Mates of State @ the Echo

July 7, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA

By Liz Caruso

Mates of State @ the Echo - Los Angeles, CA - July 3, 2010 - Photos by Liz Caruso

I've always thought there was nothing more perfect: being in love with someone, and being able to share another passion - making music together. Mates of State are indie legends, I think, not only because they make knock-your-socks-off great, enjoyable music, but also because their story as a husband/wife duo is inspiring. But that's only my opinion, solidified after seeing their second of two consecutive shows at the Echo last weekend.

Although it wasn't quite sold out, there is something to be said for the amount of show-goers who had piled into the venue by the time I arrived - too late albeit to catch most of the first opener, a magician act. Nick Thune, a musician/comedian was up next, and delivered a hilarious comedic performance, mixing stand-up jokes with amusing songs, the most notable one being a tune about the "missed connections" section of craigslist.

Free Energy, a band from Philadelphia that emerged from the ashes of Hockey Night, was the first true musical opener of the night, and they definitely brought the energy. Everything about them calls to mind the classic eras of rock. Lead singer Paul Sprangers struts from one end of the stage to the other, flipping his hair around and belting the songs with blues-tinged, sing along vocals, as the rest of the band plays with equal hair-swinging, smiles, and raucous swagger.

Since it was an early show (scheduled to begin at 5 PM), by the time Mates of State came on stage it was around the same time as most venues only begin to open their doors. They opened with crowd favorite "The Re-Arranger" and dove into a long set, mixing old favorites with new covers from their recent release Crushes: The Covers Mixtape (click here to watch an awesome video of their Daniel Johnston cover "True Love Will Find You in the End"). Mates of State played with such joyful energy that they must have had the entire audience smiling, especially as Kori and Jason exchanged playful looks and smiles with each other.



Other memorable moments: for one song, they brought out their eldest daughter, who took the microphone to sing along with her mom. Adorable, right? Kori explained that it was her daughter's first time on stage, but she's obviously poised to become a future rock star. Kori and Jason dueted together for a couple cover songs, interacting with each other more closely than usual, which added a fun touch to the show since ordinarily their set-up keeps them further away. Lastly, for the last song of the encore, both of their girls were brought out on stage for the finale. The youngest was held by a friend, clad in heavy duty headphones, as the oldest returned to her previous position next to Kori with a pair of drumsticks. As one last final moment of the 4-song encore, Kori grabbed some drumsticks of her own and began to play with Jason on his drum set before the two exited the stage.

By the end, I was completely exhilirated. There is so much more I could say about my love for this duo, but I'll just say this: Mates of State are the musical definition of happiness. And what more could you ask for?

For more photos of the evening, click here!

Nick Thune:








Free Energy:
















Mates of State:




































Set Lists: