The Shenanigans of Rock ‘n’ Roll!

Sinister Scene

Element of Soul, A Single Second, Sinister Scene, Adam Roth, Verbatim
Friday, July 18, 2011 – Shenanigans, Sacramento

Words & Photos Mike Saechao

Walking into Shenanigans, my eyes fixated on the plasma screen-filled, pool table-planted sports bar. I scoped around to prep myself for a night of rock ‘n’ roll and some serious head banging.

Starting the night off was Adam Roth of Green Audio. Though the rest of Green Audio was not present, Roth had a guest drummer and a backup vocalist to fill in the void. I expected a hardcore emo set, but was proven wrong as Roth sat down beside his keyboards and let out a melody. “This song is about being drunk and medicated,” he explained as he sang, “There’s something inside of me/That’s laughing with anxiety“–a very depressing yet bittersweet lullaby about self-loathing. Roth did a cover of Green Day’s “Basket Case,” which sounded like it was sung by Billie Joe Armstrong on the verge of suicide. I’ll admit it was a lot better than the original. In one of Roth’s final songs, he sang, “I believe I can be anything with you in my heart/Just give me one more day,” a ballad that left the crowd feeling Roth’s agony. The sound of Roth’s downtrodden voice and acoustic elements reminded me of a dramatic post-breakup story, where acoustic meets experimental.

There was one surprise of the night: A tribal fusion belly dancing group called Verbatim from Hot Pot Studios performed dance breaks in between set changes to keep the crowd going. Throughout the night, this Midtown-based dance crew continued to keep the crowd cheering for not just rock ‘n’ roll but art as well.

Verbatim

A few minutes later, Sinister Scene from Sparks, Nev., was up. I’ve never heard of this band, but I was intrigued by their matching socks and their chemistry. A signal from the vocalist Seven and the band threw down and rocked the stage. The energy and aggression of this hardcore band sparked the crowd, and Seven growled and screamed into the mic with no forgiveness. With almost no transitions or breaks in between songs, Sinister Scene played spot-on hardcore rock music, song after song, scream after scream. By the end of their set, Seven had established what seemed like a cult following of a new breed of head bangers.

Between the dance breaks of Verbatim and a small breather, A Single Second took the stage, and almost immediately started off with an anthem of their own followed by psychedelic drum beats and melancholy lyrics. What really ignited the crowd’s spirits was “Politicians of U.S.A.,” a song about the growing unemployment, a verbal backhand slap to the mistakes of modern politics. It was a mixture of heavy metal and punk rock, revolting against the government and failed relationships. A Single Second continued their set with rage-inspiring anthems. Pretty awesome rock ‘n’ roll, I’d say.

Element Of Soul

For the last act, the lineup of what seemed to be purely just heartache and hardcore aggression came to an abrupt end as Element of Soul took the stage. I was not ready for the barrage of couples flying in and slow dancing to the melodies that came out of this band. It reminded me of a Woodstock documentary, though I would say I was impressed with the crowd they attracted. It was a very smooth transition from hard rock to slow rock, ending the night just right. This jazzy, hip, acoustic extravaganza was not exactly my cup of tea, but I managed to sneak in between the crowd and snap a few shots of the band before bumping into couples who were getting down. As the final hour approached, more couples took the pit and drunken anthems and lullabies became songs of the night.