Other Lives take on another life at the El Rey

Seraphina Lotkhamnga on
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Oklahoma orchestral rockers Other Lives gave the El Rey Theatre a concert on Saturday night that was as close to a religious experience as a secular band could muster. Celebrating their 10-year anniversary as a band — and clearly celebratory at their burgeoning popularity— the band cast a 70-minute spell over the sold-out crowd that bordered on sacred.

After virtually nonstop touring in support of their highly regarded 2011 album “Tamer Animals,” Other Lives cherished the moment. “We haven’t played in here in so long,” frontman Jesse Tabish gushed. “We’re so happy to be celebrating with you. This is the largest crowd we’ve ever had. Thanks for being here.”

The sextet dipped into new songs such as their single “Take Us Alive” and “Dean Can” off their new “Mind the Gap” EP, but material from “Tamer Animals” got the most cheers out of fans. Opening with “Dark Horse” and “As I Lay My Head Down,” woodwinds, horns and strings embraced the audience. It was a powerful welcome and a sign the night’s tapestry of songs would only grow richer.

The lush melodies in their divine compositions wafted in between the standing light bulbs on stage and seeped out underneath the elegant chandeliers. Adding to the ambiance, the theater’s lights shimmered and bounced around the room accordingly — effects that were excessive considering there was a sea of people watching the show with their eyes closed.

The set’s anthemic intensity grew as they went from “Landforms” to more popular tunes such as “For 12” and eventually “Dust Bowl III” (a song written for their home state), which producer Joey Waronker joined them for before they broke for encore. Tabish returned to do “Black Tables” solo on the keys, and the biblical experience continued. Then after two more songs with the rest of the band, Other Lives graciously said good night, leaving us with the real world — the other world which we were too happy to abandon at the beginning of the night.

L.A.’s Oren Lyons couldn’s have been more perfect to kick off the night. The seven-piece band led by Kristianne Bautista’s smoky yet fluid alto has gotten early radio support for their first single “Forever Found.” Their orchestral rock and jazz undertones proved a sophisticated appetizer in this, their first L.A. show (and only their fifth or sixth overall). A set by Denmark’s Indians followed.