“Maybe we could just…”
After a long work period it’s nice to have an evening to cut loose and check out some damn good music. It was this thought that ran through my head as I navigated through traffic on a Thursday night from Sherman Oaks to downtown Los Angeles to see The Black Queen perform at the Regent. It wasn’t too cold, though that may have been from all the traffic, and something in the air just said that tonight was going to be a good night for some dark and synthy dream pop.
Despite, or perhaps IN spite of being somewhat limited behind her two synthesizers, SRSQ delivered a powerful performance. Her emotional resonance was palpable and she fearlessly threw herself into her five song with no regret. It’s not often that one gets to witness a performer drive themself to tears but she did so with little care, offering her vulnerability freely to a warm audience. The usual late-coming hipsters missed out on a rare performance indeed.
When you think of sonic insanity, you might think of guitar driven chaos amid fast paced synthesizer sequences and breakneck drum beats. If so, Uniform fits the bill quite well. This noise-driven hardcore duo perform with a ferocious intensity, rarely taking a breather or stopping motion, like two sharks who have to keep swimming in circles so that they don’t drown. A man in a Gumby suit came out on stage during second or third song. After signing a record – and in the spirit of true spectacle – Michael Berdan wrestled him to the ground, singing all the while. They were a damn sight to see if not nearly fucking impossible to catch on camera.
It should come as little surprise that I’m an outspoken fan of The Black Queen, and probably more specifically, I’m a big fan of Greg Puciato. Having seen the original lineup with Josh Eustus – who took a break from touring to focus on Telefon Tel Aviv – in San Francisco at the Rickshaw Stop during their first album’s tour, I was eager to see the evolution of their live performance with the addition of synth wiz Justin McGrath as well as how they would hold up in a larger venue. They did not disappoint. All three members made excellent use of the stage while performing, refusing to be confined to any one specific place, and while there were some initial issues with the computer feeding some effects to Steven Alexander’s guitar pedal rig which found him visible angry during the first couple of songs, they were ultimately solved so that he could focus on playing without distraction.
Puciato was in top form, delivering a strong vocal performance while finding time to get away from the mic stand and enjoy himself on stage. I overheard someone wishing him a happy birthday which may have had something to do with the sort of playfulness he was exuding, but otherwise, I’ve always – since his Dillinger Escape Plan days – found him to be a powerhouse frontman. I’d have enjoyed myself more if it weren’t for the cadre of obnoxiously drunk short people who always seem find me and make my life a living hell for being tall, but after it became clear that this behavior was not about to cease I made the rational decision to escape my assailants and enjoy the rest of the evening from the mezzanine. I’m eternally grateful for press passes, may all ye obnoxious show drunks suffer a cruel fate at the hands of the Universe.
