Skip to content
Spotlight

The Meeting Places

Who? Founded in 2001 in Los Angeles, the Meeting Places are comprised of singer/guitarist Chase Harris, guitarist Scott McDonald, bassist Arthur Chan, and drummer Dean Yoshihara. The band’s 2003 debut, Find Yourself Along The Way, was produced by the Breeders and Elliott Smith producer Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart), while sophomore album Numbered Days was taken under wing by Grandaddy’s Jim Fairchild.

What’s the Deal? The Meeting Places achieve iridescent ambience on Numbered Days, dreaming up expansive atmospherics and silver-lined lyrics. They draw earnest comparisons to shoegazing contemporaries the Secret Machines, especially with heavy melodies on tracks like “Love Like the Movies,” yet the droning riffs of “Nothing’s the Same” are more reminiscent of the Jesus and Mary Chain.

Fun Fact: Though now fleshed out with a bassist and drummer, the Meeting Places are actually made up of four guitarists. Yoshihara traded his axe for a drum kit when he joined the band, and McDonald and Chan, friends from high school, both started on guitar until they met Harris at a Super Bowl party, leading Chan to switch to bass. KATIE HEATH

Now Hear This: The Meeting Places – “Hall of Fame” (Download MP3)

Talk: Are the Meeting Places’ days numbered? COMMENT

On the Web:themeetingplaces.com