The Roxy Theatre

Special shout out to our new show reviewer - Mr Brent Mendoza! He’s a man on the strip, with an ear for whats hot! Only fitting that his first review is SHWAYZE!!

Shwayze at The Roxy Theatre
Friday, January 22, 2010

By: Brent X Mendoza

It was one of those rare nights in Socal, one of the few nights during the year cold enough to see your own breath. Outside The Roxy Theatre were a surprising number of not so bundled up teens lining The Sunset Strip, waiting to get in to the sold out show. The kids had been huddled in the cold, some for a couple hours, demonstrating the kind of commitment unique to that age group; a time when music so echoes your teenage sentiments that when tickets to the show ran out, more than one tearful teen was observed pleading with the doormen to gain entrance.

After much anticipation, the curtain rose and the mostly female audience erupted into frenzy as Shwayze and Cisco Adler exploded onto the stage. Amidst a backdrop of red neon lights and an imposingly large banner brandishing the colorful Shwayze logo, the group launched into “California Girl” with Cisco switching off between rapping on the mic and strumming his guitar. The duo dressed in their characteristic tight bright pants had an instant command and comfort on stage, interacting with the audience as they flawlessly harmonized and flowed.

The crowd, which was packed to the rafters, raised the temperature inside The Roxy a good twenty degrees, creating a stark contrast to the freezing temperatures outside. Drawing equally from both Shwayze releases, the audience grew more and more rambunctious with each passing song. Complete with homemade posters and young girls dancing on the shoulders of their boyfriends, the scene was reminiscent of the kind of fan fever usually displayed during a pop concert.

The show was a give and take between performers and observers as the stage joined the floor for one big party. Songs like “Rich Girl” and “Maneatrr” where Shwayze and Cisco worked in a number of props to L.A. and Hollywood showed off some well rehearsed collaboration and whipped the audience into a near manic state. Calling The Roxy “home sweet home”, Shwayze’s music and lyrics showcase the fun in the sun, carefree Socal living represented best by the stretch of L.A. between Malibu and Hollywood.

Other highlights of the evening included the thumping club beats on “Get You Home” and the brass section of one during “Livin’ It Up”, both songs serving as prime examples of the musical departure on the new record, Let It Beat.

The lengthy set reached an apex when G Love (G Love & Special Sauce) joined the band onstage for “Buzzin’”, the final track of the evening. G Love took the vocal lead on the closer as Shwayze and Cisco acted as backups, changing the chorus to “buzzin’ all over G” in honor of the guest vocalist. The curtain dropped promptly after the last notes of the song and without a goodbye or a thank you the band left the stage, because on a night like this where performances go off this smoothly, sometimes there’s nothing left to say.

(@santigold, @laurahess and @sarahrabby)

Youtube Credit: Demiangel90210