Common anything but in live concert

Published: Thursday, February 26, 1998

Thursday, February 26, 1998

MUSIC: Listeners marvel at band's energy, talent in House of Blues show

By Jeremy Engel

Daily Bruin Contributor

Southern California's home-grown ensemble, Common Sense, flaunted their professional, crowd-moving sound Saturday night at the House of Blues.

Bringing elements of reggae, ska and rock to their tunes, Common Sense's energy and style gave concertgoers something to get excited about during their hour-and-a-half set.

Common Sense has a large local following that could expand to the national level soon. They have already sold out the House of Blues several times before, evidence of their snowballing popularity here in Los Angeles. Additionally, their professional stage presence and stellar musical skill make them a treat to experience in a live performance, and their jolly lead singer, Nick Hernandez, can surely pump any crowd into a fun-loving frenzy.

Lead by Hernandez, who danced, contorted and gestured to the music like a Joe Cocker and Chris Farley hybrid, Common Sense's stage presence allowed for a lively and entertaining evening. Furthermore, the band's tight horn section and talented musicianship made the songs memorable and the dancing impossible to avoid.

At the House of Blues, the upstairs bar splits in two so the show can be heard throughout the whole place. This happened shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday. First-time patrons stared in awe. The split also allowed restaurant goers upstairs to join the festivities.

Two unremarkable bands opened for Common Sense. The first, a punky rock group that sang a song about kissing someone's ass; the second, a groovy though dull band known as Spencer the Gardner.

Common Sense made the wait worthwhile, however, recharging the crowd around midnight when they finally blasted onto stage.

"Yes, Common Sense!" one drunken fan yelled before collapsing to the floor, miraculously not spilling a single drop of the Rolling Rock in his hand even as he fell into a deep slumber under the bar.

Highlights included a rousing anthem of perseverance and devotion called "Never Give Up," and a clever tune with a lot of pep called "Good Girl/Bad Man."

Hernandez, who hopped around stage in a black feather boa and frequently rubbed his newly clean-shaven head, kept chatter to a minimum and concentrated on the music. His smiles, giggles and good mood quickly brought the crowd up to his cheerful level, and strangers were embracing each other even before Common Sense finished the first song of their set, a pumping number called "In Your Eyes."

The band paid homage to their influences, incorporating cover tunes throughout almost half of the entire set.

Common Sense did them justice. Their rendition of "Sexual Healing" stayed loyal to the tempo and sound of the original, and if Marvin Gaye could have attended the show he would have been more than pleased with the result. Hernandez's voice provided a pleasant surprise as he crooned like a pro in want of a little lovin'.

Shortly after, keyboardist Jai Vatuk stepped over to guitar and showed his mettle when the band cranked out a rocking cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe," with drummer Chuck Morris dazzling the crowd with a five-minute solo in the middle of the song. Under alternating flashes of blinding white-hot and bright blue lights, Morris looked like some kind of space alien pounding away at the control panel of his rocket ship.

Later, Common Sense lofted the crowd to another plateau with their cover of the Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle."

"We've been playing this song for years," Hernandez said.

"All the guys had command of their instruments ... they sounded solid and they sounded tight," said Jason Bonilla, a fourth-year UCLA English student. "If you wanted to include them in some genre, I think they could be categorized with Sublime and 311."

Another group of fans stood in back of the crowd and raised their arms in victory, clapping like a bunch of crazies.

By the end of their set, rowdy applause and fervent cheering from the crowd prompted the band to play a 20-minute encore set. Common Sense took this time to tell their story in one particular song, referring back to their roots in "south-central Laguna." They included three more tunes, including a cover of Bob Marley's anthematic "Get Up, Stand Up," which had the crowd going home in high spirits.