George Sarah, The Lost Leaf, 5/11/12
George Sarah
Anthony Sandoval
The Lost Leaf
Friday, May 11, 2012
As I nuzzled my way through the standing crowd of George Sarah's performance last night at the Lost Leaf, it dawned on me that I haven't been to the downtown hideaway in quite some time.
It's still crowded as always on a Friday night, still loud as ever, and the floor boards still flex under the weight of folks making their way to the smoking patio, but oh how the sweet sound of music still fills the air.
A handful of people stood entranced by Sarah's fusion of electronic and classical musings as the Los Angeles-based composer conducted a swinging set full of sophisticated beats and sweet sounding strings.
Sarah is currently touring in support of his latest album, Who Sleep The Sleep Of Peace; a downtempo soundtrack that features appearances by Telepopmusik's Angela McCluskey, Save Ferris' Monique Powell, and David J of Bauhaus, among others.
A string section trio accompanied Sarah while he switched between playing guitar and keys, and turning nobs behind a messy concoction of wires and switchboards. Violin and cello plucks danced about as pre-recorded beats kept the pace of a mood that alternated between a sleepy serenade and a quiet drive on the Autobahn.
The grooving sounds engaged fans who came for the show and bar patrons alike. When one wandering body left his or her post in front of the "stage," another would quickly take their place. Sarah isn't quite the household name yet, but he's music has popped up in episodes of CSI and the Beijing Olympics.
There wasn't too much banter at play over the course of the night but Sarah did take time to slang his new record. He occasionally reminded the crowd that the band had copies of the CD for sale joking, "this last song is called $10."
Critic's Notebook:
Last Night: George Sarah at Lost Leaf
The Crowd: The usual satchel and backpack-rocking downtown drinkers.
Overheard in the Crowd: "You don't say 'encore' anymore man, you say, 'one more song.' This isn't the 1920s."
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