The Roxy - August 6, 1998
|
The first time Stabbing Westward made an impression on Southern California (and not such a good one), they were opening for Depeche Mode in 1994. Times have definitely changed. The 1998 DARKEST DAYS Tour roared into town with Stabbing Westward at the helm being supported by a rather boring God Lives Underwater and probably one of the best bands you've never heard of, Canada's very own Econoline Crush. One of the most common complaints about bands is that they never sound as good live as they do on cd. Not a problem here. Stabbing Westward have matured into one of the best live bands around. Showcasing their now familiar style of screaming electronics and blistering guitars, Stabbing Westward held the Roxy crowd in the palm of their hand throughout their 90 minute set. The only negative you can contribute to the bands otherwise extremely entertaining evening is the performance of lead singer Christopher Hall. Hall tends to spend the majority of his time onstage avoiding the crowd, except to pump everyone up during the chorus of any given song, seemingly preoccupied with his own little world that the crowd intrudes upon. Guitarist Marcus Eliopulos and keyboardist Walter Flakus truly standout as the energetic drive in Stabbing Westward's otherwise relatively low-key stage presence. Fortunately, as with their album, the music will just about override any negatives. With nary a break between songs, the crowd was treated to a healhty dose of material from all three Stabbing Westward albums, including older fave's such as Violent Mood Swings and Lies. Throw in some commercial radio support here in L.A. and polish up their live act a bit, and the next time Stabbing Westward comes around, you'll be seeing them at The Forum instead of being crammed in at The Roxy. |
Review & Photos By:
-Robb Schiltz
Concert Calendar Contests Band Resources Cyber Lawyer Chat Graffiti Wall
Best of the BEST Fan sites Classifieds About Us About You Links Credits
All photographs belong to TotallyLA unless otherwise noted.
If you use a picture please ask us or provide a link back to us to give us credit. Thank you.