Operation Aloha @ The Troubadour

Perfectly timed to my new found obsession with Hawaii and all things ukulele, members of Maroon 5, Phantom Planet, Gomez and a lot of other people have just released the album Operation Aloha (http://www.myspace.com/operationaloha).  Back-story: all of the aforementioned people took a month a lived in house in Hawaii and recorded a breezy pop album. Tonight most of this crew assembled for a show at the Troubadour.

The Parson Read Heads (http://www.myspace.com/redheads) opened the show. I watched them and the Laker game from the bar.  I’ve seen them before and they were as always very enjoyable. Easy, jammy, folky rock songs from an ever-changing group of musicians that clearly worship the Beach Boys

Between sets, a delightful three-piece played from the balcony.  I need to educate myself on music genres, but I would call them klezmer.

Operation Aloha assembled on the stage and opened with a number in Hawaiian that I imagine was some type of welcome then went immediately into “Failure” which is apparently about premature ejaculation. Fun fact.  The The show moved along slowly as no one seemed to play the same instrument two songs in a row.  At one point a machete was used as a rhythm instrument, not that I could really hear it. Because I was very sleepy, I had to leave six songs into the show (“Elephant Pharmacy” in case you were keeping track).

I left feeling like a big hippie.  I am happy I went, I will buy the album and possibly a ukulele. Also, my ikat maxi dress was a big hit. 

I am going to learn how to post links and put captions on photos tomorrow.