Katy Perry wins over Viper Room crowd

Call me overly starched, but I tend to distrust girls who stick their tongues out at me, write things like "Ur So Gay" and have a handbag full of A-list producers for their music. We need another manufactured pop diva like the Hotel Cafe needs another singer-songwriter.

That said, it was impossible to deny the charisma and chops of L.A.-based Katy Perry on Thursday night at a very packed Viper Room. A musical diarist in the vein of January's diva-of-the-month, Kate Nash, Perry infuses her boyfriend-bending pop with plenty of bite and, for her age (22), a healthy dose of self-awareness. The Santa Barbara native will have a lot of appeal among the teen masses -- and maybe among those whose attention spans run longer than your average text message.

She'll be on the Warped Tour this summer (hmm, there goes the "punk") and her debut album is due on Capitol on June 10. Color me curious to have a listen.

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My spies Thursday at the Troubadour have stoked my anticipation for tonight's Kooks show at the Echo. In the first night of their two-show L.A. stand, the British quartet played a set that was about two-thirds material off their catchy debut "Inside In/Inside Out" and about one-third songs off their forthcoming "Konk" (due April 15). Front man Luke Pritchard was happily unhinged, channeling (as he is wont to do) his pop Mick Jagger.

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Earlier Thursday, Ironworks Music -- the label founded by Kiefer Sutherland and Jude Cole -- showcased its artists to a full house at the Roxy. Teenager rockers Billy Boy on Poison started the night with a muscular set, and headliner Rocco Deluca ended the evening with a jammy, incense-laden performance that included a cameo from Daniel Lanois.

The middle set was an eye- (and ear-) opener. It featured new signees Honeyhoney, a collaboration between guitarist Ben Jaffe and singer/fiddler/banjoist Suzanne Santo that expands to a quartet for their live shows. Honeyhoney's set (and its forthcoming debut EP "Loose Boots") featured folk rock with whole spice rack emptied in -- you weren't sure whether it was mountain music or carnival music at some points. But Santo's voice, the fun arrangements and interesting instrumentation (was that banjo/electric guitar/synth on one song?) made it very compelling. More on these folks later.

Comments

[Brad]

I was there & completely agree. I was very impressed with Katy Perry's performance. She's a star - and not that manufactured kind.
Thanks.