Caught A Ghost

A LocalBozo.com Concert Review
Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
November 15, 2013

Friday night’s show at the Bowery Ballroom was headlined by eclectic rock act He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister. But those of us who made our way inside a little bit earlier were treated to a fun forty minute opening romp performed by eastern Los Angeles’ Caught A Ghost, a five piece band with a sound eerily reminiscent of the late 1970′s and early 1980′s with a modernized swagger. And in their very first show played live in New York City, the band’s short set provided a glimpse of an indie rock band surely on the rise.

Uniquely, the band doesn’t feature the guitar for periods during their set- instead inventively focusing on the likes of impassioned saxophone solos and keyboard playing. In fact what’s most interesting about the group’s dynamic live show is frontman Jesse Nolan‘s instrumentation which alternates between smashing a bass drum and the band’s only guitar. Taking the stage at 10pm sharp, Nolan’s shared vocals with Tessa Thompson though proved to be the most captivating portion of the show, positioned to his right and adding to the collection of sound with every shake of her tambourine. Opening tracks “Can’t Let Go” and “Sleeping At Night” were particularly rousing even if much of the crowd was unfamiliar with the band’s material. They made it work.

The band’s sound combines both catchy pop with indie rock, but truthfully evokes a deeper bluesy quality, similar to Frank Stallone in “Staying Alive”- a compliment despite any misconception. Standout tracks included “Relentless” and “Hold Out,” but Caught A Ghost forced the entire crowd to testify during “No Sugar In My Coffee,” whose chorus of ‘Hold your hands up high / My love I’ll see you by and by’ was repeated in unison like the congregation at a sermon. And by harnessing so many fun aspects of decades gone by with a distinctive sound and musical style, the Caught A Ghost has somehow carved out a niche and a stage presence that’s truly their own.