I do love residencies. I've been going to residencies for well over a decade. It is one of my favorite things to do when it comes to the Los Angeles music scene. I happened to notice that The Darbies were doing a three Tuesday night residency at Harvard & Stone for the month of December. I believe I didn't figure this out until their second Tuesday (Dec 10th). I ended up going elsewhere that night. I did want to catch their set, but I decided to head to The Fable to catch a wonderful singer-songwriter set by LINNEA. I have to mention, because that is such a significant contrast to what I experienced the following Tuesday when I got to catch the Darbies final residency night.
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| The Darbies at Harvard & Stone |
The Darbies are a throwback to the years of Guns N' Roses, Poison, and Mötley Crüe. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that lead vocalist Jani Jaakko is likely a big Axl Rose fan. Yes, from singer-songwriter one Tuesday night to glam rock the following Tuesday night.
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| The Darbies at Harvard & Stone |
It took just a moment into their set for me to say, this band rocks! What is helpful was that the crowd was pressed up close to the stage. This was no standing off. They were up close and dancing and screaming along with the band. You could tell that many of crowd were friends with the band members. It just got me pumped up during their set.
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| The Darbies at Harvard & Stone |
Jaakko and lead guitarist Ronny Castro have a real connection on stage. Throughout the set, they would lean up against each other or face off to challenge the other to up their game even more. And when not in that mode, Castro was playing his guitar like a dance partner. On drums is Ronny's brother Nico Castro. He makes sure no ones slows it down. If I over-heard correctly, someone dropped out at the last minute so he jumped in as an opener. He went under the name Dra.Ma.Tico. I've got to say that not only does he play a wicked drum kit, but he has some flamenco guitar skills. He also plays with his tongue hanging out of his mouth like Michael Jordan. I'm just going to bet he's a fan of the GOAT. On bass is Peyton Lutte who entertained both while on stage or kicking up a storm while sprawled on the venue floor. How could one not be entertained? The band has been putting out music since 2018 and you can tell that not only have they worked on their music, but also their stage performance. One awesome package.
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| The Darbies at Harvard & Stone |
For "Every Bitter Sun," Jaakko asked the crowd at the start, "Let me hear you scream!" He got a rousing response. Ronny Castro started off the song by tapping his guitar in rapid fashion. Jaakko held two shakers with his left hand while while holding the microphone with his right arm. The microphone stand was briefly draped with three different colored bandanas that disappeared shortly into the song. The band stretched the song beyond the recording time of the released version by jamming mid-song with jumps from Lutte, stretch moves by Ronny Castor, shaking the shakers by Jaakko, and putting the snare drum through the paces by Nico Castro.
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| The Darbies at Harvard & Stone |
My interpretation of the song is that it is a kick in the pants to young people who have lost their passion.
When dreaming couldn′t set you freeAll your passion and caprice got relegated to a screen
Setlist: Junlge Intro, Sexxx, Welcome To The Show, Every Bitter Sun, Dialogue, Muddy Blues, Dream On, Raine, Blood Red Divine, Home Again, You Think You Got It All, Sermons of Sympathy.
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