There was this perfect, moody band that performed at Old Towne Pub Wednesday night called, The Pastilles. The Pastilles formed here in LA and mostly stick to the Downtown LA area, but last night I caught them in Pasadena. The Old Towne Pub’s bar area is super tiny so when a band performs, the space gets extra tighter. The stage is extremely small, it was so small that the poor drummer was crammed in a corner like a little spider defending itself. But, as we all know, some of the tiniest venues provide the biggest and best experiences. Not only do you get an intimate experience, but the sound source is so close that it runs through your veins and opens you up to the musical offerings.

The Pastilles have perfected gloom. There’s a good chance that if you headed out to Old Towne Pub last night to drown your sorrows, then The Pastilles was there to help you wallow. To hear pain in music is often therapeutic and I am a huge fan of musical therapy. I would highly prescribe a big dose of The Pastilles! Laura is the lead vocal talent behind the band and her voice is the perfect blend of sultry, warm, melancholic comfort. Laura also plays the bass for some of the songs. The other band members are: Danny on guitar, Flavio on bass, and Jaime on drums. The band plays music so beautifully and will send you into blue haze. The bar-goers at Old Towne Pub are pretty much regulars and are really there to drink and watch sports, but The Pastilles managed to capture their attention. When they played, the bar was quiet and attentive to the music despite the sports on the tele. When you can pull the attention from sports-watching peeps, then you know you are doing your job! They played an untitled song during their set that they said was just created that day; they performed it like it had been a part of their song catalog for years! The Pastilles closed their set with a song called “Bad Timing” and it is a beautiful, soulful number that brings the whole band’s sound together.

I cannot believe the bands out there that are not signed and making a bajillion bucks. The Pastilles is one of them, at least their myspace page says they are unsigned and if it’s on myspace then it must be true…The Pastilles will be performing at Old Towne Pub again on April 22nd. Try to make it out to see this band, you will so thrilled that you did and I believe it is free!

C. Sanchez
www.loudvine.com