Artemis Thomas-HansardPlanets, The Diamond Light, ModPods, Mizz Absurd
Silverlake Lounge
June 24, 2014
Last night at the Silverlake Lounge, the 15+ member band Planets performed a “psych rock opera.”
There were shadow puppets, face paint, fake blood, and a series of bizarre characters – including a robot with a television for a head.
But that was by no means the extent of the bizarreness.
Opener Mizz Absurd played a stand-up bass wearing a tiny top hat atop her teal-covered hair.
Her performance contained theatrical plucking and scatting, as well as memorized dialogue that she acted out between songs. It was all a bit, well absurd, but we suppose that makes sense considering her name.
Considering that she has real vocal chops, one could imagine Mizz Absurd as a fresh-faced Stefani Germanotta before she transformed into full-blown Gaga.
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The ring leader of Planets' Psych-Rock Opera; Credit: Photo by Artemis Thomas-Hansard
The next act, ModPods, combined heavy guitar with screeching electronic samples and speed drumming. They sounded like a poor man's Sleigh Bells.
Frontwoman Myriad Slits carried herself with such ambivalence that it felt as if the band were in on a joke with the audience. “All of our songs tonight are about friends and fucking,” she said.
Next up was the Diamond Light, a trio of blues rockers that nearly stole the show.
Frontman Griffin Young sang soulfully, with the the gravely pipes of Little Richard.
Even more impressive was Young's masterful guitar work.
Planets took the stage next.
There was eye makeup, stage fog, and shredding guitar aplenty.
The group performed their latest installment of their psych rock opera, titled The Dark City: Museum.
The Robot; Credit: Photo by Artemis Thomas-Hansard
The ghost-white faced ring leader flamboyantly introduced his “calamitous collection of creatures”: The beast, the Witch Ghost, the Hyena, the Third Eye, the Zombie, and the Robot.
“It's a goddamn freak show….so let's bring out the fucking freaks!”
Silver-masked troops creeped around as the rest of the cast ventured through the audience and tied people together with orange yarn.
Torn up books fell from the ceiling as the band filled the room with dramatic guitar.
The singer was transformed into a skeleton, and two girls wearing silver face paint danced around in full-body spandex.
There were strobe lights, fake explosions, and costumes galore.
It was all pretty cool, and enough to make you forget you were at the Silverlake Lounge on a Tuesday night.
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