The vibrations, notes, lights, and guitar flourishes: all converging as an exaltation of the senses. This musical wave, a euphoria that slapped me and wrapped around my very being came from the Indie rock band Japandroids.

The opening act, Craig Finn and The Uptown Controllers, were slightly underwhelming. Both bands style of music may be in the same spectrum of Indie Rock, but the Controllers were less energetic and more relaxed. Their 30 minute set was well received by the crowd, but was easily forgotten once the main performance was setting up.

The duo started their set with the song “Near to the Wild Heart of Life” from their latest  2017 album of the same name. Every song they played conveyed one of two different messages; a declaration of war against everything that’s inconvenience and wronged you, or the celebration of everything great that has happened.

What’s really fantastic about their three main studio albums is the fact that they each build upon one another. Although they don’t necessarily differ in sound and style, they aren’t a simple repetition of the first album. Each one creatively builds on the previous one and expands it as so that it seems like all three are one long, progressing album.

The venue was The Observatory in Santa Ana. The place was reasonably clean, appropriately lit, and had fantastic bars. Although seating could’ve been better, any of the chairs that littered the sides of the walls could’ve probably gotten in someone’s way. The acoustics of the hall was amazing. Every sound and vibration could be heard and felt from every inch of the building, even if minutely.

Brian King (guitar, vocals) and David Prowse (drums), first formed in 2006 from Vancouver, British Columbia. The duo describe their music as one part classic rock, one part punk. From October 2016 to June 10th 2017 the duo will be spending time in North America and Europe, ending their touring session in the UK as a part of the End Of The Road festival in September.