Show Review: Cable Car

It’s a Grind Coffee House is packed to the brim with kids craning their necks to get a glimpse of Cable Car, the mellow acoustic Irvine-based band gracing the humble coffee shop with their calming and soothing music for the second weekend this month. Sameer Gadhia, lead guitar and vocals, and Payam Doostzadeh, the bassist, are also members of the popular Orange County band The Jakes. The two leave their indie-rock stardom and energetic performances at the door, and team up with Jason Burger on percussion (not present at this particular show) and Bret Leinen on guitar and backup vocals to create this completely acoustic, coffee-house band.

The coffee house is small, yet somehow holds a copious amount of flannel-clad high school hipsters who eagerly lean in closer to hear Gadhia croon his latest ballads, unplugged and microphone-less. The acoustics in the coffee house are surprisingly good; and anyone standing in the back near the restrooms or near the coffee grinders can hear the music just as well. The men of Cable Car sit perched upon plush armchairs facing a sea of wide-eyed girls (and boys), and carefully choose their next piece to present to the fervent crowd. Even the baristas get carried away by the music; Cable Car manages to capture the complete attention of every listener within hearing distance. Gadhia sings and plays his guitar effortlessly; his perfectly pitched voice and skilled guitar techniques proves his natural talent as a musician as well as a songwriter. He is shy, and from time to time cracks a dimpled smile to the audience that results in giggles and blushes. The rest of the time the band jokes and talks among themselves, deciding which song to play next.

At times the show could be slow, with much of the music holding the same mellow tone and the general energy in the coffee house staying low. For a two hour set, I was amazed to find that the band had enough material, but the show relied heavily on the members of the band, and their relationship with their adoring fans. People were encouraged to sing along to a ballad titled “Amber Fists”, the bands obvious hit. The show was a good experience, as the feel was welcoming and calm and the music relaxing and melodic.