Local H - El Corazón

Back in the heyday of alternative rock, I would frequent places like El Corazón all the time. The venue is definitely a shit-hole. I've seen worse, but perhaps this is all part of the allure and experience. 

I definitely feel like I've stepped in a time machine back to the mid-90s. It’s dark, dank, you feel like a teenager who’s escaped the prison of your bedroom to see that punk band with the parental advisory label in a dodgy part of town. It looks like just about everyone in attendance has the same sentiment, as they seem to be around even longer than me.

I'm happy to see just about everyone is as psyched to see Local H as I am. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this small venue isn’t even sold out for these guys. In my book, they’ll always hold a special place and will always be gods of alt-rock, but I can see how their popularity dwindled. They are left with 'too old to go to shows anymore' people. Everyone is in T-shirts, jeans, and Vans. I haven’t seen so many people of this description in decades.

Lead singer Scott Lucas still rocks it like it’s the debut of As Good as Dead. This can be amusing to watch, but it warms the heart to see him completely shameless and genuinely rocking out as he has done for 20 years. All his analog equipment looks like it’s from 1996, and aging just like him - one of his foot pedals ceased to work just a few songs into the set. 

Perhaps it was meant slightly in jest, but Lucas at one point states, “We’re headed to Missoula tomorrow, so we’re gonna be selling stuff after the show, so if you wanna buy anything and help us pay for the gas to get out there… That would be cool”. Is that what it takes for a band (perhaps past their prime) to make it these days? Don’t get me wrong, Lucas is hopping around stage all night like he's still 20-something, but you have to imagine that there’s a point where you just don’t want to do it anymore. 

Still, I am glad they are still rocking and they will probably do until they can no longer.