Bob Thompson’s passionate preview of last night’s Biblical Proof of UFOs show at Spaceland told the story of one of the truly great lost Los Angeles bands. Three unassuming nice guys who subverted the local scene for six-some years, then dissolved into the ether. Bob’s reverence is not undeserved.

In their prime, BPUFO mastered the art of dynamics better than any band I’ve ever seen. I always pictured them crammed into a sweaty practice space, with the lights off, stoned out of their minds and playing the same riff over and over for hours until it transcended and became something beautiful. The riffs were tasteful and built and built in intensity until finally a chorus or chord change would kick in; and the tension would release like a dam bursting.

They were heavy, but accessible. Sounding maybe like Black Sabbath doing a Cheap Trick song, or Radiohead doing an early Who song. Clearly steeped in classic rock, they somehow found a fresh, relevant voice all of their own.

It is with these high expectations that I walked into Spaceland last night, and I suppose I was only setting myself up for disappointment. The band that took the stage last night was not the Biblical Proof of UFOs I remembered. Sure they shared the name, and the incredible rhythm section, but otherwise, this band had very little in common with the band that made such a strong impression all those years ago.

When they take the stage, I’m surprised to see that singer-guitarist Joey Shipman is gone, and in his place are two guitarists. One handles vocal duties, while the other fiddles with a laptop and adds a lot of atmospheric leads.

Throughout the 45 minute set, I find myself thinking that the opening band, Get Up Get Down, sounds more like BPUFO than BPUFO does. There are similar arrangements - repetitive chord progressions, chug-chug strumming, stop-start riffs - but gone are the hooks. The D-tuning is more drony than heavy. One song early in the set features some nice frenetic slide guitar that recalls early PIL, but for the most part, the new style is less dramatic, and lends itself more to shoegazing than headbanging.

In this new context, much of the audience’s attention is directed to the stellar rhythm section. Ray Pillar is a solid powerhouse on bass. Drummer Michael Peffer, set up near the front center of the stage, is a mesmerizing blast of energy and vitality.

The band redeems themselves somewhat in the home stretch. A quiet, quiet minor chord musing that evokes Radiohead’s “How To Disappear Completely” gives way to the final two songs that recall later BPUFO songs, and which are easily the best of the night.

The band I saw at Spaceland last night was very good. Their fault lay in not being phenomenal. Biblical Proof of UFOs is a band that was constantly evolving, but always managed to hit the target. This is still an amazing group of musicians, and I’m optimistic, if they decide to continue in this form, that they will find the target again.

photos by Bob Thompson for LAist