The Rentals and Ozma @ The Gypsy Ballroom

Awesome show tonight at Gypsy! Probably one of the most fun shows I have been to, made even better by dinner with Amy at the Angry Dog beforehand. Mmmm good!

It's not often that one goes to a show where one is interested in every band. Usually there is some unknown band opening that does their best to try and win you over. Tonight, however, Ozma opened, which is everybody's favorite band from Pasadena, California. Amy and I love this band and this was our fifth time seeing them. They actually broke up about two years ago but reunited earlier this year and are working on material for a new album. The lineup is the same with the exception of the drummer who is new but seemed to fit in perfectly with the rest. The Ozma set was solid but too-short (as it always is for the opener) though the new songs seemed pretty good.

Headlining was The Rentals, fronted by former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp. The Rentals started as Matt's side-project back in the mid-90s just as Weezer was gaining massive widespread popularity, and became his full time gig when he left Weezer in 1997. The Rentals didn't last much longer after that, however, and Matt went on to do some solo work and various other projects before reforming The Rentals earlier this year. The current lineup is vastly different, though the original band had rotating members depending on which of Matt's friends were available for studio work or touring at the time.

Though they didn't have any new material, The Rentals rocked the crowd as if everybody had been transported back to the late 90s in a Moog-powered time machine. Their rendition of "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams" was amazing and the closing combo of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" leading into "Friends of P" had the whole place going nuts. Awesome!