The tradition of playing and practicing in a garage has a long and honorable place in rock-&-roll history, and the quartet from Highland Park called Cold Forty Three has lived this cliché for years, thereby laying honest claim to the tag of "garage band." But although the band's power-pop output is solidly soaked with a punkish sauce, CFT's performances both onstage and on CD exhibit a polished professionalism that lend them credibility as airplay-worthy contenders in today's scene. All Access Magazine was recently privileged to be present Cold Forty Three opened up for headliners Eve 6 at the Key Club on Friday, September 12th, in a show that demonstrated the band's competent chops for their loyal local fan-base.
The band started over a half-decade ago when singer-guitarist Moses Cruz and his bass-playing brother Joshua got together with drummer Rene Haro, and they got their name from the happy coincidence that not only did they grow up near Avenue 43, but they're also three guys who enjoy the occasional cold forty-ounce malt beverage. Later down the road, a guitar player named Alex Sayes came on board to flesh out the band's sound. A peek at the Cold Forty Three's MySpace profile reveals a 
slew of suitable influences, and Moses and his bandmates blend inspirations such as Blink 182 and Sum 41 into a savory stew that hits hard and fast and satisfyingly. The band has been playing a lot on the local circuit lately, and the fellows were recently the subject of a video documentary for Fuse TV, which should be airing some time in late October. Furthermore, Cold Forty Three has been in the process of re-recording and re-producing songs from their debut CD, “From the Garage to Your Speakers,” in conjunction with their recent signing to Chamberlain Records, which could be indicative of a potential leap to the big-time for these L.A. lads.
At the Key Club, the show opened most appropriately with "Party Night Anthem," a lively ditty dedicated to the pleasures of youthful festivities on an evening of profiling, play, and, of course, partying. Rene showed himself to be a vigorous drummer on his basic yet effective kit, and after a couple of songs, he showed off his athletic skater's physique, as Moses announced, “Rene took his shirt off!” (Girls in the crowd cheered.) Moses and his brother hopped and twirled as they played, sometimes in tandem, and sometimes in counterpoint to each other, through a set that mainly featured songs from the group's CD, but also included a surprise cover of Madonna's “Hung Up,” which received a hearty punk makeover. Though Moses held the front-and-center position for most of the show, Alex and Joshua also had their chances to shine, and all three provided vocals that came through tunefully and clear.
Cold Forty Three was obviously having a good delivering their generous set of songs, and this feel-fine vibe was reflected in the swelling crowd on the floor, which contained a good share of friends and fans, many of whom sang along with the band. Cheers resounded with the quartet concluded with a raucous rendition of an old-school favorite, “La Bamba,” originally recorded by the late Richie Valens. Cold Forty Three is an outfit that knows how to play and how to please, and they look like they're on their way to yet bigger and better things, rocking all the way.
