After a long time away, the herald is finally back at Lanalou’s tonight, where he has been invited to accept a selection of offerings that are sure to thrill. He has always loved this small, charming venue that oozes personality, and as he entered, he was greeted by the first offering already in full swing.
He entered the darkened room and instantly picked up on the mood the opening band had created. A decent-sized crowd was taking in the offering as the herald slipped into the crowd, preparing to collect the energy He so demands.
LONELY FUNERAL
The first offering of the evening, formerly known as CHARLIE MONROE BAND, had the stage adorned with various items to inspire a gothic vibe, including faux candles and skulls. Coupled with their all-black/leather attire completing the look, this trio created dark and melodic songs that sometimes touched on some hard themes.
The keyboardist brought the undercurrent for the haunting, spooky vibe, playing with passion and giving each song its necessary foundation. The softly strummed acoustic guitar allowed the lead singer to take center stage without any sonic conflict.
All the songs were chill, allowing the lead singer to deliver their dark gothic lyrics in a clear, performative, and engaging way. Their haunting voice drew us in as they spoke about vampires, love, and trauma.
With no drum or bass and an overall chill vibe, nothing got me moving. I enjoyed the songs and the vibe they created, though He needed more to be satisfied.
PHUTURE MEMORIEZ
Making their third offering, this electro/dance/rock trio delivered jams that got me swishing and spinning all over that floor. Their pre-recorded drums gave them a rad industrial vibe.
The three were adorned in matching red ski masks, which gave them anonymity and a sense of mystery. These are some of the best aesthetics on the scene—so simple yet so effective.
The lead singer/bassist distorted their voice, leaning beautifully into the industrial vibe while laying down thick, gritty riffs. I found the guitarist to be particularly enjoyable tonight, with a killer fucking tone that was just a delectable treat. With noises and distortion in every direction, they could pop clean out of it all, tickling the earholes nicely.
Loved their vibe so fucking much. The steady grooves kept me moving, pulling me deeper into their sound. With so much noise coming from all over and so consistently without interruption, I was immersed in their sound, transported somewhere else.
I was so entranced that it went by in what seemed a blink, and I was surprised it was over, even though it was standard length. A couple of folks were grooving along, too. It’s always good to see a crowd wake up a little.
AVERSIONS
Bringing forth their fourth offering and their second in the past month, this trio doses out a hardcore punk garage blend woven together with passion and creativity, delivered in controlled blasts of energy eagerly accepted by my flailing form.
The bass is always so fucking thick and always busts out the thickest, sexiest grooves. The bassist played with such vigor; their energy was contagious, capturing my feet and taking me away. Connecting with the drums who maintained that steady, never too fast, but just fast enough pace, constantly hammering exciting shit. They are a fantastic duo laying down the rhythm.
The guitarist provided clean vocals, and some yelling, though always steady and controlled, added to the focused blast of their deliciously distorted guitar thundering with the rhythm. Like a pot on the verge of boiling, I love how they hold that line as you feel these three are about to explode at any time.
Surprisingly, there was little crowd engagement on this one. With those steady drums playing interesting shit, I am perplexed as to why more folks didn’t move more. As always, all the more for me.
He was pleased with this evening’s offerings.