Moon Taxi tore up the stage at the historic House of Blues Sunset Strip in West Hollywood last night as part of the "Ones To Watch" tour. The intimacy of the venue appropriately matched the intimacy of the crowd: the dedicated listeners who were willing to come out on a Monday evening. The fact that the artist, Lorde, 17 year-old singer/song-writer sensation fresh from New Zealand, played on the same evening a handful of miles away at the Greek Theatre, might have had an effect on the crowd size. The plus side: there was plenty of room to dance. 

Moon Taxi, an alternative progressive rock band, consists of five southern born and bred males that united in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The southern edge to their music can be observed in both their sound and lyrics. A fan favorite song, "Whiskey Sunsets," for example, is about staying up all night drinking in the country. 

Lead singer and guitarist, Trevor Terndrup, enraptured every person in the crowd. Terndrup puts so much emotion into every line he sings. With his long, shaggy, blonde hair, he is a master head-banger and had everyone shaking their heads and hips right along with him. Terndrup's clear and musical voice, accompanied by keyboard, drums, and electric guitar, created a sound that was truly infectious. 

Nor did they short the crowd, with a set lasting over two hours. The group pleased the crowd by playing favorites from their third album, Mountains Beaches Cities,  like "Mercury" and "Morrocco," as well as tracks from their breakout album Melodica. Additionally, the group fittingly chose to debut tracks never before heard publicly in Los Angeles; tracks that will appear on their upcoming album, which is likely to be an even greater success then the previous three. 

Ending their encore with a funked out rendition of "Running Wild," Moon Taxi granted a performance that was as memorable as it was groovy. 

Reach Staff Contributor Corrine Osnos here.