Puff Daddies: The Soft White Sixties recently returned from the group’s first national tour, 25 shows - including a couple in New York City - in 30 days.
Half Full
The Soft White Sixties help celebrate the official grand opening of The Lobby at the Golden State Theatre.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
After three years, a full-length album is still at the top of the Soft White Sixties to-do list.
“We’ve been wanting to record for a while now but issues like money keep coming up,” says keyboardist/guitarist Aaron Eisenberg.
Somehow, despite being armed with only one EP, the San Francisco anthemic rockers have managed to do alright – they’ve played SXSW and appeared at big festivals alongside acts like My Morning Jacket. Friday they’re headlining the grand opening of The Lobby at the Golden State Theatre.
Eisenberg says they’ve accumulated more than enough new material for a full-length album – and adds that their sound is moving in a different direction.
“It still sounds like us but I think we’re starting to mix things up a little and the influences aren’t as obvious as with the EP,” he says. “There may be parts with an Electric Light Orchestra vibe and another part that’s more modern and dancier, not to say it’s electronic.”
One of the great things about the new stuff is precisely its hard-to-define character: Tunes like “Chew Toy” unleash ’70s Fleetwood Mac harmonies, R&B keys and a whole lot of tambourine while others like “Treat Me” delivers stadium rock a la Boston and Journey, minus the cheesiness.
The Soft White Sixties may not have an LP to its credit but they have a tour documentary. Knock it Loose – named after a new song that’s more in the tradition of Bay Area garage-psych rock than the band’s other work – follows the band on a 10-day tour in 2011 that kicked off at the Alternative Café. One of the band’s favorite stops on the tour was surprisingly Boise, Idaho.
“You go to some of the bigger cities and sometimes the vibe is like they’ve seen it all,” Eisenberg says, “but in Boise, they’re always ready for a good time.”
Another city that has a special place in Soft White Sixties’ hearts: Monterey.
“It’s another one of those cities that’s always excited to have us and we’re always excited to play,” he says.
THE SOFT WHITE SIXTIES and THE LIGHTFIGHTERS perform at 8pm, Friday, Sept. 21, at The Lobby at the Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $10. 297-2472.
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