The Psychogroove meets the DEADicated, #afterthebreak…
The Vim Dicta & Dead Sara
at
The Echo
Echo Park, CA
Two of my favorite modern rock bands together; one venue, one night, full of unfiltered rock. A legendary evening many Psychogroovers & DEADicated alike would recall fondly. This was Dead Sara’s first appearance of 2014. Their first show since their self-imposed sophomore album hiatus that happened last year. The Echo was the first stop on a multiple Los Angeles mini-tour in hopes of trying out their new material in front of the hometown crowd. There is no excuse for DEADicated to witness Dead Sara rise from their slumber. The giant awoke with such vicious spite. And I was one of the many to bear witness the first night return of Emily, Sean, Siouxsie, and Chris.
Our friends, The Vim Dicta, opened the show exactly at 8:55. No announcement. Their rocking instruments made the introduction: “Hello. We’re here. Pay attention”. Exactly what was needed to perk the ears of the DEADicated. By the end of the first song the entire audience was ensnared in the “psychogroove”. A word that encapsulates feelings & performance like. Chris, Cori, Matt performed at intense level throughout the set that it ultimately caused Cori to break a string on her guitar. The crowd wanted Chris to do his thing, breaking out in a violent drum solo till Cori could make the fix. Fuse lit the Echo on fire for those few minutes that exploded into “Von Tango”, the title track of their recent EP.
As I expected, The Vim Dicta proved themselves once more. I couldn’t stop smiling as the random faces in the crowd inched closer to the stage during each applaud. This was the audience that they needed to win over. The Vim Dicta are born from the same hip — dangerous, electric, pure, timeless hard rock that seems lost in this modern world — that Dead Sara is bringing back everytime they perform. #goforthekill Things have gotten too soft in the music world, dontcha agree? The Vim Dicta have that edge strong enough to rip it down the middle. Bravo!
Then the mood was killed by the long setup period by Vanaprasta. Sad sight of five guys setting up five sets of instruments; that all needed to be checked. All I could think as I leaned against the wooden column was — “this isn’t very rock”. It wasn’t. Just grab your instruments & start playing. Wish that was the only case. Vanaprasta didn’t connect with the audience at all. Their lead singer, Steven, lack vocal range till last song where he went all out.
Last Tuesday night…at the Echo…was my fourth Dead Sara showcase and it felt like the first time at Club Nokia. Even more so. The Empire Garage in Austin, Texas was the last time. I remember no new material, all classics, while still promoting their self-title debut. If you read my SXSW review…was a bit strange seeing a LA band in Austin when they should be on their home turf. Everyone out in the desert drank the juju juice. But seeing Emily & the crew in LA is a true experience. Their impromptu Troubadour press day show still ranks in my top three concert experiences. Emily left her soul on that stage. She always does, really. Me front row for it all, taking pictures on my blackberry. That was the day I proudly became a member of the DEADicated. So, for me to miss the return of Dead Sara, would be tragic. We represent our team proudly, that we do.
Emily, Sean, Siouxsie, and Chris took the stage a little after 10:35 breaking into a damaging set of new & old material. The intensity level kept rising into the early morning. The crowd lost it over old material. “Lemon Scent”, “Face To Face”, and the encore “Weatherman” were favorites. The new material was fresh, expanding their catalog with harmonizes & such. Don’t remember much of it. The problem with covering new music at showcases. Overall, I can say Dead Sara seem to be evolving for the better. To be expected. Add to the mix their cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name” with Chris & Siouxsie performing in the midst of the bloodthirsty sold out Echo crowd. Such an amazing experience.
Take a look at the setlist someone (not I) was nice of enough to keep track of. I included a handful of youtube moments from that night.
Setlist:
- Evil (Premiere: First time ever)
- Monumental Holiday
- Radio (Premiere: First time ever)
- Lemon Scent
- Mona Lisa
- Suicidal (Premiere: First time ever)
- Face to Face
- Traveling Band (Premiere: First time ever)
- Greaser
- Test on My Patience
- Something Good (Premiere: First time ever)
- Mr. Mr. (Premiere: First time ever)
- Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine cover)
- Weatherman
The sweetest moment was when we sang Happy Birthday to lead singer, Emily Armstrong, before they gave us the present of their track — “Radio”. She blushed like a schoolgirl. Em can act all tough while singing the lyrics, stage diving, cracking a joke, deflecting an random “I Love You” from a male groupie, jumping from every speaker, but she’s a sweetheart who truly loves rock n’ roll. All the members of Dead Sara embody the darkside of a genre that is so watered down by EDM beats or folk melodies. Raw Rock will always be present as long as Emily & the guys continue their unbridled passionate for music.
I look forward to the new record. This showcase teaser was perfect enough to keep me enthralled till it arrived in my CD stereo. If you are dying for a true blue rock show, look no further than a Dead Sara showcase. It will bring out your musical darkside in such a flash…you’ll rage like a storm like a vicious Weatherman that goes for the kill. Much love to The Vim Dicta, The Echo, Dead Sara, and sorry for my brutally honest thoughts about Vanprasta & typos.