JEFF the Brotherhood prove trippy, heavy and blissful in a ‘Wasted’ night at the Troubadour

Michelle Shiers on
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Peering through the dense stage fog Friday night at the Troubadour where overhead speakers played Chris de Burgh‘s “Lady in Red,” you could just make out the outlines of siblings Jake and Jamin Orall, along with live members Kunal Prakash and Chet Jameson, that make up JEFF The Brotherhood.

The Nashville duo released a new album this month titled “Wasted On The Dream,” and though they were swathed in smoke and lights, their sonic agenda is still plain as day and their instruments perhaps symbolically see-through. No BS, just ripped jeans and heavy distortion.

JEFF The Brotherhood started the night with a trippy intro and then moved into “Voyage Into Dreams” from the newest record. The audience was vehement but not unruly, showing that while the band’s sound seems aimed at beer-can-wielding fans ready to thrash, some of their devotees also enjoy standing glossy-eyed and, literally, crowing in awe of the heavy riffs. The band performed the scuzzy “Shredder” and the punk-indebted “Mellow Out.” Frontman Jake Orall whipped his shoulder-length hair around and drummer Jamin was intermittently hidden with each big puff from the fog machine.

The Brotherhood’s style gives obvious nods to the ’90s. There are some strong classic rock influences (parts of Sabbath and Zeppelin) and also influences that lie in the beloved record collection of stoner frat boys (grungier Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins). “Black Cherry Pie” and “Cosmic Visions” show off the band’s slacker manifesto with lyrics like “Marijuana make me wanna take off all my clothes and I’m never comin’ home.”

Alicia Bognanno of supporting band Bully joined the Brotherhood on stage to perform “In My Dreams,” and then they moved into a sludgy cover of Beck’s “Totally Confused,” which carried a Nirvana-esque edge, crashing cymbals and very serious distorted shredding on Jake’s custom Lucite/Firebird guitar. They even Brotherhood-ified a cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl.” The band closed the main set with the noisy and climactic “Whatever I Want” but then returned, Jake now shirtless, to perform the encore track “Hypnotic Nights.” It is likely that many a sixer will continue to be consumed to the tune of Jeff The Brotherhood and their unhinged and thudding strain of rock.

Jeff The Brotherhood were supported by L.A.’s the Lovely Bad Things as well as Bully.