Sometimes, and perhaps more frequently, bands find themselves moved from an intended venue to another. The common assumption is that ticket sales are not meeting expectations and whether that is the whole truth is something I can only guess at. I was supposed to cover Dance with the Dead and The Magic Sword at The Belasco, but a few days prior to the evening the venue changed to The Echoplex. Fine by me, I like both venues, but I would have preferred to shoot them on that big Belasco stage. So, anyway…
Megan McDuffee warmed up the crowd with a vibey blend of synth and darkwave pop tunes. Opening with a cover of Björk’s “Army of Me” and mixing in originals and even a Placebo cover. I’m curious to know the direction she’ll continue after exposure to the headliners’ audience.
Dance with the Dead came out swinging. Full of energy, no pauses, just pure electric power. Shredding guitars, crunchy synths, and thundering drums. Also known as fun as hell! While perhaps not as widely known as their peers in the “synthwave” scene, they easily have the same energy as heavy hitters like Carpenter Brut and Perturbator.
The Magic Sword are so fully committed to their lore that from the moment they step on stage, the audience is immersed in a different world. While I do like their recordings, they truly are a whole other beast live. The sheer low-end volume of the synths meshing with often ferocious guitar leads hit differently live.
They are a band that really deserves the descriptor of “epic.” Whether from their sound, outfits, lighting, or their sheer ability as musicians, they create a one of a kind experience. It’s a shame that it couldn’t have been in a larger space as originally intended.
