 "Photo: Photo courtesy of Malbec")
After patiently waiting through two opening acts and a stream of drunken 20-somethings pushing toward the front, the lights dimmed and the thick black curtain hiding the stage finally opened at a quarter before midnight Friday night to reveal Los Angeles rock band Malbec.
Promoting its new record, "Dawn of Our Age," the band fittingly opened with the electronic synth-pop title track, cooing to the screaming crowd, "In the time of technology/We are born with many many needs/But can the blind see more than us with sight see?"
Opening performers The Ivy League and Jesse Glick started the night, causing a crowd to form as early as 9 p.m.
After waiting in line past the velvet rope, loud music poured down the dim red hallways of the Viper Room.
Plenty of Malbec fans clad in T-shirts filled the space as the crowd swarmed the infamous Hollywood venue, crowding the bar and pushing toward the exits, with a range of fans and family coming out to support the band's album release party.
The L.A. quintet just traveled up the West Coast and across the country on its recent "Tell a Friend Tour," with its last stop bringing them back to its home city for the big release.
Together since 2003, Malbec draws from a range of influences - everything from Argentinean folk to southern rap - to form its genre-crossing medley of hip-hop beats, rock guitars and pop melodies.
Having already released two EP's and gaining success with some of its songs featured in films and television shows, Malbec passed a milestone in every musicians' life: The release of its first full-length album.
Speaking like a true musician, bass player Samantha Barbera excitedly admitted before the show that she "hates playing last" because she is too eager to go up onstage.
Despite the late starting time, the musicians worked hard to keep the energy high.
Lead singer, pianist and guitar player Pablo Signori jumped from left to right, urging the crowd to get its hands in the air, waking up even those slouching in the back.
In his all-black getup and red- and black-striped tie, the scruffy-faced Signori fit the bill for an emotional-pouring heartthrob.
Like the band, he exudes honesty, playing the role like a pro, and even in spite of having the flu seemed to have the most fun.
In a not-so-rockstar move, Signori thanked his parents for being at the show, but the sincerity worked and the crowd "awwed" accordingly.
Signori being a family man, the name Malbec comes from a popular Argentinean wine, which represented Signori's ties to his heritage, but also fittingly portrayed the band's sweet yet punching synth-rock songs.
If Malbec has a head-up over other local bands, it's a genuine kindness and love of its fans.
Hanging out at its sales table and chatting up the audience, the group showed some down-to-earth friendliness that made the release party seem more like a gathering of friends in the band's basement than at the well-known Hollywood venue.
Next to Signori stood the petite bassist Barbera, whose sweet personality hid her serious playing skills, calmly enjoying her own work.
On the other side of the stage, the energetic guitarist Nick Ruth bounced to the rhythm while Mark Pontius kept a steady beat on drums in the back.
With his keyboard and synthesizer, Sidney Miller seemed responsible for much of the band's popular synth beats, but as he slowly swayed from song to song, despite Signori's mad attempts around the stage, he looked like he'd rather be asleep than playing. But after just returning from New York, a little jet lag is acceptable.
During the show, the band hinted that a clue-word was waiting to be said, so when Signori gave his last thanks to everyone for coming to the release "party," the crowd took cue, shooting off their streamer launchers, flinging colored bits of string and confetti across the room as the band played its last song.
As the crowd finally dispersed at 1 a.m., with plenty still hanging around to talk to the band and make one last dash to the bar, it proved much easier to pick the swarm of confetti out of everyone's hair than to get Malbec's catchy pop beats out of their heads.
