But seriously, Beats Antique. While not the most exciting band (a la jump up or drum n bass) they put on one hell of a show. With a full live visual set up done by Obscura Digital, with effects by Ivan Landau (a filmmaker whose visual-effects credits include Æon Flux and Sin City), digital artist, Andrew Jones, and illustrator Leighton Kelly, the stage was set ablaze with energy and wonderment. If was honestly like watching a story unfold right in front of me, and that's not something I've yet seen during a live show. It's always gotta be about energy and getting the crowd moving - it was nice this time to see something completely different.
Joining Beats Antique on their tour were SORNE and ill-esha. SORNE started the night off with pure energy thanks to leading man Morgan Sorne's haunting vocals and on-stage persona. Accompanied by a DJ and percussionist, Sorne managed to interact with the crowd in a way that touched our souls directly and made us feel for him - whether it was the hypnotizing way he moved about the stage, or the shrill vocal range that he produced. With the drums came such an energy that seemed to flow through Sorne, it was clear that his music is his love child. With no pretense, he showed his full self on stage unabashedly and the crowd drank it in. They exited the stage to uproarious applause. SORNE's first album "House of Stone" is available on bandcamp for free streaming or purchase.
ill-esha came on next. I suppose I should have done my research - it surprised me when I found out that she was a she. With more than a decade of experience in the industry, ill-esha has done it all: MC, vocalist, producer, and instrumentalist. With a more downtempo feel than SORNE, she brought the feelings to a more subtle place and intrigued the crowd with her fervent singing and glitchy beats. The way she was able to divide her attention between mixing and singing was amazing - however, it left her stage presence a little lacking. There was always something she had to be doing on-stage to keep it going and it took away from her crowd interaction, and conversely, how the crowd viewed her. ill-esha was recently placed #6 on TheUntz' Top 10 Female EDM Artists.
When Beats Antique finally started playing at 10:30, the crowd could not have been any more restless. With the new live stage set up, I was extremely curious to see what kind of incredible visuals they would be throwing our way. With Tommy Cappel on drums and David Satori on guitar, violin, trumpet and synths, and Zoe Jakes dancing, it was an experience I won't soon forget.
Certain reviews (such as the one by Consequence of Sound) paint the album as having some loose ends to be tied up with Act 2. But I think that any loose ends have been tied up by witnessing the live show. I believe that this album was meant to be viewed as much as listened to. Listening to "Doors of Destiny," without seeing Zoe snatch someone out of the audience to pick a door and seeing a giant, inflatable demon come out of nowhere, no wonder it seems out of place. The animations were spot on, with the installation including pentagonal shapes resembling houses that could hold either animated eyes or actual homes. With spectacle a main concern, Satori took to being the more animated of the duo and had a myriad of head ornaments that he would don throughout the show. And lest we forget the amazing dancing from Zoe Jakes, whose belly dancing almost stole the show (as well as all of her costumes).
The experience continues tonight in San Diego and tomorrow here in Los Angeles at one of my favorite spots, The Fonda Theater. If I didn't already have plans, I would seriously consider seeing them again - that good.
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