The Dream Syndicate at The El Rey Theater

The Dream Syndicate, The El Rey Theater, December 15, 2017

Los Angeles welcomed back The Dream Syndicate by selling out to capacity at The El Rey Theater this particular Friday night in the Wilshire district of the Los Angeles/Beverly Hills adjacent area. The show started at 9PM and The Dream Syndicate went on promptly at 10:10PM and performed for an hour and half straight through. The band is currently touring in support of How Did I Find Myself Here?, which is currently released on Anti Records. This was a homecoming show due to the original band’s true beginnings were here in Los Angeles. The paisley moment at that time was The Dream Syndicate, The Bangs aka The Bangles and The Salvation Army aka The Three O’clock. The Dream Syndicate took a long hiatus but have refreshed back from being gone from nearly two decades. Besides performing nearly the entire new album live amongst the set, The Dream Syndicate played a few gems from their back catalog. This brought memories to the band’s good old days of rocking out loud and strong through the psychedelic garage dive bar atmosphere which is still the band forte.

The show tonight included in the lineup a member of Green On Red playing the keyboards. And the real true highlight was original member Kendra Smith came on and did her first song written with The Dream Syndicate back in the early 80’s of Too Little Too Late, which is featured on The Dream Syndicate’s first album The Days Of Wine And Roses to a roaring applause during the encore. As an added surprise to that The Dream Syndicate also performed Kendra’s Dream which is a very challenging song to play and Kendra is featured on lead vocals. This song is the last track also from How Did I Find Myself Here? as well. The El Rey audience tonight received this rare remembrance of old history with the band to a great appreciation of a grand applause at the end of the encore with ample delight from everyone.

(Review and Photos by Jonathan Wright)

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