Outrageous Talent at The VIPER ROOM: The Nukes, The Dirty Diamond, & Blackmore
Knockout vocals and musicianship were the themes last night at the Viper Room: with Teen Phenoms in The Nukes, with the funky rhythms and versatile zaniness of The Dirty Diamond, and with the precision rock of Blackmore. The whole night shimmered with good karma: in my crystal ball I see every musician last night living on stage, making music, until the God of Music brings them home in old age. K’noup Productions promoted this line-up: let’s say that Knoup’s got the knack for knockouts:
THE NUKES
Think of a rocked-out, bleach-blond Shirley Temple: the singer Hunter Taran is that cute. Wearing kitty-cat ears, a kitty-cat halter-top, a short flared skirt, and Velcro sneakers, I could see her just as easily singing “it’s a good ship lollypop” with virtuosity at the age of 3. And yet, The Nukes are a kick-ass hard rock band. Meanwhile, the teen guitarist, Dimitri Nardini, played riffs with effortlessness, reminding me of when I saw Kenny Wayne Shepard when he was 17. The bassist and drummer were tight. Loud and intense, this band delighted me most when highlighting Hunter’s vocal range and talent, but then again, I love my female diva singers.
THE DIRTY DIAMOND
These versatile rockers could drop a funky beat like no one’s business, then switch to sweetness and harmonies, then throw in a little hard-pounding rock righteousness. I love the lead-singer’s voice quality; it’s the kind of voice we women fall in love with. I also loved his big, loose-limbed zaniness on stage. The bear of a guitarist had fine riffs that inspired the audience to shout out and applaud. The bassist and drummer pulled their weight. Play on forever, boys.
BLACKMORE
Blackmore hits my husband Dan’s sweet spot: tight guitars working together with time signature changes (Hubby’s a math teacher.) But interestingly, when it comes to hard rock, Blackmore hits my sweet spot too: Gorgeous soaring melodies that a woman can sink into. I’ve been listening to my husband go on about Blackmore for a year. Now I get it. And, like everyone at the Viper Room last night, they are Buena Gente.
My Message to the Musicians
Rock on forever! You deserve to make money at this, and you deserve to be appreciated by great, big audiences. We will all benefit, and the universe will be happy.
THE NUKES
Think of a rocked-out, bleach-blond Shirley Temple: the singer Hunter Taran is that cute. Wearing kitty-cat ears, a kitty-cat halter-top, a short flared skirt, and Velcro sneakers, I could see her just as easily singing “it’s a good ship lollypop” with virtuosity at the age of 3. And yet, The Nukes are a kick-ass hard rock band. Meanwhile, the teen guitarist, Dimitri Nardini, played riffs with effortlessness, reminding me of when I saw Kenny Wayne Shepard when he was 17. The bassist and drummer were tight. Loud and intense, this band delighted me most when highlighting Hunter’s vocal range and talent, but then again, I love my female diva singers.
THE DIRTY DIAMOND
These versatile rockers could drop a funky beat like no one’s business, then switch to sweetness and harmonies, then throw in a little hard-pounding rock righteousness. I love the lead-singer’s voice quality; it’s the kind of voice we women fall in love with. I also loved his big, loose-limbed zaniness on stage. The bear of a guitarist had fine riffs that inspired the audience to shout out and applaud. The bassist and drummer pulled their weight. Play on forever, boys.
BLACKMORE
Blackmore hits my husband Dan’s sweet spot: tight guitars working together with time signature changes (Hubby’s a math teacher.) But interestingly, when it comes to hard rock, Blackmore hits my sweet spot too: Gorgeous soaring melodies that a woman can sink into. I’ve been listening to my husband go on about Blackmore for a year. Now I get it. And, like everyone at the Viper Room last night, they are Buena Gente.
My Message to the Musicians
Rock on forever! You deserve to make money at this, and you deserve to be appreciated by great, big audiences. We will all benefit, and the universe will be happy.
 | Eugenie Adler is a high school counselor from Long Beach, CA, and an astute writer. |
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