by Adam McGrath
There’s something about seeing a band on the first night of their tour. The tanks are full and the energy is high. Dead Stars, a shaggy-haired guitar-pop trio out of Brooklyn, brought their best Sunday night at Kung Fu Necktie as they kicked off a series of dates in support of their recently released full length, Slumber (Old Flame Records).
Led on guitar and vocals by Jeff Moore, Dead Stars plays shiny, fuzzy rock that has drawn comparisons to the 90s alternative bands Moore grew up with. With cousin Jaye Moore on drums and John Watterberg on bass, the band has grown steadily more confident in its sound through a couple EPs and appearances at festivals like SXSW.
Dead Stars (photo credit, Adam McGrath)
As the opening slot on what turned out to be a very eclectic bill, Dead Stars made the smart decision to play their fastest, loudest songs at full tilt, blowing through a seven-song, 25-minute set with pace and precision. Just as the new album starts, kick-ass opener “Someone Else” set the hook, followed quickly by seasonal jam “Summer Bummer” (official video featuring Muppet-like characters on the beach here).
Interspersing “Waste Away” and “Fractured” from the 2013 High Gain EP, Dead Stars kept the pedal down, with Moore’s high-end open chords soaring above the driving snap of the backstop. Calm and clear behind the mic, Jeff then thrashed around the stage during his solos, crashing into the wall and wrenching feedback from his amp. The set wrapped up with the excellent “Crawl” followed by “Wasted”, and that was that—a tight, highly enjoyable performance from a band that has the vision and the talent to make a big run at this rock ‘n’ roll thing.
Danse de Sade (photo credit, Adam McGrath)
As alluded to, the rest of the bill was a stark departure from the indie rock of Dead Stars. New York’s Danse de Sade was a full-blown performance piece of sex-fueled goth punk. Complete with feather hat, leather chaps, and black mask, vocalist Le Comte growled dark imagery through a prominent lower-lip bar. The show extended beyond the stage, with a supplicant propping up a large-horned goat head and a fire-eating burlesque dancer wowing the crowd. On top of it all, the six-person band was really pretty tight musically, and the whole package came off well due to the absolute commitment by this gang of devil’s handmaids.
Tibbie X of Gash (photo credit, Adam McGrath)
The lone Philadelphia band, Gash, kept things dark for its set, but with a more traditional hardcore/punk approach. The highlight of the performance was undoubtedly the diminutive lead singer Tibbie X, who launched her small frame into the spotlight at the front of the stage and belted out lyrics from all types of contorted positions. For me, the guitar sound was too harsh, the treble-heavy distortion made worse by some evident tuning issues. Still, a fun, fast ride.
Sharkmuffin (photo credit, Adam McGrath)
Things swung back in the other direction for the final act of the night with Sharkmuffin, Dead Stars’ touring buddies and Brooklyn neighbors. The all-female trio did not back down from the high-energy performances that came before them, and commanded the stage with ferocity. Guitarist and vocalist Tarra Thiessen served as the focal point of the group’s noise-punk sound, hurling her tall frame into a variety of postures as she shredded her guitar with abandon. While it’s clear Sharkmuffin is drawing from a rich tradition of unapologetic women rockers, to me their music is a little too abstract, with songs never fully becoming, well, songs. Each time a track came to abrupt end or a riff trailed off into nothing, I couldn’t help but pine for something more melodic. Nevertheless, the passion is there, and what they do they do well.
All in all, it was a fun, diverse show, and these bands are all worth a follow.
