The Milk Carton Kids Were Stunners At The Japan American Theatre

Los Angeles —Two men quietly walked out to the silent sold out crowd, decorated in suits and 50s vintage guitars, and stepped into the single spotlight in the American Japan Theatre. Hovered over their shared microphone, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan of the Milk Carton Kids erupted into tireless picks and superb brooding harmonies. The combination of sophisticated garb, steady retro folk music, and witty banter, made for a perfect Saturday evening.

The Milk Carton Kids are not children and they’re definitely not lost as their name suggests; they are well-versed music makers and vastly underrated entertainers. The opening song of the evening, “The Ash & Clay,” introduced both of their rich voices, streaked with a relatable melancholy that is so blended that they almost morphed into one when they bellowed, “the swing sets are empty/Like dirt turned the dark of the night/ The center of this town/ It used to whirl in the glow of twilight. The realm the pair created was filled with descriptive language and inspired most to close their eyes and drift away with existential musings and colorful storytelling.

When The Milk Carton Kids weren’t moving their guests, they were making them laugh with impeccable dry humor and refreshing self-deprecation. Hagglers are a common issue during live shows and Ryan was shocked enough by the stillness of the room that he brushed his long hair away from his face to utter his first words: “Keep it down a little bit.” After being met with uproarious giggles, Ryan also went on a charming rant about their merchandise that features imagery, like an octopus, that has very little to do with the band. Along with the announcement that they would perform two new songs never performed before, Ryan sweetly asked that no one film because they didn’t want “sh*tty” smartphone-quality videos to be the first glimpse other fans got of the unreleased tunes — which happen to be a deep and evolved next installment for the artists.

The Milk Carton Kids came together by chance three years ago and what a happy accident it was. Pattengale and Ryan were individually respected for their solo talent throughout their native Los Angeles, but only began to garner attention after they intertwined. Despite the long wait to combine forces, it is as though the twosome were meant to create and perform together. It is a rarity to find a duo so in sync with one another. Where one is expert, the other is there to lend support. There is no weakness in their performance as long as they have each other.

Both are great at acoustics, but Ryan is dominant in personality and vocals because Pattengale needs to focus on his legendary finger work. He is a true master of the guitar. “Honey, Honey” is Pattengale’s wildest solo of all. It is unfathomable how a man’s hands can move so fast and generate notes so thorough they sound like he has an extra hand. It was a surprise the mop-topped musician’s fingers didn’t bleed as he struck tirelessly at his strings. His partner even shook his head in disbelief.

The audience couldn’t get enough of these two. The set clearly satisfied as the auditorium of over 800 stood up for a standing ovation following a heavenly rendering of “Stealing Romance, ” but concertgoers demanded an encore. The reflective artists reappeared and appropriately bid farewell with “Memphis: “Now the sun goes down over Dolly Parton bridge/ The one time home of soul takes our country’s final breath.”

When the collision of good humor, stark presentation, and soul is swallowed, it is impossible to avoid comparisons to the folk music of yesteryear when the Everly Brothers ruled. However, The Milk Carton Kids are the only ones of their kind today, and they are a fateful reminder that that old-fashioned folk rhapsody is reinvented over and over again for a reason.

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Ariela Kozin

Ariela was born and raised on Los Angeles' creative hunger and booming sounds. She grew up humming the Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan records her mother played on repeat until a driver's license gave her the freedom to obsessively explore the live music scene. It only seemed natural that when Ariela went to journalism school, she paired her love of writing with her passion for discovering amazing new music.