“It replaced my need for porn,” shouted Brandt Huseman, front man for the Baltimore-based Americana and power pop sounding Pale Stars, as they neared the final song in their set last night at Iota Club and Cafe. He went on to instruct the crowd, (aka, the few who lingered with beer in hand quietly around the edge of the room) to visit the band’s MySpace page where they could hear more of their tracks online, and hopefully even add them as a friend. While it might be a while before this revolutionary means of musical promotion overtakes the online porn industry, it’s definitely a great way for unheard up and coming bands to reach out and make a name for themselves. And like MySpace, it was in fact via another online unsigned music endorsing website, Alternative Addiction, where this DCist first became hooked on the drug known as Granian.

Take his first name, Garen, and rearrange the letters to give you the anagram “Grane”. That was 1996. Now drop the “e”, tack on the ending of his last name, “Geuyikian”, and you’re left with both a headache and the man who was able to bring the small dissociated Thursday night Iota audience together in gripping acoustic harmony. Like the name, the band has gone through several changes. Garen took off on a solo career in 2003 producing Live Sessions, then later writing his latest album On My Own Two Feet as an individual, yet with tracks that needed just the right combination of electric guitar, bass and drums to accompany it to perfection.

His self realizing journey is expressed throughout the new album, but especially in the single “On My Own” with which Granian kicked off the evening. “I’m ready to rock, if y’all are,” He cried with enthusiasm. The bassist in a tight green hoodie jumped up and down anxiously as if preparing himself for the big race before all on stage began to play as if Garen was orchestrating their movements with his powerful vocals. This synchronicity continued throughout the night with Garen and Kyle on electric guitar literally playing back to back at times.

After two more tracks from the new album, "Ain’t That A Shame" and “Uncovered,” with a chorus that you feel deep in your gut, Garen continued to chat and joke with the crowd increasing the intimacy of the show. An alternate version of “Collide” from his 2004 EP, My Voice, also set the mood and appropriately highlighted his vocal abilities comparable to Matchbox 20 front man turned solo artist, Rob Thomas.

Garen made the most of the poor turnout, by transforming the show into what felt like a one-on-one MTV Unplugged session. The band mates left the stage and he reached back for the acoustic guitar to play two new songs under the string of glowing lights. It was then that the emptiness of the club felt irrelevant. Garen was enjoying himself as were those lucky enough to have walked through the doors.

Soon the band was back on stage with so much energy that the drummer knocked one of his cymbals to the ground. “If It’s What You Want”, “Contagious” and “Sex In A Box” left only two songs off the On My Own Two Feet album not played. Yet with an extended intro, they lead the way into another hit single and more lyrics expressing the recurrent theme of individualism with “Mark My Words.” Finally, one girl’s request for “Immune,” a single off of Granian’s first album, Without Change, completed the night’s set with Garen alone on stage, once more, playfully forgetting lyrics and improvising the encore.

It’s unfortunate, however, to see such an empty Iota club, especially when the show turns out to be so enjoyable for both the listener and the band. Maybe it was the possibility of running into Brad Pitt on U Street, or perhaps the mug night next door at Whitlows that kept would-be fans away from the scene. Hopefully in the near future more people will finally discover Granian for themselves on any one of the multiple music websites available, while making sure to catch them live as well…because when you’re right there, digital recordings don’t even compare.

Picture taken by Mustafah Abdulaziz.