It was a beautiful blue September sky as beach cruisers and skateboarders rolled by. The noon-time sun glinted off of Tommy Trojan. A USC lunch crowd waited in anticipation of the first chords to be strummed. I was here to see Quadratic Expression, a tribute band based in Pasadena. The band poised, and then the guitar and bass sprang into the recognizable Red Hot Chili Peppers ballad, Under The Bridge, eventually being met by the voice then drums. Good way to envelop the Southern Cal crowd. You don't want to play anything too loudly this early in the day. Remember, this is college... Stay up late, get up even later. Unless you have class… groan!!! Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down was next to resonate from the speakers. The pace quickens a bit.
The band is comprised of Tony (guitar, piano), Glenn (lead vocals, keyboards), Lou (bass, backing vocals) and Matt (drums). What struck me was the variety of songs they played. They ran the gamut of modern rock classics from Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion to Rock of Ages by Def Leppard to I Will Follow by U2 to Van Halen's Right Now. The songs were played note for note. You could tell these guys put a lot of work into what they're doing. They really got into their groove when they launched into Limelight by Rush. Tony's hands were like butterflies as they floated effortlessly across the neck of the guitar and Lou's punchy bass sound sounded exactly like Gedde's.
Glenn’s vocal rendition of Rooster was the song that won me over. If I closed my eyes I would have sworn that Alice in Chains was playing in front of me. Glenn’s rendition was flawless.
I can't say enough about Matt's ability as a drummer throughout the hour-long set. He's a showman and a metronome at the same time. I don’t know how he did it the way his kit kept bouncing around. These guys are playing at different locations around town. You should check them out and give them a listen. You won't be disappointed. I wasn't!
