By Francesca Beltran
When you walk into the Hiro Ballroom and see four girls on stage, playing their instruments in sexy lingerie, surrounding a kind of odd-looking, bald, shirtless, barefoot guy, you know for sure it is not going to be an ordinary night. Roma, which describes itself as “one guy who sings, four girls who play”, was the perfect way to start what would be a very entertaining and musically rewarding night.
When the quintet finished their weird yet very amusing act it was time for Xylos to take over the stage with a completely different type of show, both esthetically and musically. Their playful synth pop accompanied by a very powerful vocal performance by Monika Heidemann resulted in a truly enjoyable show. Too bad very few people were there to see it.
People kept on arriving to what eventually became a fairly full venue, and at about 11: 20 pm, Brooklyn-based band Deadbeat Darling premiered the video of their forthcoming single “Surf India”. Directed by Adam Hootnick, the black and white, old school video featured the band playing in a funeral home surrounded by pretty ladies… in general terms. I didn’t get it – but I did enjoy the song very much.
After the screening, the band came on stage and after thanking those who were involved in their video began their very charismatic performance. True to the band’s name, the lead singer and guitarist Joseph King, was a complete darling; chatting and smiling with the audience, showing off some little dance moves and singing those profound lyrics with much sensitivity.
Constantly switching from acoustic to electric, the band kept shifting people’s reactions from mellow sensitive faces to high-energy dance moves. Of the neatly performed set list, ‘Insomnia’, ‘Promises’, and ‘Surf India’ were my personal favorites; the last one being the most celebrated by the audience. The show ended with ‘I’m A Junky’, leaving people very satisfied and the band truly grateful. Deadbeat Darling’s new album The Angel’s Share, mixed by Grammy award winner Adrian Bushby, is expected to come out this year.
Posted on January 28, 2012 by secretsoundshop
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