Review: Mind’s Eye Co-Headlines Viva! Pomona and They’re More Locked in Now Than Ever Before
ALTHOUGH BASED IN LA, MIND’S EYE IS NOT YOUR MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD, SELF-PROCLAIMED INDIE BAND — and their sound, both live and recorded, is more than just a 15-second TikTok jingle. Rather, Audiotree names them “the sexiest alternative band out of Los Angeles who keep developing their sound into consistent earworms and drama king anthems, not to mention a crazy presence on TikTok that is no doubt bringing even more well-deserved fans.”
They worked hard to get to this point, one that allows them to make music with intention and play their first-ever headline tour right before Audiotree, right before co-headlining Viva! Pomona. Kelli Kumiko (bass) and Vince Lopez (vox) first started working together remotely over the pandemic and have since been joined by the likes of guitarists Andrew Scott and Jack Duda. Together with Jacob Cambra on drums, Mind’s Eye combines surf rock with Midwest emo and the Bay Area punk scene, alongside post-hardcore influences from the East Coast, to solidify what now feels like something authentically their own.
“The cool shit keeps happening to us,” Scott tells me right after the doors to The Glass House opened Sunday afternoon. Despite 90-degree weather, Mind’s Eye band tees proliferated the surrounding indie-rock crowd on day 2 of Viva! Pomona’s 12th iteration. This festival spotlights rising Latin artists, plus up-and-coming sounds from every genre under the sun; yet, headliner status is something special, with veteran bands like The Marías, Chicano Batman, and Omar Apollo becoming household names ever since.
I checked in with Mind’s Eye a few hours before their performance, and we broke down their development over the last couple of months. They dropped Long Nights and Wasted Affairs, a twelve-track lament for those who want someone or like someone or love them or hate them, back in May of last year. Shortly after this came two singles in all-caps, both of which can now be heard through Audiotree Live, and the first of many headline tours to come. With support from the band Friko, their fear & love tour directly translated into more cohesion for the group just in time for Pomona. “It’s the difference between the first Avengers movie and Age of Ultron,” Lopez explains, making clear that they have pinned down their rhythm thanks in large part to seeing how many fans know their lyrics across the West Coast. In particular, selling out the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles marked their transition into the band of the summer.
Playing for Audiotree was arguably just as significant, so much so that I wondered if they were still feeling the imposter syndrome mentioned when they last spoke to Luna. For Kumiko, they feel like they’re locked into the gig now, whereas Scott spoke on learning how to revel in the legitimate opportunities they continue to earn together. Audiotree, for example, was the pinnacle of unbelievable: how do you play a comparable set to your favorite musicians in one take, Cambra wondered, meanwhile wanting their bits to land in such a professional setting. Nevertheless, Mind’s Eye comes off as incredibly grounded throughout, successfully building improv-like banter into their set to win over viewers with tongue-in-cheek wit, charm, and music that rips.
They launched into Viva! Pomona with similar composure. Following killer performances by Israel’s Arcade (post-punk Mexican rock) and the lovely Estevie (cumbia pop), Mind’s Eye fans joined forces at the barricade for the explosive Deftones cover that came next. From “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” to their chart-topping claim to fame “wasted affairs,” Lopez owned the stage with impassioned vocal delivery and the same level of dry, flippant humor that garners so much attention on TikTok. “WISHING FOR ME” was a major crowd favorite, spotlighting Kumiko’s full range as bassist and vocalist, as well as the complete focus with which Scott, Cambra, and Duda wield their respective instruments. Not only that but you get the melodic intersection between driving vocals by Kumiko and backing vocals from both Lopez and Duda on this track, all three jointly working to convey the band’s running theme: yearning. Likewise, their performance of “MODERN FEAR” was dynamic. From softer, more introspective moments, to the emotionally turbulent chorus that reverberated against the walls of The Glass House, this track sealed the deal for me: Mind’s Eye has chops, and they’re just getting started.
Now working closely with producer Eric Palmquist, they can’t wait to release their next body of work, something sharp if not reflective of their present cohesion. Lopez is also toying with the idea of scoring their very own horror comedy – perhaps one that pits Mind’s Eye against evil goth girls for the next phase in their indie rock version of the Avengers.
PS – Special thanks to Lita and Auntie Linda. Mind’s Eye loves you.
