L.P. and her band plugged in and turned up at the Triumph Restaurant & Brewery in historic New Hope, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, May 29, 2004. L.P. picked a particularly picturesque place to perform over the Memorial Day weekend.

     On the road in support of her forthcoming second album Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol, L.P. is at the top of her game. L.P.'s band is sounding tighter and tougher than ever with Scott Campbell on drums, Tony Finn on rhythm guitar, Josh Flagg on lead guitar, and Scott Kelliher on bass guitar.

     Tucked away in a corner on the brewery floor, Campbell tapped out the intro for the swift pop-rocker "Heartless" off L.P.'s soon-to-released 2004 disc. Kelliher's vibrant bass really gave the overall sound of the band an added impact. Impressively, L.P. held onto the final note at the coda.

     On the heel of L.P.'s 'Happy Memorial Day' greeting, Flagg's fierce electric guitar signaled a strong start for "Never Was". Kelliher's bass playing once again demanded attention. L.P. sang "The Darkside" sans guitar. An animated Finn contributed his intense rhythm guitar passage into the musical mix.

     The swamped mellow-beat of "Get Over Yourself" was punched up by Campbell's drums, anchored by Kelliher's bass guitar. L.P. delivered a stunning vocal on the title track of the new CD, "Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol". The mellow ballad-rocker kicked up in strength as a band jam at the bridge produced a fierce lead guitar solo by Flagg.

     L.P. belted her vocals on the cool pop-rocker "Love Somebody", found on her first album Heart-Shaped Scar, sans guitar, strutting out before the band. Finn and Flagg duetted on harmony vocals with an added audio attraction of Kelliher's galloping bass lines.

     "Hell If I Know", an as-yet-unreleased composition, was empowered by a retro-punk tempo. L.P. ignited an impassioned harmonica solo, supported by Kelliher's burping bass lines and Flagg's grunge-guitar solo. Following this number, the group took their only break during the late evening performance.

     The unavailable quick-paced rocker "Can't Shake It" began the second set with L.P. on harmonica. The unrecorded "Huge In Japan" featured Finn's fancy fret solo, and a repeated hiccup-pause played by the band as a climatic close.

     "Little Death", an Americanized French expression, was a band exercise in thrash-rock, driven by Campbell's timely beat. The crunch-guitar launch of "Heart-Shaped Scar" recalled Zeppelin's hard-hitting style. L.P. sang a cover of Radiohead's "Creep". The power-ballad was supported by Finn's rhythm guitar accompaniment.

     The mellow "Cadillac Life" spotlighted L.P. solo in performance on electric guitar. Her confident vocal and melodic rhythm generated appreciative applause. "Perfect", which leads off the first disc, was the perfect selection to end the evening. The terrific rocker cranked with L.P.'s animated vocals, Campbell's solid drumming, and a dual rhythm guitar attack-jam.

     L.P. and her amazingly tight band are currently touring the States, promoting her new disc Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol. Take a moment to check her tour schedule to see if L.P. is coming to a neighborhood near you soon.

New Hope setlist: Heartless * Wasted * Never Was * The Darkside * Get Over Yourself * Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol * Change Of Scenery * Love Somebody * Hell If I Know * intermission * Can't Shake It * Huge In Japan * Little Death * Heart-Shaped Scar * Creep * Cinderella * Nowhere * All I Have * Cadillac Life * Perfect

L.P. website

RockonTour   Issue #33
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Deluged by decibels
L.P. & Co. concoct a commotion at the brewery

by Timothy Tilghman