Kevin Bronson on November 27th, 2012

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Milo Greene’s homecoming show on Nov. 17 at the El Rey Theatre was awash in grace and graciousness.

The L.A. quintet whose debut album landed in July gave the capacity crowd more than an hour swoon-worthy folk-rock. And, coming off six weeks on tour, they graciously and profusely thanked the home audience for the support. Only 15 months before, in July 2011, the band had opened for Grouplove at the Hammer Museum’s summer music series. On this night, each band was playing a sold-out L.A. show, Milo at the El Rey and Grouplove at the Wiltern.

After a sterling opening set by Bahamas – the Canadian pop act helmed by Afie Jurvanen drew a robust crowd of early arrivals – Milo Greene eased into its set with the instrumental “Moddison” before launching into a surprisingly propulsive set highlighted by “Don’t You Give Up on Me,” “Take a Step,” “Autumn Tree” and, finally, the single “1957.”

If anything, the thank-you-very-much breaks – first Graham Fink, then Andrew Heringer, Marlana Sheetz and Robbie Arnett took time out between various songs – were slight momentum-killers. But maybe it was a matter of needing to catch their breath. As spot-on as the group’s serenely beautiful harmonies remained, there were signs of road-weariness as the four (playing in front of drummer Curtis Marrero) traded off lead vocal duties amid some fierce-for-folkies instrumental breakdowns.

Still, the sense of longing and urgency in Milo Greene’s songs took on a cinematic quality in the big room; live, the quintet is as bold as its album is pretty. Mixing in an excellent rendition of Sufjan Stevens’ “Chicago” added to the energy. And when Jurvanen and Bahamas joined for the encore and a cover of Wilco’s “A Shot in the Arm,” it was an exclamation point for the evening, and maybe a signpost pointing to where Milo Greene might go next.

Of course, that’ll be a while – the band is yet to release its album (or tour) in the U.K. and Europe. That’ll happen in 2013.

Photos by Carl Pocket