| The stage and dance floor at Kimo's take up a space barely the size of your
average living room. But this space is wired with enough kerjiggers to transmit
sound to the moon. Clearly, earplugs would be a good idea for this Performer
Presents show. Suspicion was confirmed about 30 seconds into Siddhartha's act.
The formidable energy level broadcasted by the band throughout was best
personified in guitarist Scott Franklin, a long-haired imp who leaped around the
stage and occasionally offered up a few Pete Townsend windmills. Perhaps because
the sheer noise of the band totally overwhelmed Marlon Hauser's subdued vocals,
Siddhartha didn't seem overly interested in ringing any intellectual or
emotional bells. But the strange manner inwhich people were walking after their
set suggested that they had definitely rung a few femurs.
Paranoids took the stage dressed like members of a high school chess club and
audience members could be forgiven for thinking, "Who the hell are these geeks?"
But starting with "Summertime," which is best described as a Cars song on
hallucinogens, Paranoids injected much weirder vibes into the show. This is
largely thanks to the presence of their charismatic lead singer and bassist,
Damon Larson. His voice sounds a lot like Bowie's and he humorously flirted with
the audience in between songs. Politicians take note: there are few better ways
to earn the adoration of a crowd.
Tokyo Raid's grunge sound completed the night's kaleidoscopic essence.
Bassist Ben Utah demonstrated a strong ability to set pathos to music,
particularly with the hypnotic bass line and vocals of his song, "Dark Eyes."
Drummer Mike Thompson assaulted his drum set with a nuclear-powered tenacity and
guitarist Tim Kearney proved his sound was danceable by breaking free of the
stage to groove with the crowd. Kat Downs stepped in to provide keys for a few
songs, including the live debut of "31." By the time they were finished, the
congregation was hot, sweaty and utterly exhausted: proof that it was a hell of
a show.
www.myspace.com/tokyoraid
www.myspace.com/paranoids
www.myspace.com/siddharthamusic
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