Honestly, I can't remember how I found PAPA. What I do know is, their lovely tune, "Ain't It So," off EP, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find has been on heavy house music rotation for sometime. The entire EP, for that matter, has escaped my open windows on cool evenings.
As much as I align myself with the universe of social media in order to hear about the rare appearances of my favorite, obscure bands, PAPA's lighting in Bloomington, nearly happened without me. How frustrating for B-town's own radio station, WTTS, with a part-time college format to not, one, play PAPA, and two, tell us they were coming. Time and time again, I am finding these appearances promoted by MOKB Presents in Indianapolis and now Spirit of '68 Promotions to be under marketing their shows. It's amazing that anyone shows up at all. Ten minutes to scheduled show time, Taylor and I were the 5th and 6th person in the room, or should I say shoebox. Ok, I'm turning off my mommy voice.
About PAPA. Their music is just yummy. Darren Weiss has a voice that is deep and manly, just how the college girls, middle aged working women, and over the hill divorcees, who didn't show up for PAPA's gig, love. Their sound has hints of throw back, that I find to be cozy cool and it was hard for me not be the only person, in the now standing crowd, not cutting a serious rug. (Yes, I realize that term dates me.) There was no indication of Darren losing his voice and having spent the entire day, not speaking, so that his instrument was in shape for our paltry representation of music lovers. Great job Darren.
As for the rest of the band? They seem like great guys and obviously are talented musicians, but their own website lacks a bio and I'm unable to determine who is Danny and who is Sean, their musical education, who they've toured with, what they had for breakfast, not to mention those sweet Instagram feeds; no band Facebook page to be found. They have the smallest digital footprint of any band I follow. They've been at this at least four years and I truly believe that PAPA is under selling and representing themselves. There is a problem when you are warming up for a band called Two (Who?) and are clearly the better band of the two (who?)
It's unfortunate that their name is PAPA. I'm a skilled researcher who pours over youtube videos of live performances. Every single Papa on the planet (see Papa Roach, see everyone's Papa who has a band in...Italy of all places, see Papa Johns, Lady Gaga's Paparazzi, Papa by Paul Anka, for example) are winning right now. This PAPA, the one from L.A. are much better than that. Shame, their passionate sound is sexy stuff.
The worst thing about the evening was that I was stupid enough to think that the vibration of their music would not put my beloved camera with my favorite Canon wide angle lens, on a death march off the drink shelf at The Bishop. This tragic event instantly made PAPA a $700 warm up, as said lens fatally shattered into three pieces. From the light turn out for this Tuesday night show, I'd say we are both losers. That said, I can't wait until they come around again.
Next, I see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero on Sunday in Indy. Tuesday night, I'm hopping up to The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan to see those fantastic Swedish sisters of First Aid Kit; Avett Brothers back in Indy at the end of the month.
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