The Loved Ones, Dead To Me at the Knitting Factory 3/05/07

You know that you're in for a great show when the crowd is packed shoulder-to-shoulder even before the opening band goes on. And that's exactly how it went down at the Knitting Factory last Friday.

The show took place in the Knitting Factory's front room, which has to be one of my favorite venues in LA. Small enough to give you that front row feeling, but large enough to hold a crap-ton of people and somehow NOT get elbowed in the side every two minutes.

It's rare that you see a crowd just as energetic and enthusiastic about the opening band as they are to see the headliners. San Francisco's Dead to Me already has a HUGE following that’s evident at every show they play. Dead to Me is comprised of former members of One Man Army and Western Addiction. They formed in 2003, shortly after the disbandment of One Man Army.

The set list consisted of every song off of their debut album, Cuban Ballerina (released in July 2006 on Fat Wreck Chords), as well as a killer cover of “Hybrid Moments” by the Misfits that nearly brought the house down. By the time these guys are done with their set, you’re still left wanting more.

Shortly after the Dead to Me set, The Loved Ones took the stage. These Philly natives came to Hollywood to do one thing and one thing only: Rock the hell out of the Knitting Factory. This was the second stop on the West Coast leg of their tour featuring their most recent album. Formed in 2003, they've released both a 5 song EP (2005) and a full length album "Keep Your Heart" (2006).

The Loved Ones deliver an intensely upbeat "pop-punk" sound that’s full of energy, and you can't help but want to jump around and sing along. I know I definitely worked up a sweat by the end of their show.

My only complaint about the show as a whole is that it was entirely too short. Both bands are supporting their debut albums so I suppose there was only so much material to play, but I don’t think I’m alone when I say I could have stayed at the Knitting Factory that night for several hours more, despite the sweat.

And now, for the visual part… Photos!