Los Angeles – In the vast range of artists’ popularity (your local garage band being the low point and U2 being the high point), there is a sweet spot right in the middle that bands like The Rubens occupy. These groups are popular enough to bring a dedicated following to every show, giving each performance an exhilarating feeling of communion amongst the audience. At the same time, the not so longtime fans are forced to spend $100 for the privilege of watching through binoculars in the nosebleed section of an arena. By all accounts, the Australian alternative rock band The Rubens appear destined for the latter experience, but for the time being the band is sticking to mid-size venues like the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles.
This past Wednesday, The Rubens opened up for The Naked and Famous (another band currently sitting right in that same sweet spot), playing songs from the recent release, Hoops, as well as the band’s self-titled debut from 2012. The five-piece kept the energy high throughout the set, cordially conversing with the audience as the band ran through a ten-song opening set. The band features a trio of brothers from the Margin family, with Sam serving as the band’s lead vocalist and occasional guitarist, Elliot playing keyboards and adding vocal harmonies, and Zaac playing lead guitar. The three brothers were joined by the (literally and figuratively) muscular rhythm section of Scott Baldwin on drums and William Zeglis on bass.
The quintet got things started with a cut from The Rubens’ latest album, “Hold Me Back,” which featured Sam Margin’s soulful pleadings of “Lord help me!” The band followed it up with another new song, “Night Is On My Side,” before heading into the first cut from their debut album, “My Gun.” One of The Rubens’ earliest hits, “My Gun” has the kind of unforgettable chorus that makes the entire audience sing along. The next song was also pulled from their debut, “Lay It Down.” Sam asked the audience if they were aware of the seminal Australian radio station Triple J. He then explained “Lay It Down” was made a breakout hit because of plays from that station. (Note: Read more about The Rubens’ Triple J experience in Sam’s interview with Best New Bands!)
The band continued to mix up the set list, taking a song from the debut here and a new song there. The Rubens saved the biggest hits for the end of the set, with “Hoops” and “Hallelujah” being two of the final three songs they played. “Hoops” may be the finest song these boys have ever written, pushing the boundaries of their mostly simple pop rock formula. Meanwhile, “Hallelujah” does not overthink things, instead heading for pure exhilaration in the chorus. While The Rubens still have some ground to tread before they will be selling out arenas, the future looks bright for the quintet.
The Rubens’ tour with The Naked and Famous continues to the East Coast in early April before they head to Groovin the Moo across Australia. In May The Rubens play the United Kingdom, and in June the band returns to Australia. Find tour dates on The Rubens’ Facebook page. Hoops can be purchased on iTunes.
Matt Matasci
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