Under the Influence of Giants
DATE:  Tuesday, February 20, 2007
VENUE:  Varsity Theater
WEBSITE:  www.utiog.com

For the one hour that Under the Influence of Giants was on stage, I did not feel like I was at a concert. I felt like I was at a party and I caught myself wanting to dance (or at least trying to because I can't!) and groovin' my head & hips back n' forth.

Frontman Aaron Bruno and bassist David Amezcua spearheaded the groovin' notion with their tremendous energy on stage. The crowd was into the show from the moment the band took the stage, but they became really hot during the third song of the evening "Ah Ha". This is where all the hands came up into the sky, you saw more people dancin' and shakin'. The band really had that "it" factor - which so many other bands lack - when they connected to the crowd.

Midway through their set, UTIOG played the band's first single from this past summer "Mama's Room". At this point, if there was anyone at the show not already standing up and having a great time, the few loners even got up and into the show. The band continued to go through other tracks from their self-titled debut album, including "Meaningless Love", "Stay Illogical", and "Faces".  The SoCal quartet wrapped up their 13-song set with their newest single "In the Clouds".

Under the Influence of Giants really knows how to connect with their fans and get them involved into their high energy shows. I don't notice or say this often either, but the use of the stage lighting was just perfect for the sound & performance of the band - so, major kudos on that as well. If you are lookin' for some catchy live music, a good time, and maybe even want to try to get a little swayin' n' groovin' in, be sure to catch an Under the Influence of Giants show!

PHOTOS:  Asif