Review: Spirit Riot @ Corbin Bowl, Tarzana

Q&AMusic

Dec 12

☆ BY Britt Jacobson ☆

IT’S NOT EVERYDAY THAT YOU ARE INVITED to a show in your childhood bowling alley. The Corbin Bowl is a Tarzana institution that has helped children celebrate their birthdays (typically with Costco pizzas and birthday sheet cakes) since 1959. This past Friday it was my great joy to attend a Spirit Riot show there.

Spirit Riot is composed of Rafael Linos on guitar and vocals, Jonny Sinklier on drums, Orion Ramos on guitar, and Aiden Nivon on bass. They are a local LA band with members hailing from the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood and Ventura. This alternative band has clear surf and punk influences that meld together to create a glorious psychedelic sound.

From the moment I walked into the bowling alley, energy levels were high. On one side of the space there were the bowlers, and tucked away into a corner was the arcade of my memories from the early 2000s. Just before the bowling shoe rental counter I reached doors that were blacked out, opening them up to reveal a bar, several high and low top tables all centered around the band setting up their gear. There were several groups on the lineup, but I arrived just in time for Spirit Riot’s set. The pool tables in the back served as a makeshift green room/ gear storage space for the other groups.

The punk vibes were immediately evident because as soon as the group began to play, people in the audience began flinging themselves at each other in the world’s smallest makeshift moshpit. Everytime I looked around the room everyone was nodding their heads and were clearly enjoying themselves. There was a great mix of older Tarzana locals and friends and fans of the bands. I’m not sure that I’ve ever really seen such a unique mix of people in a crowd like this.

The music was high energy, with particular thanks to Sinklier on the drum kit. Long hair flying around, this drummer truly kept everyone dancing. Ramos and Nivon seemed truly at ease playing with each other and it felt like we the audience were privy to friends jamming together. Linos’ voice was dominant, powerful and contributed to this fist-pumping rock. The music and the environment meshed well together- it felt right for there to be a fluorescent beer sign right above the stage.

As I sipped on a refreshing 818 Valley Girl Blonde Ale (which could not have been a more appropriate choice for this 818 Valley Girl), I really settled into the ambiance of the show. It’s not often that you can see live music and then immediately go to the next room and play 2009-era Dance Dance Revolution. If you have the opportunity to, I cannot recommend going to a show at your local bowling alley (or my local bowling alley) enough. It might be the early 2000s arcade influencing me, but I truly felt like I had entered real life Guitar Hero while watching Spirit Riot. If you want to see this group play live together, you LA locals are in for a treat! They have several upcoming shows so be sure to check out their Instagram. I’ll be here enjoying my arcade prize.

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