Los Einstein performed to a healthy crowd at Cinespace last night, the five members outlined onstage in front of a large screen of swirling abstract psychedelic colors and shapes. The undulating patterns were vaguely reminiscent of Austin Powers, which is strange because their first music video for “One More Time” (see below) pays homage to A Clockwork Orange. The video is a little campy, but thoroughly enjoyable. Besides, imagine how different that movie would have been had Alex used a saxophone instead of a cane as an instrument of destruction. I admit it was the inclusion of Kyle O’Donnell‘s saxophone in the first place that threw me off about Los Einstein, wondering how exactly a sax would fit with a modern hard rock and soul band. But after the subtle funk began to creeep in around the rock reminiscent of early Incubus, I began to get an inkling. The raw, fiery sound of Kyle’s sax seemed a perfect compliment to lead singer Matt Einstein‘s soulful yet gritty Chris Cornell-style vocals. I understood further after reading about how the band formed on their website: when Matt Einstein and guitarist Chris Vazquez first decided to go into the music making business together, they vowed to create a band that eschewed mediocrity with “an uncompromising mix of raw talent and innovative, original song writing”.

It’s obvious that Los Einstein is sticking to their vow by the way the band is able to showcase each member’s individual talent and contribution to the group. I love hearing a great bassist roam wild and free, able to work with the drummer but also being recognized as a separate and equal unit. Justin Smolian was skilled enough to play what he wanted, when he wanted; it just it happened to be exactly what the band needed to keep the energy funky and moving forward. He locked in well with drummer Enrique Lara, providing the perfect foundation for Chris Vazquez‘s many impressive guitar solos. In addition to being skilled musicians, Los Einstein‘s songs are written like a throwback to the epic songwriting of the 80′s and 90′s. I never heard a three to three and half minute radio blast, though I’m sure any one of the songs could have been cut to fit a radio-friendly format. There were definite intros and outros, extended jam sections, and long pauses where you weren’t sure if the band was going to come back in or move on. They really knew how to keep the audience’s interest piqued with their song writing, though they were very stylish performance-wise as well. Lead singer Matt Einstein was like a constantly prowling cat, keeping the energy fluid and moving to different parts of the stage to engage different parts of the audience. He moved to the back of the stage for any guitar or sax solos, still obviously involved and enjoying his bandmates’ turn in the spotlight.

Los Einstein has five more dates scheduled in and around Hollywood in January alone, playing next on Monday, January 10th at 9:00pm at FiveoFour. For a complete list of their upcoming tour dates, please visit their Myspace page here. Their debut album Can’t Let the Dream Die was released this past October and is now available on iTunes. For the next six months, all proceeds from the album will go to Art of Elysium, a non profit organization that helps connect local artists with children in need, offering them instruction in music, comedy, acting, and creative arts. Please vist Art of Elysium‘s website here.