Valentine’s Day is for lovers, and unfortunately I am a hater first and foremost. It’s not like I throw eggs at couples (In this economy??) or make a show of popping heart-shaped balloons, but it’s just not a holiday for pessimists. That’s mainly what I was thinking as I walked into
Heartache Cabaret, the Valentine’s Day event produced by KnightLocke Productions and sponsored by us here at Couched Media. But even a Valentine-agnostic person like myself couldn’t deny that it sounded like a good way to spend February 14. Presented by Alex Kim (the artist behind KnightLocke Productions) as “A punk cabaret, dark Moulin Rouge, Panic! At The Disco-themed Valentine’s Party,” Heartache Cabaret was clearly not aiming for the same old candy-coated cupid schtick. Kim’s vision was to combine an immersive art experience with live music, so they enlisted six artists to set up vendor stalls and musical acts Keddjra, The Galentines, and Blankslate to provide the evening’s soundtrack, with music direction by Kim’s bestie Rowan Woodbury (Fun fact discovered during Kim’s backstage interview with Pedro: Kim used to play bass in a band with Rowan!).
Kim transformed The Bobcat Club at Skylark Lounge with a bold color palette of blood red, black and magenta, renouncing the traditional cutesy pastel pink and white V-day color scheme. The entire room was bathed in red mood lighting, casting a slightly eerie pinkish glow over the mural-adorned walls, the eager faces in the crowd, and the room’s black and white checkered tile floor. Scarlet curtains replaced the dark-colored backdrop that usually lines the rear of the stage. Many of the attendees took their outfit inspiration from the theme, decked out in red and black with gothic and punk details. Art vendors Antiquity Romance, Bubblegum Goth, Bella Briganti, Josephine Clark, Gabriel Hutchings, and Destruya set up tables along the perimeter, displaying everything from portraits of the Zodiac signs as different kinks (by Gabriel Hutchings) to intricate chainmaille jewelry (from Bubblegum Goth). As a bonus, artist Ariana Fleet covered the back wall with a bunch of handmade valentines that she auctioned off to benefit Advocates for Trans Equality, a group that supports the legal and political rights of trans people in America.
The aesthetic may have been a bit macabre, but the energy in the room was as bright and giddy as could be. As Kim explained to us, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about romantic love, it can be an opportunity to show any kind of love. This seemed to be the general consensus from most folks: the evening was a chance to celebrate love, but more so a love of friends, music, and community. The lineup of bands reflected this, too. Every act was made up of longtime friends, and I wouldn’t say any of them play what I think of as stereotypical “romantic” music (although I suppose all music is romantic to someone). But that’s fine by me, I like my yearning to have some teeth.
First up was Keddjra, whose incisive lyrics lend a sardonic edge to her minimalist singer-songwriter tracks. It’s not often I see someone pull out the electric ukulele, but amping up the famously placid instrument goes unreasonably hard, especially up against the low-pitched warbling of Keddjra’s unique voice. Her deadpan facial expressions and stoic delivery contrast with the levity of her breezy instrumentals, making it even more startling when she suddenly belts out certain lines– stone face intact.
I think the first song she and her band played was “Wanted You To Stay,” but with the live arrangement I wasn’t certain. The next song (“somebody else,” I’m pretty sure) began with the whole band harmonizing a cappella, mimicking the same vocalizations heard in the background of the recorded version. Keddjra played a stripped back version of the rest of the song, with only vocals, her trusty ukulele, and a whisper of bass. “Daydrunk” also was introduced by the full band singing a verse together a cappella, before starting the song over with their full arsenal of instruments. Keddjra then switched from electric ukulele to guitar for “careful,” providing her own backing vocals with help from a looping pedal. This was a very well-constructed set, with a steady increase in volume and energy level to ease the crowd into the evening’s other acts. Keddjra set the tone for a very angsty, moody show, putting the “ache” in heartache.
If you’re doing a Valentine’s Day show highlighting female musicians, you obviously need The Galentines on the bill. I wasn’t familiar with this Boulder-based indie rock band, so I took a quick listen to their debut album 1140 before heading out for the night, and was immediately drawn in by their frank portrayals of modern girlhood (I'm kicking myself for not reviewing this project when it came out!). All five gals were rocking hyper-femme lingerie-inspired looks, which gave a fun slumber party vibe to their performance. By the time their set started the venue was completely packed, and everyone seemed to be buzzing with excitement. Five people isn’t a crazy big band, but it allows The Galentines to double (or triple or quadruple) up on vocals and guitars. By layering their instruments and harmonies, they build a lush, multidimensional sound that could easily fill a damn stadium. I'm so glad I climbed aboard The Galentines train now, because if their first album is any indication of what's to come, this band has a very, very exciting future.
Similarly to Keddjra, The Galentines understand the alchemy of creating peaks and valleys in a performance. Many of their songs (such as their opener, which I think they said was called “Hurtling Towards Nowhere”) started soft and slow, before erupting into full band jams and enormous, powerful vocals. I was skeptical if the lead singer’s live voice would match the stunning vocals on their album, but she completely blew me away. The way her husky, sensuous voice paired with the other members’ sweet, doo-wop crooning on their ballad “Cradle” was magical live. They introduced their third song “Rear View Mirror” as a song “About running away from home and all of the problems that are at home,” and boy did that bring back memories!
After a cover I didn’t recognize (I’m probably too old), The Galentines previewed a new unreleased song called “Eden,” seemingly based on the biblical tale of original sin (it turns out the perils of girlhood have sadly not changed much since the beginning of time). Both of the band’s main vocalists joined forces for the chorus, channeling centuries of feminine rage into a roaring “Edeeeeeeen!” Speaking of feminine rage, I would’ve enjoyed this set a lot more if not for all of the large manchildren completely devoid of self-awareness in the audience. When you book a youthful band like The Galentines, you also get younger fans who don't necessarily hold their liquor very well. But would it really even be Valentine’s Day if I wasn’t exasperated by male audacity? Tradition says no.
With the crowd feeling rowdy and the instrumentalists playing at full volume, it would have been nice if they turned the lead singer’s mic way, way, up. Her voice was completely lost in places, although when she really belted the mic became completely irrelevant. When the band said “This next song is for anyone in a really evil situationship,” I totally thought they were about to do their banger “WWYMS?” (short for What Would Your Mother Say), but it was the equally acerbic “Shock Collar.” The refrain “I had to buy a shock collar/Give my cell to my friends/And let them make phone calls for me/Cause I’m still not sane these days,” may sound melodramatic, but I guarantee it resonated with at least half the crowd. Like I said, it was a very angsty show. To close their set, The Galentines played their insanely catchy hit “Tommy,” which I have not stopped singing since that night. The energetic and upbeat tune had everyone dancing along, which quickly devolved into light moshing. Kind of a weird song to open up the pit to, but mosh away, I guess!
Brace yourselves, because this is basically about to turn into Blankslate fan mail. Blankslate is one of my favorite bands, and the performance they gave at Heartache Cabaret was perhaps the best I’ve seen them play. Tess (drums and keys) and Rylee (guitar and bass) had announced in advance that they would be playing a special duo set, so I was curious to see who, if anyone, would take over the vocals. After Blankslate’s original vocalist departed the band last year, I heard a major shift in their sound. The music and performances were still phenomenal, but the same songs felt much softer than before: More indie singer-songwriter, less punk rock. When Rylee started to sing “Westcliff,” (the first song Blankslate ever released) it was like being let in on a well-kept secret. The passion and grit in her voice were precisely what I had been missing. Hearing her anguished rendition of “2301 S. High Street,” (the song that made me fall in love with this band) sliced right through the calloused heart of this cynic.
Then they covered Iron & Wine’s “Flightless Bird, American Mouth,” and I was fully undone. Rylee prefaced the cover by saying it was “For anyone who is a fan of Twilight," but Iron & Wine personally catapults me back to being a teenager dozing off on Metro North trains and L-riding through suburban backroads. So yes, it put a nostalgic lump in my throat. Blanklate’s duo set had a few old favorites (“Westcliff,” “2301 S High Street,” and “if this is monterey…”) plus a couple covers (“Flightless Bird, American Mouth,” “Tear In My Heart” by Twenty-One Pilots, and Bon Iver’s “Heavenly Father” as an encore), but the bulk of their material was unreleased songs. It’s been almost three years since Blankslate dropped their acclaimed debut album Summer On A Salt Flat, and though they haven’t released anything since, we’ve been hearing rumors of a second album (possibly titled Lookout Mountain Charley) in the works. This set made me even more curious about how their follow-up project will sound, and if we’ll get recorded vocals from Rylee.
Even with only two people, Blankslate is a force. Following a five-person band as a duo could be intimidating, but the synergy that Tess and Rylee have developed over the last seven years gives their performances a richness and depth far beyond the scope of two people. I mean come on, Tess was drumming with one hand while simultaneously playing keys with the other. What kind of fucking sorcery is that? I can’t even pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time. Tess is also the most expressive drummer I’ve seen. It’s so entertaining to see her tackle the drums in a flurry of blonde curls and arms (it really seems like she has more than two), always singing or lip-syncing along through an ear-to-ear grin. Her frenzied excitement behind the kit always makes me think of the most iconic and exuberant drummer I know: Animal from The Muppets. (Tess if you see this I hope you understand I mean that as the highest possible compliment.) But I feel like this night was really Rylee’s moment to shine. As Tess emphasized during their set, “Rylee is finally singing songs that she wrote, and it’s beautiful.” There's an urgency to her performance of these familiar songs that couldn't come from anyone but their author. Rylee, I believe you were meant to sing these songs. They belong to you.
And so the brooding romance of Heartache Cabaret came to a close. KnightLocke Productions nailed this lineup (I would go see these three acts play together again and again), and successfully created an immersive atmosphere that persisted until the venue staff turned on the overhead lights, abruptly extinguishing the red haze that had enveloped the room. (Side note, venues and clubs should legally have to warn you before turning on ALL the lights. Talk about a jumpscare!) If your heart was already aching that night, the sheer amount of longing permeating Heartache Cabaret could've been a bit of a gut punch. But at least there were plenty of bitter, biting "fuck you" anthems to stoke the flames of feminine fury. You know, just in case someone needed that. (Definitely not me though.)
Stay tuned for Couched Media's upcoming batch of backstage interviews from our evening at Heartache Cabaret!
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