Girl at the Rock Shows

It feels like fall, and it has me in my cozy era. I spent all day Sunday working, cleaning, and lounging while a delicious-smelling pot of homemade Indian food sat in the crockpot. I’m not your basic kind of girl, but I have some tendencies, and the first taste of fall seems to always bring them out. I would have loved to sit at home reveling in the clashing scents of that delicious meal and a fall-scented candle while cuddling with my cats and watching trashy TV, but the concert gods had something else in store for me and, as excited as I was for this first taste of fall, I was even more excited for the show.

Three-piece post-hardcore band Battery Eyes got the night started right at Zhora Darling. I have seen and written about this trio five times now, so I’ll keep this brief, but long story short, you need to pay attention to this band. Although I saw them in June as part of Caterwaul and this set felt very similar, I got a little slice of what the band has been up to lately with a new song. This new song told me everything I needed to know. Although Battery Eyes definitely has a distinct sound and style that never really changes, this band still has some tricks up its sleeve. This new song had just a hint of more angst that really caught my attention. Don’t get me wrong, Battery Eyes is all about the angst. You can hear it in the vocals and feel it in the way every note and word hits like a sharp knife to the gut, but there was something just a bit more poignant about that feeling when it came to the new song. I’m not sure whether this new song will be part of a full album or a standalone single, but I do know it signaled the future for this trio and, hot damn, it’s bright.

I’ve been living under a rock, clearly. When I saw Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends on the lineup, my first thought was, “Cute! Caterwaul Boy has a fun band full of friends! This will be charming and quirky!” What I didn’t know was that “Caterwaul Boy” is so much more than just one of the lead organizers of the amazing music festival that happens every year; he is a genius musician who has had this group for years, and not only that, this group has toured with some bands that I just can not get enough of lately, like Mclusky and Redd Kross. I’m not going to dive deep into the history of this band, but for a super wild ride, feel free to read up on how this group was started as a trio featuring Conan, Dale Crover (the Melvins), and Tony Ash (Trophy Wives), and released an album that was produced by Toshi Kasai (Tool, Foo Fighters). What I’m trying to say here is that I was in the presence of a truly legendary act and I didn’t know it, but that just added to the fun and genuine love felt during their set on Sunday night at Zhora Darling.

In my mind, Conan was a bit of a “behind-the-scenes” kind of guy, and that is purely because my only interactions with him have been brief and surrounding that aforementioned Caterwaul festival. Sunday night proved to me that he is not a “behind-the-scenes” kind of guy. He is a true showman and an absolutely stellar frontman. Although I had never heard Conan Netron & the Secret Friends before seeing them perform on Sunday, Conan had me sold instantly. Sure, I couldn’t sing along and didn’t quite know the ebb and flow of a song from them when the set started, but by the second song, I was in love and felt like I had been listening to this band for years. Stylistically, this group is all over the place. There were swagger-drenched anthems that had Conan duckwalking his way across the stage, and then songs that seemed to have just a bit more of a sharp tongue. Some tracks made you want to dance while others made you want to shove the people around you ever so slightly. It was a super engaging set, but it wasn’t over the top. Sure, Conan was a showman and definitely caught your eye with his shiny shoes and suit coat, complete with a sequined pattern near the lapel, but this band was pure, high-octane rock, and it was perfect.

Closing out Sunday night’s show at Zhora Darling was the one and only H.E.A.T. Like Battery Eyes, I’ve covered H.E.A.T. a lot recently. Okay, maybe saying “a lot” is an exaggeration. It’s been twice, but I just saw this band about two weeks ago, so I don’t want to bore you with a bunch of background on them when I already have. That being said, do yourself a favor and check this band out. Born out of the death of local legends Murf, H.E.A.T. (which stands for Hell Exists, Already There), it’s an insane band. Everything about them is insane, from their sound to their antics. Although their antics felt a bit sleepy on Sunday night compared to what I’ve seen them do in the past (H.E.A.T. always has a theme with their shows, and the theme on Sunday was cowboys or something like that, but there just wasn’t much more than some cowboy hats, fringe jackets, and a Woody-from-Toy-Story vest being worn by the drummer), their sound was just as intense. It’s a cacophony of chaos. A world of shrieking vocals matched by screaming guitar, frantic basslines, and drums that seem to have absolutely zero chill, and it’s a world that I could call home night after night.

This week is going to be insane. It’ll be my standard: working during the day, going to shows every night, but this week is Riot Fest week, which means mass chaos for the last half of the week, and I better have all of my ducks in a row before then. Thankfully, this show on Sunday night at Zhora Darling set me up for success, and I feel like I could take on the world with the energy it gave me.

Line Up:

Battery Eyes

Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends

H.E.A.T.

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 1 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

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

Battery Eyes – 5

Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends – 0

H.E.A.T. – 2

Show on Deck – Kamelot / Visions of Atlantis / Frozen Crown

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