MAY 12, 2024 at NEIGHBORHOOD THEATER, CHARLOTTE, NC
I’ll be honest, I’ve always had an interesting time at Sunday night gigs. The crowds are usually a bit
lackluster, maybe because too many people are already in Monday morning mode and their weekend
feels, effectively, over. That usually means that the shows can feel more intimate and up-close, so I
wanted to go to this particular show for several reasons: One, it was my birthday the day before, and I
love having an ‘event’ to mark the day each year, something more memorable than just a dinner or
cake; two, there was a local-ish band playing that I hadn’t seen before; and three, I’d only seen the
headliner once before, when I skipped high school one day to go to a festival being put on by a local rock
radio station.
Off we went to the Neighborhood Theater, a beautiful midsized venue in the NoDa region of Charlotte,
North Carolina. It’s a bustling neighborhood, with awesome restaurants and shops lining the street (and
a parking garage right behind the venue, which is fantastic). Pulling up a tiny bit late, the synth lines of
opening act were already in the air as we got our tickets scanned and grabbed a beer at the bar.
It was Dead Cool, made up of husband and wife duo Johnny and Angie Yeagher. The stage for them was
sparse, but that wasn’t unexpected considering they’d gotten word of the gig less than a week
beforehand- in fact, their phone started ‘going crazy’ while they were at the grocery store and they were
pleasantly surprised to find it was Stabbing Westward’s management company reaching out to book
them!
Johnny’s David Dastmalchian-meets-Andrew Eldritch vibes (complete with black aviators and leather
moto jacket) suited his soft, smooth, occasionally growly vocals, while Angie piped in to add balance.
Both members bounced from walking the frontage and working the growing audience to the twin synth
banks on either side of the stage, all to good effect. The music was catchy, with definite electronic hooks
and perky beats to keep the energy high.
I was happy to hear some of the songs that had been cycling through my Tidal playlist in person, and to
find that they were even better live than I’d hoped. Highlights included Stranger Kind, whose digital
drumbeat and catchy synth hook gives a clear nod to 1980’s New Wave and is a perfect intro to what
the band is about, a cover of Real Life’s goth club staple Send Me An Angel, and a new unreleased track
called Your Lies that promises great things are still in store. This band has been steadily gaining ground
in the past two years, and it isn’t hard to see why. If you’re a fan of New Wave, Post Punk, or Dark
Electro music, this is definitely one to keep your eyes on.
After a brief hiatus (and another beer), Stabbing Westward was set to take the stage. The setup was
again minimalistic, but the band had broken up in 2002 and only reformed in 2016, playing just a few
shows here and there. In 2022, a new album was released, Chasing Ghosts, and only after that did
touring begin again in earnest.
Stabbing Westward wasted no time at all in getting right down to the deep, grungy sound that put them
on the map. Original members Christopher Hall (singer) and Walter Flakus (keyboards and backing
vocals, as well as some guitar) were joined by Bobby Amaro on an electronic drum kit and Cyamack
Ashtiani on guitars. Opening with Ungod from their debut album, the bleak, nihilistic lyrics were
underscored by crunching riffs and heavy beats that borderline Industrial Metal. Christopher Hall seems,
in photos, to be almost shy and reluctant to be in the public eye, but onstage all vestiges of diffidence
evaporate.
Chris’ vocals- sometimes screamed, sometimes murmured, sometimes pleading- seem to come from a
place of pain, anguish, and frustration just as much now as when I first heard them 20-something years
ago. This doesn’t feel just performative, like an aging rockstar treading the boards just to make a buck
and massage their ego. These songs feel just as genuine now as they did then, which is admirable and
truly a feat I appreciate. This felt more like a close-up look into Chris’ traumas and fears laid out in
music, making an already small and intimate show feel even more so.
The setlist wound through their various albums, hitting all the major peaks- Falls Apart, Wasted,
Sometimes It Hurts, What Do I Have To Do, Haunting Me, Save Yourself, and more all made
appearances. A beautiful cover of Burn, originally by The Cure and written for the original The Crow
soundtrack, also featured, which is especially nice considering this year marks the 30 th anniversary of
that movie.
All in all, this show was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday night. Both bands brought a fantastic energy
and kept the crowd engaged from the first note, and spent tons of time after the show engaging with
fans. It felt informal and personal, which always leaves a lasting impression. If you have the chance to
see either Dead Cool or Stabbing Westward, I’d highly recommend doing so- their performances were
both engaging and genuine, a treat in an overly commercialized age.
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