Miniature Tigers have been around since 2007, but unlike a lot of bands that make it big seemingly overnight, this band has slowly but surely built a loyal fan base over the years. They were joined by Australian band The Griswolds last Friday night at The Echo in Los Angeles. The Miniature Tigers will next be visiting Northern California on August 23 for the First City Festival in Monterey.

Both The Griswolds and Miniature Tigers have received attention from music blogs and critics for their respective recent releases, “Beware the Dog” and “Cruel Runnings.” Concertgoers were enthusiastic and sang along to The Griswolds, and the crowd went wild for Miniature Tigers. Miniature Tigers had a great stage presence and kept the excitement up throughout their set. Lead singer Charlie Brand jumped into the crowd for a few songs while bassist Brandon Lee brought non-stop energy to his playing as he danced around the stage with his bass guitar. For the last song before the encore, the band invited the crowd on stage as well as their opening act, The Griswolds.

With such whimsical, fun songs, indie-rockers Miniature Tigers made it look easy to keep the crowd dancing the whole night. But Brand alluded to some of the rougher times as a band when he reminisced about playing at The Echo years ago with no more than 10 people in the audience. If you’re in the mood for some catchy light-hearted music, check out Miniature Tigers’ new album “Cruel Runnings” and stop by their set at First City Festival later this month.