Throughout the night, during and in between acts, I had the opportunity to approach and be approached by members of Downfire, Audible Thought, Section 18, and a host of former Audible members, not to mention hanging out with some friends. It was a decidedly different experience than my usual solo experiences. That and the increased consumption made the evening as a whole stand out among recent concert experiences. I had a great time talking music and just hanging around. Of course, a couple of drinks will make just about anyone feel at least a little happy.
Art Imitating Life took the stage as keyboards set an eerie mood. A girl wandered out onto the stage, looking lost, before melting into the black at the back of the stage as the vocalist made his way to center stage. The keyboards faded and the guitars kick in. After a couple of songs the girl we saw at the top of the set returned to the stage, taking over vocal duties.
They struck me as wanting to be like Evanescence or Lacuna Coil, playing an image heavy goth sound. The members definitely looked young and appeared to have talent, although it did seem like they paid a little too much attention to the Tim Burton-inspired image at the expense of the music, with the "wandering girl" opening, the bassist in Joker make-up, drummer looking like a reject from the the Misfits, and the faceless masks they all wore during their cover of Michael Andrews' "Mad World" (a song made famous in the film Donnie Darko).
I do like the potential they have. They brought a sound that I have not heard from a local act, of course I could just be going to the wrong shows. In any case, the performance was not great, but I like what they could bring to the table. I look forward to seeing them in the future. Let me close by saying their drummer was their brightest spot, the guy is good.
The next band was a cover act called Stealing Kisses. A solid band, to be sure, but one I found I needn't pay much attention too. They played some classic 80's rock tunes, spiced with some older Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin fare.
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