Kevin Bronson on September 22nd, 2010

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It was a night of comings and goings at Eastside clubs on Tuesday night.

At the Bootleg Theater, the Belle Brigade – a sextet populated by talent familiar on the L.A. scene playing to a crowd dotted by musicians with whom they’ve shared stages – announced themselves as folk-rock contenders with a set of exuberant, poignant Americana. Later, at the Echo, the Parson Red Heads – a collective populated by talent familiar on the L.A. scene playing to a crowd dotted by musicians with whom they’ve shared stages – played their final L.A. club show before relocating to Portland. That, too, was equal parts exuberant and poignant.

The Belle Brigade is the band fronted by Barbara and Ethan Gruska, whose winsome sibling harmonies float above the propulsive music generated by a band of longtime friends. Included is guitarist Alex Silverman, whose nifty shredding might surprise people who know him from Alex & Sam. Barbara, of course, is the drummer extraordinaire who’s played with a brigade (I think I’ve seen her play with 13 or 14 bands) of local acts, from Jenny Lewis to Obi Best.

In the Belle Brigade, though, she mostly wields an acoustic guitar (she drummed on two songs), co-fronting the band with her kid brother, both of whom come from excellent musical lineage. Tuesday’s show was the band’s first in quite a while – signed to Warner Bros., the Belle Brigade has spent much of the past year rehearsing and recording an album with Matthew Wilder (No Doubt’s “Tragic Kingdom,” et. al.). Tentative plans are for the album to be released early next year.

The Parson Red Heads moved to L.A. from Oregon five years ago, and the band centered around the husband/wife team of Evan and Brett Marie Way and Sam Fowles became scene favorites. Purveyors of feel-good, throwback psych-pop, the Red Heads were justifiably regarded as the real deal – folkies whose music originated in their modest, small-town upbringings and not some classroom at a private university. It’s a shame no label has gotten behind them.

From some of the somber faces at the Echo on Tuesday, you’d think they were breaking up. On the contrary. They’re relocating to Portland as a cost-of-living move. They have a new album almost completed with producer Raymond Richards. And despite occasional emotional moments from the young Mr. and Mrs. Way, their set – played to a host of local musicians including members of the Airborne Toxic Event, who rushed from Weezer’s semi-private Hollywood show to make it to the Echo – turned a lot of frowns upside down.

Come back soon.