Material: Putting a noticeable amount of effort into their debut album Nomads, Love and a .38 have fused various elements of rock to end up with a collection of songs that can best be described as good ‘ol rock & roll jams. Influenced by the likes of Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Muse and Queens of the Stone Age, it’s no surprise that each track emits a gallant and rebellious feel. Nomads is balanced with transitions so smooth you’d never guess it was the band’s first LP.
Musicianship: Love and a .38 prides itself on being “a Rock band,” and they certainly project that image both on and off stage. Frontman Hudson’s tasteful, raspy vocal characteristics can be compared to M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters.
His fellow bandmates, Domaracki on guitar, Emord on bass and Skelton on drums, not only create sounds to complement Hudson’s voice, but also prove their individual worth throughout the set.
Read More: TIPS: Justin Emord: One Musician and His (Many) Gear Endorsements
Performance: If you were to imagine a band that could fully embody the dark, grungey vibe of The Viper Room, it’s Love and a .38, who turned the venue into a downright dive bar party, with the quartet completely working the stage as if they were playing to a sold-out stadium crowd.
Hudson drew in the audience with a mesmerizing, Bon Jovi-esque personality while his band mates shined in equal measure to create a cohesive attack.
Summary: With their lead single “Oh My God” ending their set, Love and a .38 demonstrate the potential to break through the cookie-cutter indie-pop barricade that’s currently in rotation. The band’s sound, a blend of classic rock, grunge and alt-punk styles, not only appeals to different generations of music lovers, but could soon be considered a unique category in rock.
The Players: Ryan Hudson, vocals; Clark Skelton, drums; Justin Emord, bass; Domo Domaracki; guitar.
Photo By Heather Allen
Venue: The Viper Room
City: West Hollywood, CA
Contact: [email protected]
Web: loveanda38music.com
