Chibi and I arrived at The Trunk Space about 30 minutes before the flyers said the show was to begin. When we arrived, the first band was not even set up yet and the place was pretty empty other than staff and the bands.

The Trunk is a small corner Live House with local artists work gracing the walls and a small stage in a far corner. I’ve had apartments bigger than this place, but I like small venues. It makes it easier to get close to the band, and feel more a part of the show instead of just an observer.

There were two local bands before The Slants played. Chibi took the time to make friends with the various people there, including Gaijin, The Slants’ guitarist. It seems that Nintendo really is the way to uniting the world and bring about World Peace, and Chibi is out to prove this theory!

I hung out and chatted a bit with Gaijin and occasionally, Simon, until their time came to set up.  I also met Aron the vocalist and tried to keep Chibi occupied and out of the way so he wouldn’t follow Gaijin around like a puppy while they set up. They were all busy, but to their credit, they took the time to greet their fans, new and old.

After a few technical difficulties, they were ready to play. The crowd to see The Slants play was double what the other bands had, and after experiencing their Live performance first hand, I can see why.

Before attending their Live I had only heard the first few notes of ‘Capture Me Burning’ from their MySpace and thier website. I was already curious as Pebbles-Sempai had already interviewed them and I had spoken to her about them before. (You can read the interview HERE.) I loved what I heard and decided then that we would attend their last Live in Phoenix. It was well worth it!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but of course, finding out they were all very nice and just ‘regular’ people was a nice addition. Watching them play reminded me of when my brothers used to goof off in Dad’s suits and jam out with broomsticks and drum on buckets – Pure fun! It was obvious they were all enjoying themselves, and as I’ve said before, that is as important to me as the music itself.    

Watching Aron run around to dance with the audience and climbing speaker boxes; Gaijin head banging as he played his guitar and Simon seemingly alone in his own world with the music as he played his bass was an awesome sight. Jen Cho was hiding behind the keyboard and computer, and the drummer was in the little corner behind the giant speaker boxes, so I didn’t see much of them.

The front men engaged the audience well, getting right up into the crowd to play. Aron knelt down in front of Chibi and sang with him for a verse, Gaijin let him strum his guitar during a song and Simon came to stand right in front of him also and jam out up close and personal. Chibi loved it and never stopped dancing through the entire performance! I guess Aron took note of this because between songs he told him to “never stop dancing”, and Chibi cheerfully promised to never stop having fun!

The Live was awesome, energetic and constantly moving. The Slants know how to work the crowd and the fans love them for it. Being willing to play cons and small venues always helps a band stay close with their fans, but you get the feeling from these guys that even when they do hit the Big Time (and they will, its just a matter of time, I’m sure), they will still be the same they are now. A group of very talented musicians having the time of their lives each time they get up on the stage!

After the Live, many fans stuck around to chat and congratulate the band on their awesome performance. Chibi and I stuck around to get a picture of the band all together. While we waited, Gaijin put his guitar on Chibi and let him play with it while he cooled down and started to clean up. I was very surprised at that, but Chibi was thrilled! He kept looking for a guitar pick so he could sit down and play it. After getting a picture of the band, we got a hug and handshake from Aron and we said our goodbyes to the rest of the band. Chibi was reluctant to leave Gaijin, he wanted to get a guitar lesson, but they had to leave for New Mexico immediately, so he wasn’t able to get one. He did make friends with Gaijin, and Chibi promised me he would learn to play as well as him and his other Guitar Hero’s and next time they come into town, he wants to jam with him.

It was a long and tiring day in the Arizona heat, but it was an awesome ending. The Slants are great, and I would recommend them to anyone who likes their rock with a little punk/dance music flavor to it.