The Allah - Lahs brought Southern California sun to a rainy night at the Filmore

It’s a rainy Tuesday night and people clad in Carhartt jackets, rolled up beanies, and distressed denim shuffle into the Filmore for the sold-out show. Ranging in age, audience members held their craft beer and lit up their joints. Tim Hill, the keyboardist in Allah Lahs, was the first opening act – greeting the audience with a guitar slung around his shoulder and a harmonica attached to his neck. His music is reminiscent of Bob Dylan and transports you to a cold night in Joshua Tree surrounded by people smoking rolled cigarettes. The audience swayed along and ears perked up in surprise as Hill sang “Un Dia a La Vez” in Spanish off his new album Payador (2019). Joining him on stage was LA-based Mapache dressed in full cowboy attire. The band is essentially a mariachi band but with bluegrass and 60s psychedelic influences. Harmonizing together, the three played through songs in both Spanish and English as orange and pink lights reflected on them. They thanked the audience and the house lights came up in anticipation for the Allah-Lahs.

The Allah Lahs were formed circa 2008 in Los Angeles. Matt Correia and Spencer Dunham were school friends when they met Pedrum Siadatian while working at Amoeba Records on Sunset. The three started playing together, eventually bringing in Dunham and Correia’s other friend Miles Michaud. Since then the group has released four albums and has had multiple world tours.

As soon as the band plays their first song, the Bay Area gloom immediately disappears and it feels like everyone in the room is suddenly driving down the PCH in a tangerine-colored Volkswagen van. “It smells great in here,” Mile Michaud said referring to the fact that the Filmore had been transformed into a stuffy hot box. The band mostly played songs off their new album LAH’s (2019) as well as fan favorites like “Rasberry Jam” from previous albums.

After an hour or so the band said a quick goodbye and rushed off the stage. Feeling slightly cheated, the audience cheered and chanted hoping for an encore. Responding to the cries of their fans the boys reappeared, bringing back Mapache to the stage. “So glad to be in California… this is the best place in the world,” echoed from the stage as the band finished.