aLO Gets The Groove Out in Grass Valley
ALO and Glitterfox celebrate the groove in grass valley
Photography and Review by: Jessica Kingsford
It’s no secret that Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) knows how to throw a party. They’ve had a few decades to perfect their unique blend of funk and jam-band wizardry with their carefree, "let’s just vibe and see what happens" energy, and that definitely put last week’s audience at Grass Valley Center for the Arts in the mood to groove.
First up, Portland based indie-rock band Glitterfox warmed the stage with their nostalgic sound influenced by 90s grunge and folk-Americana vibes. The foursome has been dropping EPs and touring furiously on their way to releasing their first full-length album this summer, bringing their
unique sparkle and danceable sounds up and down the coast. It’s easy to see why ALO brought them on board to open all their shows this month.
Frontwoman Solange Igoa and her rose-colored glasses hit the crowd with her crisp vocals and got us grooving to “Passenger” and “TV” to start off the night. ALO’s own Zach Gills popped out with his accordion to spice up a tune during the 8 song opening set.
A break in the music gave this camera girl just enough time to source a spicy margarita from the bar. I returned with refreshment in hand to find the dance floor filled wall to wall with a colorful mix of music lovers spanning at least three generations, all waiting for the main act to hit the stage. It’s a testament to the staying power of ALO’s timeless sound that, although they’ve been making music for nearly 30 years, they can still entice new young fans out of their Spotify shells to experience live shows.
The four cool cats of ALO took the stage right on time and with an undeniably positive energy. Their first tune, “Make It Back Home” from their recent album “Silver Saturdays”, hit just right and had the crowd swaying and singing, then “Push” and “Blank Canvas” nudged them over the edge. The music catalog runs deep for this band. ALO never hesitates to launch into a mind melding psychedelic jam session that puts the crowd in a dance trance. It's especially cool that every one of the bandmates takes turns singing lead vocals and back up harmonies during the set.
In true ALO fashion, the band welcomed the crew from Glitterfox back to the stage and jammed through a cover of “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette before bringing Dellow (aka Daniel Roholt) up to put his magic guitar fingers to work on “The Party (Sorry I Missed It)”, a song hilariously written about missing a flight and a gig at none other than the chili-fest cook off in Reno.
ALO gets loud and funky for sure, but they also always make time to connect with their fans during their show. They are definitely having fun up on stage, changing up their crazy hats and tossing confetti at random moments, but they always check in to make sure the audience is feeling it too. This crowd was definitely vibing at the end of the set, clapping and stomping their demand for an encore. And ALO delivered, just like they have been doing for nearly 30 years.
The only thing I was left wishing for when the lights came up was my favorite ALO song, the sexy and soulful “Girl I Want To Lay You Down”, which sadly didn’t make the set list this time around. I guess that’s a good enough excuse to catch the next wave of groovy music ALO brings our way.
Smoke Meter : Things got a little hazy up in there for sure, especially with the more seasoned ALO fans in the front row.
Fight Meter : Nope, groovy vibes only.
Sing-Along Meter : Pretty high, ALO hit the crowd with the old call-and-response more than a few times, and we did our best to oblige.