“Joy” is not a word normally associated with alt. rock, but Friday night Polaris Rose produced some of the most joy-filled l music I have ever heard on the stage of the venerable Hotel Café in Hollywood. The gifted musical couple Peter Anthony and Madelynn Elyse have grown their melodious talent and tightened their onstage personal chemistry several orders of magnitude since they released their 2013 debut EP, “The Moon & its Secrets” – and they were impressive then. Today, Polaris Rose is now undeniably in the top rung of LA’s nationally-recognized alt rock pantheon.
Joined by guitarist Matt Saba and drummer Carlos Beltran, Peter and Maddie played songs from all of their albums plus a new song, “Tiger Bait”, that they debuted in January on Instagram. Their evolution over the past two years was brilliantly obvious. Joy with precision flowed from the stage as Peter and Maddie and the band moved through a diverse 8- song set that swung from magically mystical to soaring rock. But no matter how diverse the music, each song was delivered with the with the tight control, harmonious joy and effortless bond between Peter and Maddie that has generated a signature sound uniquely and unmistakably theirs. They have evolved their lyric writing and playing to a level in which any of their songs, old or new, is immediately recognizable as Polaris Rose.
After waving to friends in the crowded venue, they led off with “Chartreuse” from their The Moon and Its Secrets album. The joy was palpable, not only in the song, but in the room as Peter’s vocals and Maddie’s backing unfurled their luminous image of an imaginary California to the Hollywood crowd. They moved on to “Goddess”, their debut single released last year with its hard rock opening shading into dreamy lyrics, Darling, you know the distance to the stars. /You’re sweet and cruel/Beautiful, too much to take/ velvet eyes I cannot shake by Peter punctuated by electrifying rock riffs leveled with Maddie’s solid base laying a sheen over the drum tempo. Unmistakably Polaris Rose.
“Telescopes” from the album of the same name, got a cheer as Peter plucked the first chords and then swung around to the drummer and slashed the downbeat. We all swayed as he and Maddie sang the chorus, my intuition is telling me never to sway/just keep in focus and you will find a way smiling at each other with their eyes – they knew they were on top of their game and we were loving it. The cheering got even louder as they launched into “Dreamers” and Maddie crooned the opening line, A bolt of starlight across the sky. People in the front tables might have noticed that as she moved to the verse I can get blinded here, it’s true/that’s why I’m lucky to have you, cause you keep me true she was secretly smiling to herself and glancing at Peter. No one does love songs live better than Polaris Rose, even when they are played with clashing guitars and Theremin- like sound effects.
The chemistry between the two has always been on display in their live shows and tangible in their recordings, but they seem to have raised it a notch since I first saw them 18 months ago at
the Satellite in Los Feliz — not surprising after almost two more years of playing together and building a successful career in a tough business. In my earlier review of Telescopes, I wrote ”It is a masterwork of sophisticated songwriting, gracefully complex arrangements and stratospheric guitar playing woven seamlessly together with luminous vocals. There is nothing like it.” They have far exceeded that praise in their tighter relationship that radiates from the stage and infuses a new, sparkling energy into their music. In addition to evolving a unique and recognizable sound, Polaris Rose has evolved into a sophisticated joyful stage presence.
They upped that presence a notch with their new song, “Tiger Bait”, schedule for release this June, possibly on a new album, followed by “Hurricanes, bringing alt. rock, jazz rock, slashing metal and sophisticated pop together with male-female communication and musical brilliance that created a whole that is much larger than the sum of its parts. The deeper, richer sound of an additional guitar filled out an iconic song even more than the recorded version or the YouTube video sound track.
“Perfect View”, also from the Telescopes album, built on Peter’s melodic voice and violent down strokes and Maddie’s steady base and resonating vocals cooked along at full throttle. Once again, front table observers could catch a tiny satisfied smile on Maddie’s lips as she felt the grove and the energy from the audience.
It took a while for the cheering to die down and the groans when Peter tells the room that the last song was coming up. Fifty minutes of musical joy – who would want it to end. But it did and well with “Kiss Me Icarus” from The Moon and its Secrets album.
In today’s music world, live shows are the lifeblood of artists. The ability to entertain and to connect can make or break a band no matter how talented it is. That requires stage presence, likeability and a signature sound beloved by fans who may or may not be buying the CD’s, but who are certainly listening to downloads and following tour schedules. Polaris Rose does all of that with the best of LA’s artists, plus they add a joy that flows from their chemistry as well as from their signature harmony. Polaris Rose’s stage presence makes audiences as happy as their music makes them excited. They can fill a room with glorious sound while filling hearts with delight. It won’t be long before the rooms they are filling are much, much bigger.
~ Patrick O’Heffernan. Host, Music FridayLive!
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