Girl at the Rock Shows

A few weeks ago, I was at my first-ever noise show. It was unlike anything I had ever heard or experienced and left me with many questions. I started a search for answers to those questions. I went so far as to ask one of the performers from that fateful night to be the guest on the radio show I co-host from time to time. This particular performer, SEER, was so patient with me, and hearing them tawlk about their art opened my eyes to just how much magic I had experienced that fateful night a couple of weeks ago at Zhora Darling. Although I still had many unanswered questions, they did their best and gave me a list of upcoming shows to check out. With my insane calendar, I couldn’t make many of them but found myself free on Sunday night, so I figured I would dive back into the noise scene by checking out “Noise Party Vol. 10” at The Cedar Cultural Center.

The first of the epic six-act line-up was Boy Dirt Car. From all that I could tell, Boy Dirt Car is one of those acts that has become a staple in the noise scene, and after their performance, I understood why. Everything about what this group was doing was intense. I really liked the way they incorporated literature into their set. Although I wasn’t fast enough on my feet to take notes on the passages and books that were read throughout the quick set, I can tell you it was some heavy stuff that had depth added to it by the noise that this group produced to accompany it. From odd objects to everyday things, Boy Dirt Car definitely hit all of the marks that I think of when it comes to noise. They challenged me and gave me a lot to think about, leaving me with a performance that will not be forgotten soon.

SEER, the lovely human who has almost taken me under their wing in a way when it comes to the noise scene, was up next as part of their duo project askSERPENT. I loved the familiarity I felt with SEER’s signatures scattered throughout the set, but I also loved the changes I felt with the addition of their partner. The sound felt straight out of a horror movie. I know that may make it sound like a bad sound, and, honestly, there were moments where some of the tones coming out of the electronics they were playing with felt a bit more abrasive than I was ready for, but overall, the drama that came through the speakers during askSERPENT’s set was on point and made for a stunning set.

I was super intrigued by the next musician to take the stage- Sophia Deutsch. Although it was just Sophia and a cello on stage, that’s not what it sounded like. In true “noise” fashion, Sophia was challenging everything I knew about the cello. I don’t know how it all works, but the cello was hooked up to a bunch of electronics that gave it a beefier sound than usual. That, mixed with some brilliant looping, created a captivating sound that I could not get enough of.

Sawtooth Witch (fka Theyself) was up next. I was super excited to see this duo as Doc, one of the members, and I go back all the way to our college days. The creativity that Doc and their partner brought to the stage with a violin, guitar, vocals, and the sound of a bass drum and tambourine left me shook. Although the first act brought vocals to the forefront, which should have helped this set feel a bit more familiar than others, it felt foreign. The sounds coming out of Doc’s mouth were organic and almost more instrumental than vocal in such a cool way. The way they blended with the sometimes distorted violin sound came together to create a lush atmosphere that was as curious as it was organic.

The audience got plunged back into a more typical noise sound with the next act, White Dune. It was just one human and a bunch of gadgets, but the way their sound filled the room was intense. Unlike some of the noise that I had heard previously in the night and a couple of weeks ago, there was a discernible beat to what White Dune was doing, which, as a newbie to this scene, I really appreciated. It made noise feel a bit more attainable and understandable for me while still leaving me with so many questions about what all they were doing with all of those knobs and cords in front of them.

Closing out Noise Party Vol 10. was MAKR AN ERIS. It took me quite some time to figure out that the name “Eris” in this band belonged to Sophia Eris. Sophia Eris is a local legend and has worked with a lot of people, not only in the local hip-hop scene but in national and international scenes that span multiple genres. I was surprised but more intrigued to see that she was part of the final group to perform at this event. Joining Sophia Eris was Mark McGee and a drummer who I didn’t catch the name of because I was so lost in the performance. Stylistically, the music of MAKR AN ERIS felt more experimental than noise, but that didn’t stop the audience from clearly enjoying the day’s final set. It sounded and felt like Marijuana Deathsquads but with a bit more of a tender touch behind it. Sultry R&B-styled vocals courtesy of the always lovely Sophia Eris seemed to contrast the harsh tones coming from Mark McGee behind the electronics and the drummer’s booming hits. All of these tones, textures, and sounds swirled together to make one heck of a dance-party type vibe that was the perfect way to close out Sunday night at the lovely Cedar Cultural Center.

The music was all over the place when it came to Sunday night but one of the constants outside of the creativity and talent featured on stage were the beautiful visuals constantly going behind the performers. These visuals were done by Shane Donahue. The way that Shane’s visuals seemed to match each band so perfectly while bringing a truly enhancing element to the night was stunning and, as someone who may not have understood all of the music I was hearing, Shane was able to give me visuals to help me relate to what I was hearing.

I was hoping to get a lot of my questions about noise music answered by going to this show, but truthfully, it just left me with more questions. Were all of the acts that played on Sunday really noise acts? Or was it more just a night of experimental music, some noise-leaning acts? Did every act know exactly what they were going to perform when they showed up for load-in on Sunday, or were the sets more organic than that? I could go on and on with my questions, but truthfully, I like the fact that I have so many that will remain unanswered because that means I will just have to dive into this world again and again and again.

Line Up:

Boy Dirt Car

askSERPENT

Sophia Deutsch

Sawtooth Witch

White Dune

MAKR AN ERIS

Venue: The Cedar Cultural Center

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 32

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Boy Dirt Car – 0

askSERPENT – 0

Sophia Deutsch – 0

Sawtooth Witch – 0

White Dune -0

MAKR AN ERIS -0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.2 out of 10

Show on Deck —AWOLNATION / Bryce Fox / MAKUA

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist HERE!