Opening assault: Starlite Lounge promoter Chris Lemos has an uphill battle booking local acts in Sacramento. Apparently, nobody wants to headline and nearly just as many don’t want to open. However, when national acts come to town, there is suddenly no shortage of groups vying to get on any slot. Of course, this is when Lemos gets to really exert his booking power.
Last Tuesday’s show with Act Of Defiance (former members of Megadeth and Shadows Fall) featured two local acts that, although totally different in sound and scope, worked alarmingly well together.
New(er) Sacramento quintet Odious Construct kicked off the night with a heady blend of progressive metalcore. And while the band’s early start time of 8 p.m. meant playing to only 30 or so people, by the end of the set, singer Casey Ryle and his able band found themselves playing in front of nearly double that number.
Most exciting was the dual guitar assault of Wes Yee and Ben Jackson, who weaved an astounding amount of guitar showmanship into their all-too-brief set. Also equally impressive was the rhythm section featuring drummer KC Brand and bassist Sam Datu, which played together at breakneck speed with wicked precision.
Up next was Vacaville’s West Coast Fury who, although by the logo and band appearance might be mistaken for a hardcore band, played a furious set steeped in ’80s thrash fare. Led by vocalist-guitarist Pat Woods, the group ripped through a set that recalled some of the best moments of the early San Francisco thrash scene. In fact, unbeknownst to many in the crowd, the band featured members of Torment, Malicious Intent, Blind Illusion, Piranha, Franzlist and Skeptic, all active Bay Area bands from the ’80s and ’90s. So there you go.
(SN&R)