29 Jul 11

Hey, blogspot readers, the weekend's about to get super hot around town! SouthSide's back at The Abbey Pub for another exciting featuring superheroes and a Russian folk choir. In between acts, DJs William Faith and good friend Scary Lady Sarah rocked the house music with a mix of what's shaking the industrial/steampunk/nocturna world. This reviwer recommends checking out opening acts We Are Hex (http://www.wearehex.com and http://www.wearehex.bandcamp.com)from Indiana and My Cold Dead Head (http://www.myspace.com/mycolddeadhand) at their next scheduled performances. Despite missing majority of Hex's set, SouthSide did arrive in time to rock out to this band's energized, chaotic hardcore sound and vibrant metal-tastic rhythms as well as head banging dirty guitar riffs. She loved Hex's distored yet disturbed metal music that left the audience wanting more meanwhile My Cold Dead Hand combined the elements of metal music with the funky rhythms of saxophone and organ and melodic tones for their set. It was dark, very haunting as well as wickedly emotional amidst its song themes ...in other words, blogspot readers, the confusing mesh was simply breathtaking within the epic and gritty guitar sound. SouthSide highly recommends listening to Jack Daddy (for its air of orchestral movement which vividly brought out the powerfully dynamic and emotionally raw vocals by front man Patrick) and My Love (reverently performed song with energizing momentum felt as well as heard off the vocals especially when Jilly female vocalist of We Are Hex joined the band at the chorus). Plus listen to Sonny (melodic downtempo groove) and Wait (ultra-cool electric Jazz/metal sound).

An open letter to Broadway...

This local act has the look and feel of a full scale philharmonic orchestra yet with a slight genre twist while having the ambience of a Lloyd Webber musical production but on an indie budget featuring a Russian choir, Golosa. This, blogspot readers, was the basic description of the Gothic Rock orchestra known as The Dead Superheroes Orchestra which its awesome musical sound turned the ordinary Abbey Pub into a Broadway theatre. TDSO during its headlining performance, performed its full length musical "The Last Superhero", a gripping tale about love and death between an angel and a superhero (featuring some songs from the next musical project) written, composed and arranged by Mark Winston (also principle vocalist and guitarist). With the orchestra carefully situated on the stage, the Russian choir, Golosa, was perched on the balcony where their voices could be acoustically heard throughout the venue ...at times even without the microphone.

After opening with a Russian aria, Ach Ti Step' Sheirokaya, the curtain rose and "...it's dusk ...a boy with a guitar sits alone in the graveyard..." set the mood and storyline as Mark powerfully wows the crowd with his classically trained vocals to Dear People of Planet Earth. SouthSide, after meeting and hearing the part of Dead Superheroes during practice earlier in the week, was totally awestruck by the haunting stringed melodies and rock rhythms of Mark's musical composition. She loved how this Orchestra intermixed both genres classical and metal together thus creating such thunderous overtures with its many clips and staccatos cleverly written in each song. TDSO's musical (almost told in three acts) rocked the crowd about a story where a superhero questions why he should save the world (Mark's thoughful poking at religion like Webber did with Jesus Christ Superstar when Jesus questions why he should die in Gethsemane) and an angel who's ready to change the world after locking herself in her room for 10 years.

The story drew attention to the subjects of death, dying and grief ...trying to find comfort where none can be found. Blogspot readers will notice there are moments when Mark will be singing in third person (for example in The Year Before I Turned Thirteen and The Dream) or he will be singing in character form (for example That Sunday and Vexed). And any Broadway show, there were huge memorable musical song numbers such as Forgotten Town, The Last Superhero, Someday and Spend My Nights in the Graveyard that featured Golosa singing chorus with TDSO. And speaking of the choir, this group added to the haunting mystesique of Mark's production espceally when singing Chorny Voron during the intermission-like middle of the program. Plus there was an acoustic moment in which Mark premiered the plot for his next musical project - a Frankenstein-like story about a father trying to rebuild his daughter after losing her to a tragic fire when singing Beyond the Farthest Star.

How does one end this incredible rock musical experience? With a huge show stopping finish like covering Billy Idol's Rebel Yell featuring both Orchestra and choir. Wow, blogspot readers, it was an experience to behold ...and the crowd wanted more when it was over. SouthSide highly suggests checking out The Dead Superheroes Orchestra and the musical, "The Last Superhero", at its next show. As well as picking up two CDs now available - The Last Superhero (the red CD) and I'll Spend My Nights in the Graveyard (the grey CD) to enjoy the musical at home. For more information, visit http://www.thedeadsuperheroes.com or http://www.myspace.com/thedeadsuperheroes.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide