In its third year, Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide music festival once again features acts of different styles, different sizes and, of course, different cultural backgrounds in five venues surrounding (and including) Echo Park’s Taix restaurant. 

A full 20 acts performed including shows by Spain’s John Talabot, the U.K.’s Blood Red Shoes and Tribes as well as the U.S.’ Colorfeels. 

The headliners this year are United Kingdom natives The Wombats and the group Of Montreal who, despite sounding distinctly Canadian, are actually from Athens, Ga. but the other acts truly fill out the impressively international lineup. 

At one point in the evening, The Standards, a group from Thailand, was playing just down Taix’s hall from Tribes, while across the street at The Echo producer John Talabot was making his debut U.S. performance.

In addition to Taix’s two lounges and The Echo, the neighboring United Methodist Church and nearby vinyl shop Origami have been co-opted into performance venues for the event. On Sunday, the last day of the festival, streets adjacent to Taix will also be blocked off for the festival’s closing block party.

The various venues at Culture Collide allow organizers an opportunity to choose the best venue for each act, something that was evident during Dean Wareham’s set at The Church, as the United Methodist Church is called during the festival. 

Billed as Dean Wareham Plays Galaxie 500, in reference to the band he founded in 1987, Wareham, accompanied by another guitar player and a drummer, played the slow and somewhat experimental music for which he is known. 

It was a unique experience to see a musician so well suited for a venue. The crowd, who filled The Church’s pews, appeared entranced by the trio.

It was as if something religious, or at least spiritual, was taking place during the performance, and Wareham was well aware of his environment.

“I feel guilty saying that,” Wareham said, after mentioning his band’s merchandise was for sale. “You can’t sell something in a church right?” 

Elsewhere at the festival the tone was more raucous.

“I love this city! We’ve only been here one day and I love it here!” The Standards’ lead singer Matt Smith said, peppering in more colorful language as well.

It was, as the next three days of the festival promise to be, a night of U.S. debuts. In addition to The Standards, it was a first for John Talabot. 

“Thank you for having me,” Talabot told the crowd in an endearing Spanish accent.

Although Talabot may not yet know America, the crowd certainly knew him. The entire Echo, filled to capacity, bobbed, bounced and begged for more of the minimal and darkly disco sounds Talabot was creating.

But the mysterious Talabot, about whom little is known, was not alone on the stage. In addition to two drum machines, a cymbal and a Korg Kaossilator, there was an unidentified man performing alongside Talabot.

Some quick investigation revealed that his partner in performance was indeed fellow Spaniard Pional. It turns out that when Talabot performs a live set, as opposed to the DJ sets he also plays, he brings Pional along and with good reason.

The two seamlessly sung solo and together. They drummed as a duo as well as separately and they programmed and played their way through an hour-long, thoroughly captivating, performance. 

Each took his turn on the microphone and the pair transitioned between songs without having to say anything to each other. It was impossible to tell who was doing what, but the end result was absolutely brilliant.

It was also a complete change from the guitar driven sounds across the street.

Just as there were performers for every person, it seemed there were fans for every performer as well.  All of the three main venues were well attended and attendees were culturally diverse as well.

A group of excited Germans could be heard leaving Talabot’s show, while a group of women entered Tribes’ show speaking a language which, while unidentifiable, was definitely not English.

As Tribe’s guitar-rich, British rock began, the crowd immediately began to chime in, helping to start the dance party that soon filled Taix’s Champagne room. 

By picking a French restaurant as home base for its internationally sponsored festival, FILTER Magazine chose the perfect place as well as the perfect performers for this year’s cultural collision. 

Culture Collide runs from now until 10/7. Line-up and schedule can be found here.

Reach Contributor Willy Nolan here.