Abe Vigoda is not dead. In fact, Abe Vigoda is playing rock clubs around the world with the enthusiasm and energy of four young Los Angeles punks.
The band has emerged from the fertile LA scene with the success of its third album, this year’s Skeleton. The group will be making a stop in Baltimore tonight at Sonar in support of the album.
While the band is named after the 87-year-old actor of the same name – a man better known for accidentally being declared deceased than his acting roles, most notably in The Godfather – the group is best known for playing music that has been described as noisy, punk and tropical.
In an interview with The Diamondback, guitarist Juan Velazquez said he felt the labels more or less held true.
“These things get shoved down our throat,” he said.
The uncertainness about how to specifically categorize Abe Vigoda’s sound is a testament to just how diverse its music is, but the group is not alone – it is associated with the all-ages LA underground music venue known as The Smell. Other bands that call The Smell home include HEALTH, the Mae Shi, Mika Miko and No Age.
“If it wasn’t for that venue, we probably would not be a band,” Velazquez said. “It’s a positive space. It’s a place for us to play and feel comfortable. We still volunteer there sometimes. It’s an awesome place.”
Bands that frequent the DIY-influenced The Smell have seen quite a lot of good press this year, thanks in part to the rising star of bands such as noise rockers HEALTH (whose debut LP came out last year) and critically acclaimed 2008 albums released by the Mae Shi, No Age and Abe Vigoda.
“It’s a cool scene, a tight-knit community,” Velazquez said. “No Age started to get really popular, and it was their mission to promote other Smell bands. It’s a good thing. You can play there without the conventions of what’s normal. You can do what you want to do.”
Keeping with that theme of freedom, this present tour has been a bit different for Abe Vigoda. Known as the “Mad Decent” tour, it features Diplo headlining each night while Abe Vigoda, Telepathe, Boy 8-Bit and usually another guest open up the shows. While Abe Vigoda is a rock band, the other three talents focus more on dance-oriented music. This variety in touring partners makes for an interesting audience each night.
“It’s a mixed crowd,” Velazquez said. “Half of the people are open-minded, and half just want to listen to dance music and party. It [can be] a cool mix of people. There’s not one specific type of person showing up. We’re playing bigger venues. There’s more of a party atmosphere. It’s a different tour than what we’ve ever done.”
Velazquez said this “conceptual” tour lets “indie rock kids” attend a party they normally would not go to. The shows on this tour are in all-ages rock clubs, as opposed to 21-and-up venues, he added.
Abe Vigoda will play at Sonar tonight. Baltimore-based DJ Blaqstarr will play with the other four acts tonight. Tickets are $12; doors open at 8 p.m.
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