing about mermaids, using kazoos for sirens such as in “Cop Car,” or lyrics including lines such as “Would you date a girl from the grave?” The energy and lyrical themes reminded me of The B-52′s, not to be one that compares this band to that, but that’s who I thought of when I started watching/listening. Actually, their voices sound nothing like The B-52′s. Speaking of voices, it was nice to see that so many of the members sang. I think 3 or 4 people got to sing their own songs, which is cool because it gives the band the ability to have so much more range vocally and keeps things interesting, not that Cobra Lilies is lacking in the interest department!
To finalize their performance, four of the members of the band ran to the back of the curtained area to change and I was super excited to see what was going to be revealed (that’s what is so fun about seeing new bands, there is always some element of excitement that is waiting to be revealed!). So, three minutes go by while the band is filling up the time with chit chat with the audience, then, the four members come out roller skating! Mr. T’s new floor was perfect for it, I was waiting for someone to come out and say, “Hey, not on the new floor! You’ll scratch it all up!” Luckily, that didn’t happen, not that I really expected it. Back to the roller skating…how cute this was to witness and of course the song had to do with roller skating!
I’m very excited to see how this band will evolve, how far they will go, and what other instruments they will incorporate into their performances. I hope they play again so they can get their sound out to the masses that are unaware, I can say I am excluded from the mass now!
C. Sanchez
www.loudvine.com
Tags: cobra, Cobra Lilies, Hollywood, Indie, LA Music, Lilies, Live, Live Music, Live Music Community, Los Angeles, Loud, Loudvine, MP3's, Mr T's Bowl, Music Network
