Review | U.S. Elevator’s Freewheeling Santa Barbara Sound Is on Great Display at SOhO

On a blustery early March evening, classic rock aficionados U.S. Elevator more than warmed up the crowd with their freewheeling old-school Santa Barbara sound and communal energy. This group of talented musicians who have been playing together since 2015 is led by dynamic folk artist Johnny Irion. Irion was married to and performed with Sarah Lee Guthrie for 20 years and has also collaborated with everyone from Pete Seeger to Wilco. It’s no wonder Jackson Browne was in attendance, standing in the front row to admire the sounds of his former collaborator.

With a rambling troubadour vibe, Irion was in town from Massachusetts and couldn’t pass up a chance to get the band back together for a night of amazing musicianship and just plain fun.

Openers The Kinds kicked things off with a stunning set led by local singer and guitarist Khasy Modisette providing the kind of powerhouse vocals that dive straight into your heart, and that make people whisper to one another, “Who is she?” Highlights included Irion jumping onto the stage for a duet of “Nothing Compares,” and a heartfelt tribute to local beloved artist Chris Potter, who recently passed away. Most band members from The Kinds were also in U.S. Elevator and are all locals, including Modisette’s husband Nate on bass, drummer Erich Riedl, Anders Bergstrom on guitar, and Brett Long on the keys.

Every pop band knows the importance of a good build, so the U.S. Elevator set started on the quieter side with just three musicians, including a lovely little fiddle special guest, before launching into their full band glory. With Long’s inviting Zombies-esque Wurlitzer stylings on “Momma-Cito Blues,” it was not long before all of the “Montecito Mamas” and “Santa Barbara Babies” (as the song shouts out), were grooving up to the dance floor. Hits like “Dangerous Love,” with its hypnotizing guitar riff, and the sun-drenched melodies of “Pineapple Express” made me wonder if I was in Laurel Canyon in the ’70s or downtown Santa Barbara. Song after song felt instantly catchy and familiar, like the familial vibes which bathed the room in a sweetness best articulated in a boppy Tom Petty–infused track from Irion’s album Working My Way Down, in which he croons, “You’re sweet, like a ponderosa pine.” 

As spouses, family, and friends who have known each other for years danced blissfully, I wished to myself that Irion would blow into S.B. more often and grace us with a gust of this powerhouse group. For a band steeped in sepia tones, U.S. Elevator is as vibrant as ever.