I had never seen La Sera live, but walking into Mississippi Studios last Thursday evening, this is what I did know: Katy Goodman—bassist of lo-fi dream-pop outfit Vivian Girls—was currently touring with her side project La Sera in support of her recent (and quite good) sophomore effort, Sees the Light. The show was part of a larger festival put on by Siren Nation, an art collective that aimed to provide exhibition opportunities to women in the Portland area.
Being one of the smaller clubs in town, Mississippi Studios boasts an intimate and unique venue space. The small stage is set close to the audience, with split-level seating on the second story. When Goodman and gang took the stage, people were still arriving, navigating the bar in the rear of the venue before settling in to spots on the main floor. But by the time the group started their third song, more people began occupying empty areas near the front and moving upstairs to find seats.
The close quarters of the venue proved to be a great pairing to La Sera’s warm and accessible take on ’50s pop. People moved to the more up-tempo selections off of Sees the Light and laughed at the group’s endearing onstage humor (yes, there were knock-knock jokes). But no matter how many people were in the audience, you could tell the quartet was having fun, smiling and laughing with each other between songs.
Although her time in Vivian Girls might have formed Goodman’s writing style, La Sera’s sound proved a cleaner departure from the Girls’ fuzzy, reverb-laden tunes. “Real Boy” was a love song set to trotting percussive clicks and electric guitar, reminiscent of groups like the Shirelles and the Crystals. This isn’t to say that La Sera didn’t rock out, though. “Please Be My Third Eye” opened with a charging drum fill, setting the pace for distorted staccato guitar stabs.
Because they were opening for EMA and JD Samson & Men, La Sera’s set only lasted a little under an hour, with no encore. Still, after seeing the group live, I learned a few things:
- Katy Goodman has a tattoo of a milkshake.
- Guitarist Tod is a solid source of jokes and one-liners.
- Apparently you CAN dance while sitting down with a drink in your hand (as a woman in the upstairs balcony proved to me).
- If you have a chance to see La Sera live. Go.
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Photos © Zach Klassen
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