Ima Robot

IMA ROBOT AT THE ROXY
January 28th 2009

It was two years ago in February that I first had the opportunity to see the Los Angeles based indie band Ima Robot. I had been a die-hard fan since 2003 when their debut album was released through Virgin Records, so when my best friend offered to buy me a ticket to a show, I immediately jumped at the chance. February 15^th of 2007 marked my first trip to The Roxy Club; I remember it being packed with the some of the strangest people imaginable, including Miley Cyrus, who was in attendance to see the then un-famous opening band of the night: Metro Station. Rest assured I won’t subject you to reading about that thirty minute set, if it can even be called such. That night Ima Robot took the stage with an infectious and out of control attitude; front-man Alex Ebert emerged in a nude leotard, throwing white feathers into a sea of fans who half-way through the show rushed the stage and spent an entire song dancing along side the band. The crowd was unmanageable, and I remember being swept from one side of the room to the other in a matter of minutes; we were packed so tightly that I was convinced I was going to asphyxiate and pass out at any moment. Youtube video of this event still exists, and I am proud to say I can still find myself in that turbulent crowd. It was one of the most exciting and unpredictable shows I have ever been to, and one that will always stay fresh in my memory.
Fast forward almost exactly two years, and you will find me gearing up to once again see Ima Robot at The Roxy. I was home in California for winter break and luckily stumbled upon a Myspace bulletin announcing Ima Robot would be playing a show that evening. After a fervent twenty minutes of texting every person I knew in search of transportation, I managed to procure a ride and $20 and set out with a friend for the hour drive into the city. The Roxy Club, for those of you who have never been out west, is located on Sunset Boulevard, one of the most famous streets in Los Angeles. Everything seems to happen on Sunset, and the feeling of excitement and action is tangible the minute you step out on the sidewalk. My friend and I arrived at The Roxy around 8:30 pm, and decided to skip the first two opening acts in exchange for grabbing a quick dinner. When we finally entered the club, I was amazed to find a completely different atmosphere from the last time I had seen Ima Robot. 2007 had comprised of a massive crowd, consisting of everything from fourteen year old girls to 20-something men dressed in superhero costumes. It was during the bands promotion of their second album, Monument to the Masses. Since that time Ima Robot has stayed relatively under the radar; they successfully terminated their contract with Virgin and have been working on releasing new material themselves, a process which has been relatively slow. Still, I was understandably surprised to find that 2009 drew a much smaller and calmer crowd, and one that easily allowed me to procure a spot directly in front of the stage without any pushing or shoving. By the time Ima Robot took the stage it was already past 11pm. They were an hour late to start, however the minute they stepped on stage I forgot all my exhaustion and was filled with excitement. Alex Ebert strolled up to the microphone wearing dirty and ripped white jeans, a white cardigan, and no shoes. His hair is long now and he sports a thick beard; I imagine he looks something like the lovechild of an emaciated Ryan Gosling and Jesus, but in the most attractive way possible. Before starting their set, Alex announced the band’s keyboardist, Lars, was stuck outside of the country and would be replaced that night by what he called L.A.R.S. (lifelike analog replacement situation). This replacement turned out to be a cleverly constructed manikin wearing a werewolf mask, complete with Christmas lights as eyes, which the band was committed to interacting with throughout the show. In reality however, it was guitarist Timmy Anderson who stepped up to the plate and managed to play both guitar and keyboards for the entire night. Ima Robot made the daring decision to play all new songs off of their forthcoming album, and the crowd spent much of the night in subdued awe. The new songs are completely different from Ima Robot’s older work; they are almost tribal in sound, and have a definite South American influence to them. Alex was impeccable both vocally and performance wise; he danced as if no one was watching and was so lost in his music that the experience seemed entirely spiritual for both the band and audience. It was an experience I still cannot fully put into words. I spent the entire evening in unblinking admiration for this band, which despite largely reinventing their sound has still remained true to themselves and their creative integrity. At the end of the set, Timmy pulled out a list of older songs to decide from for an encore, and after deliberating for a few minutes, the band decided on fan favorite 12=3. This song was one of 3 out of the 10 songs played that evening familiar to fans, and it was only during the encore of 12=3 that the crowd really let lose and went wild. I left The Roxy that evening filled with elation and awe. Although the experience was completely different from the first time I saw Ima Robot, the band still captivated me and solidified their placement as my second favorite band of all time. Their stage presence, musicality, and talent all shine through during their performance, and they are undoubtedly one of the greatest live bands around today. It is still unsure whether Ima Robot will tour outside of Southern California in the near future, however if you do get the chance to see this band, I highly recommend you go. They are a band that promises the unpredictable, and always delivers.