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.

Concert Review- RED & Disciple at Chain Reaction 5.4.14

Parking at this little whole-in-the-wall venue was abysmal. The venue itself looked more like a drug front than a Christian rock music venue.  The walls were covered in age-old bumper stickers and the place was cramped and poorly laid out. The stage sat in the front corner of the tiny room with a hallway-type floor-space leading all the way back to the bathrooms, merch table, and bar.

            We arrived a few minutes after Disciple started its set. Immediately, I worried that there would be no possible way for me to see the stage. Thankfully, I found a little space next to the roadie pit where I had a sideways view of the stage. Not the ideal, but it sufficed.

            Disciple had a very impressive rock sound with solid melodies and accompanying bass lines.  The drummer was clearly deeply skilled and maneuvered the set like he was born with drum sticks in his tiny fists. About forty percent of the crowd yelled out the faith- and grace-praising choruses as the band members enthusiastically jumped around and sang. Approximately half way through their set, Disciple began preaching. I do not condone proselytization and this was no exception. I tuned out the extremely long speech about sins and saints until I heard Disciple start speaking about a project. Disciple and RED are raising money at every concert to pay for surgeries for children in Africa who have deformities that would prevent them from being able to work and learn and succeed. This admirable cause raised my respect for Disciple and I enjoyed the rest of the concert with an open mind.

            At the end of the Disciple set, a good portion of the people flooded out of the venue, so Disciple clearly has a faithful following (pun intended). RED walked on the stage to a haunting recording and began a deeply energetic performance. Every band member created a safety hazard from the pools of sweat they dripped onto the floor yet they still unceasingly put everything they had into every song. The lead singer has an excellent voice on recording and I rejoiced when I heard no difference live. The bassist was very close to wear I was standing and that dude was no normal bassist.  A normal bassist stands there, plays their guitar, and looks stoned. This guy was constantly moving and yelling and jumping. The enthusiasm put into the show clearly infected the audience because by the second song not a single person looked like they ever wanted to leave. A great concert starts, pulls you in, and shocks you when it ends; RED followed this pattern perfectly and I was deeply disappointed when the last note of the encore faded into the air.

This concert was truly amazing. Thank you so much, RED and Disciple.

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