Nathan Sadler, the musical voice behind Misery Loves Chachi, spent more than three years experimenting and commiserating among his keyboards to compose 25 songs, of which four tracks representing the lighter and more hopeful side of displacement and unemployment emerged. These four songs are being released today (June 11) as the debut EP for Misery Loves Chachi, Long Live the Lazy Choir.

The alliteration in the EP’s title will draw close those who delight in lyrics and literary themes. The initial electronic vibe in “All is Alive” will draw in fans of melody and the backing vocals and pulsing chord progression in “Trick of the Light” will win over those who weren’t sure.

The delicate opening piano and soft-spoken lyrical melodies in “King” carry a subtle sadness with an undercurrent of hope. Fans will hear that Sadler accomplished his goal of casting out into the world four songs with a survivalist spirit in the line, “You can crown me king of self-sabotage, but I know everything’s going to be alright someday soon.” It’s haunting vocal refrain repeating the second half of the line shows an inner desire of the song’s narrator to convince himself. This is probably the key in learning to move on past life’s disappointments.

The ironic juxtaposition of the question, “Is this the end of the world” and the high-pitched notes bouncing along like a ball over lyric lines at karaoke night solidify the fun feeling of Long Live the Lazy Choir within a construct of true creativity and thought.

Atlanta area fans of feel-good, soulful music in an electronic vein would do well to come out to 529 Tuesday night for the release party of Long Live the Lazy Choir.

By Ellen Eldridge

Leave it to me to completely miss the countdown, slow stream of singles and sneak peaks leading to one of my favorite bands’ 14^th album, Super Collider. I had seen flashes of criticisms and the typical call outs “MegaDave” on Facebook, but as I powered through the laundry list of things in my life, I just ignored the usual hyped-up hate. Megadeth founder and front man, Dave Mustaine, gets harsh backlash almost anytime he says or does anything.

I’ve long believed that—guess what—Mustaine is just a man; a human who makes mistakes and changes his mind about everything from the direction to comb his hair to a controversial political debate. He has every right to voice his opinions and even more right to change them, change and ultimately grow.

Super Collider, released on Mustaine’s own label Tradecraft and released through Universal Records, pulls away demonstratively from the balls-to-the-wall thrash as soon as “Kingmaker” shows its pop melodies, which Megadeth showed the world last month (at least those who were paying attention). So, this release shouldn’t have surprised too many megafans with its changes. We were warned.

Since the days of high school drama, I’ve always held a fear of being exposed as a “poser” not because I really need to seek approval from the masses, but because I fear contradicting myself or being called out for insincerity. Well, I’m ready to admit that I have often needed a few complete revolutions to get into Megadeth albums.

Endgame released in 2009, showcasing the skill and passion of lead guitarist Chris Broderick; an album full of high-powered riffs and intricate solos categorized by its single, “Head Crusher.” Seriously, what could be more metal than a song called “Head Crusher”?

Megadeth followed up strongly in the thrash vein with 2011’s Th1rt3en. As I stated in my review, it took some getting used to. Maybe I’m not the right kind of fan in some people’s eyes but I’m confident to know what I like and I can usually extrapolate why I like something.

Super Collider won my affection with its title track, more melodic and toned down some may say, but I believe this is the perfect direction for Megadeth. I really wasn’t that excited for another balls-out thrash album rehashing what had already been done so well. Maybe that’s why the announcement of this release got by me until last minute.

“I’ve got a sickly feeling, my life is standing still” in the third track, “Burn,” sums up the sentiment of Super Collider : this is the 14^th album in a decades-long career by one of the most influential thrash metal bands. One of “The Big 4,” Megadeth has earned its right to take off in new directions and try to please its members as much as their fans—new and old. Innovation truly is the key to moving forward and staying inspired. When you’re playing just to pay the bills, you get burned out. “Burn” contains an element of risk (ha ha) that screams in its lyrics to the danger that brings us closer to enlightenment.

Broderick gets writer credits on two tracks and David Draiman (Disturbed, Device) lends his voice to “Dance in the Rain” and “Forget to Remember,” which is one of my personal favorites on the album.

As a longtime fan of Megadeth and a “MegaDave” supporter/commiserator I will continue listening to Super Collider and reevaluating my opinion in light of every new experience and every rehashed album by bands who should just end their careers if they don’t plan to move forward.  In moving forward, the band still takes a look behind by closing the album with a Mustaine-styled version of Thin Lizzy’s “Cold Sweat.” Megadeth’s skill exudes in this cover; I mean, did you ever have any doubt these boys could play? Let them do what they do best and trust in the direction because Megadeth is moving forward, not standing still.

Hot Club of Cowtown: Jake Erwin, Elana James, Whit Smith. Photo by George Brainard

By Ellen Eldridge

The impression that the Austin, Texas, band Hot Club of Cowtown is in some way a country act, especially in the current climate of American popular music, is somewhat misleading since the Hot Club’s influences have always been as much the musette music of the smoky bistros of 1930s Paris as they are the hoedowns and Western swing of the mythic American West.

This fiddle, guitar and bass trio recently released Rendezvous in Rhythm on Gold Strike Records, calling it a foray into the Gypsy jazz and French swing of Paris in the ’30s. The band plays Eddie’s Attic June 7 so you can come out and decide for yourself how to label the act.

Whit Smith answered a few of our “tough questions” to give you a little hint as to what to expect at their upcoming show. Check it out!

What is the strangest thing a fan has done for you or at a show?

People have drawn big freaky caricatures of us and then eagerly presented them to us with the best intentions. That’s always kind of awkward!

Some song dedications to absent or deceased strangers can be a bit touch and go as well. Back in our early days we sometimes stayed at people’s houses instead of hotels when we were on long tours. They would feel compelled to entertain you even though all you really wanted was peace and quiet. Then inevitably came the big special meal they would cook up. Somebody once made some kind of Cajun Casserole that was just inedible!  It’s awfully hard to squirm out of eating that without hurting the host’s feelings.

What is the funniest moment you have had as a band so far?

Over the years there have been lots of funny things happen. Many are not funny at the time because you’re trying to do a job and some wacky person or challenging malfunction is happening. One event comes to mind: We had flown from Houston, TX to Salt Lake and then would drive over to Elko, Nevada to play a cowboy poetry gathering. We’re waiting around for the luggage but the bass never shows. They say they’ll bring it on to Elko so we drive away.

Next day there’s still no sign of the bass. So we put the word out we need to borrow one. Well, this old cowboy shows up with this lovely looking 200 year old bass that he himself restored. Just so happens he wants to sell it, too, so he’s delighted to let our bass man Jake borrow it for a show.

We were packed into a little auditorium with all the poets and audience and that ol’ boy right in front just beaming as Jake put on a show with the borrowed instrument.  We were in the middle of some high speed fiddle tune,  just wailing away, when suddenly there was a huge crack and boom as the bass’s neck shot off and the strings and bridge went everywhere!

Quite a crescendo!

The man couldn’t speak. He just stood there in disbelief.  His wife had to intermediate and of course Jake was a gentleman and apologetic but who knew it was an exploding bass?!

Against all odds there was a Peruvian string band at the festival and we were able to finish the show by their generous lending of their bass even after the volatile exhibit. Five days later the airline discovered Jake’s bass in Karachi, Pakistan.

All of the above is true!

If you could describe your music in one word, what would it be?

Our music can be many things. For sure it is sincere and energetic. It is also spontaneous and never boring.  It is an art and a physiological event unique from the individuals making it. It’s also an endangered species!

Catch Hot Club of Cowtown at Eddie’s Attic Friday, June 7th! Tickets below!

Upon hearing the first grungy bend of “Hollow” on The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, the fifth studio release by Alice In Chains, fans will quickly need to reconcile their feelings on whether or not the band is stretching its musical wings enough, but the future looks bright for this group of survivors that has beaten the loss of founding member and front man Layne Staley, pushed through Jerry Cantrell’s bone spur surgery and maintained its classic grunge tone. The band makes its way through dark and murky water, creating the content that fans not only love but also need as we too attempt to find our way through the often clichéd trials of wanting to break our chains without really letting go.

“Hollow,” “Stone,” “Voices” and “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” are the cornerstone tracks, said Cantrell in an interview published by Grammy.com. These four songs wall in the masterful tone and spirit of Alice In Chains, while the song lyrics expose a band still trying to find its way—as are many of its fans.

Lines like “Jesus don’t like a queer” in the title track will certainly light a few fires, but the song is a rambling criticism of Creationism at best, stumbling its way through many of the same themes common on the album. Rolling thoughts, set to a fairly upbeat yet grimy feel propagated by bends and a flurry of sustained notes, keep the title track well within the album’s thematic vein. The key phrase is a buried background vocal that says, “Look at me, I’m smiling.”

One of the lines most exemplary of the central theme exists in “Lab Monkey,” where the lyric “Came far to find me down the rabbit hole; watch me smiling back as I’m chewing on the skull,” touches on themes from the hit “Down in a Hole” as the chorus line “Had enough, I don’t need you to blind my eyes” recalls “Man in the Box.” “Lab Monkey” qualifies the optimistic outlook of The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here in pure Alice In Chains style, with the narrator “chewing on the skull” (again while “smiling”).

Surface songs like “Low Ceiling” dance around the central themes of finding a place in a much more playful manner, with the chorus depicting a man either too big or inside a room too small. Again, the ideas of finding a place appear transparently, but fans will feel comforted by the skillful solos and hopeful energy coursing through the release.

“Voices” starts with the line “Who am I?” and continues through proclamations like “I’ve gone cold” and “all this climbing to fall down again,” before the resonant chorus reverberates, “voices in my head…everybody listen.” The song clearly displays a man and more so a band wading through the runoff of a series of tragedies generally referred to as life. As all artists go through a cleansing of the spirit, Alice In Chains proves its infancy with The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, which is great news to the many fans eager for more music.

We caught up with drummer DX of UV Race! The Aussie genius avant-tards UV Race, a band that drags melodious pop songs through a glam-punk aesthetic similar to bands like Ty Segall and Eddie Current Suppression Ring, released its third LP last year on In The Red Records alongside the band’s first feature-length film. Check out what he had to say!

What is the strangest thing a fan has done for you?

Sent us pornographic pictures of themselves fornicating with the sun. Art.

What is the funniest moment you have had as an artist/band so far?

That is very difficult. Basically, life is a long procession of meaningless tasks in service of rich people and occasionally you get to laugh. You join a band like this so you can laugh more than you would at your job or school. I have been laughing over the last five years non stop. Look at this photo of Marcus.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

No. Tequila helps.

If you could describe your music in one word, what would it be?

GLAM.

How do you connect with a crowd?

There are six of us so usually someone is falling into someone. That’s a good connection.

How did you come up with your band name?

Science.

What is the best way to write music?

For effect. When you listen to The Pagans you’re feeling something very direct and primal. This is ideal.

Total Control:

Australian punk band Total Control is cruising through the United States this summer, playing post-punk jams from their split with Thee Oh Sees, Henge Beat (2011), and new songs from their forthcoming LP.

Total Control features Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring) and Daniel Stewart (Straightjacket Nation / UV Race.) The band captures the essence of bands including Suicide, Wire and Joy Division, with just as much emphasis on the punk as the post. Total Control’s simple and cold loopy songs have explosions, spacey instruments and sci-fi lyrics that seem to come from the paranoid Charles Burns / Philip K. Dick camp.

Total Control plays Atlanta’s 529 on May 27 along with UV Race! Daniel Stewart took the time to answer our 5GB interview questions:

What’s the first gig you ever attended?

I saw maybe four hardcore bands play at my local youth centre: a couple hundred Goths, skins, punks, skaters, surfers and straight-up psycho drug pigs forced to agree on something.

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?

Don’t do this to me. I’m a nice person; I pay my taxes and always hold doors open for people. I can tell you that every show I’ve played in Georgia has been memorable, if you respect ass-kissing and audience pandering.

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

The cultural divide between our nations makes it difficult to tell if you are being mean spirited, but in respect of diplomacy, with a straight face I can tell you that the following bands are most memorable: all four aforementioned teenage hardcore bands, Neil Young from side stage close enough to spit on, Eddy Current Suppression Ring were untouchable, Out With A Bang at Horrible fest 2007 were like the Germs pitched through time and they were Italian… I saw the Dead C a couple months ago and they were incredible too….

Gig you would most like to play?

Send me back to the Rocket from the Tombs / Mirrors / Electric Eels show and I’ll happily lose a couple of my non-essential teeth.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

I would like to play with Neil Young backed up by Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers.

Get your tickets to see these two awesome bands on Monday, May 27 at 529!

Review and Photos by Ellen Eldridge

The single worst thing about last night’s sold out Beth Hart show was trying to reconcile my love of the music with the need to get photos worthy of my press pass. Crawling through a crowd—however politely asking for passage to the front—assures one of many sideways glances and firmly placed feet. At least one inebriated Hart lover warned me that I was to “take a few pictures, and then move back or my girlfriend’s going to get mad at me.” I reminded myself she had every right to her coveted front row center spot, and she had every right to every beer she had throughout the day that led her to pull back the curtain to try to catch an early glimpse of Hart herself.

The single greatest thing about last night’s sold out Beth Hart show was the church vibe, and I don’t mean that anyone stood up and testified; what I mean is that despite everyone wanting his or her foothold and a chance to lock eyes with the band on stage, the sense of community was overwhelming.

Hart opened with “Hiding Under Water” and its lyrics like “Everybody is strangers” and “No, I won’t take you for granted” immediately impacted and swayed the stolid fans into a burst of emotion. I felt more moved as I got into a groove by the second song, “Baddest Blues,” which is the first track on Hart’s recently released Bang Bang Boom Boom. I’ll further admit that though Hart has been around for more than one album, I didn’t find her until now. Last night was the first time I got to see her, and I was truly excited to see her at Smith’s Olde Bar where the close-knit sense of community is a given when a large group of fans fill a small space.

Before playing “Delicious Surprise,” Hart told her fans that the song was written at a time in her life when she really needed her sister’s words guiding her to shake her pessimistic feelings. She called out to the crowd, “Do you feel alright” and made it sound like it was part of the song. As a follower of the similar idea presented in the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know,” my ears perked up when Hart prefaced her song by telling us that this was her, “dreaming out loud.” Her lyrics “My preacher says I’ve got to see it to believe it” and “Heaven’s inside” tied the idea of a church congregation back to her music during the middle of the set.

Though the touring band Hart brought with her was comprised of Tom Lilly (bass), Todd Wolf (drums), Beth Hart (vocals/keys), PJ Barth (guitar) and Jon Nichols (guitar), Hart referenced her husband (and manager) Scott Guetzkow after thanking the fans for bringing “so much love and so much energy” out. She said, “My husband Scott saved my life” before beginning “Is That Too Much To Ask?” Those who didn’t already know Hart ditched her drug of choice (Klonopin) around the turn of the millennium in favor of Guetzkow who helped her build her career back up to the point where she could release Leave the Light On in 2003.

Hart’s personal story echoes through not only her lyrics but also her movements on stage. She’ll bow to the piano keys, shake her hips across the stage and smile as much as she’ll cringe in time to the weeping of a guitar solo. Her emotional expressions betray her true homecoming in the music; she readily shares herself with her fans and a venue like Smith’s captured that beautifully last night. It’s no wonder the show sold out.

Photo by: Jeff Katz

By Ellen Eldridge

Beth Hart brought her life experiences, both positive and negative, together for her April 2 release, Bang Bang Boom Boom, which was produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Jimmy Page/The Black Crowes, Dream Theater). The Kennedy Center Honors show-stopping performance of Jeff Beck and Beth Hart’s “I’d Rather Go Blind” that paid musical tribute to blues legend Buddy Guy in December, was included on the album.  The soul-searing performance elicited a spontaneous standing ovation from the audience that included President and Mrs. Obama as well as honorees Guy, David Letterman, Dustin Hoffman, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, and ballet dancer Natalia Makarova.

Beth Hart will play to a SOLD OUT crowd tomorrow May 7, at Smith’s Olde Bar. Take a look at how Hart responded to our 5GB questions:

What is the strangest thing a fan has done for you? Or at your show?

Many years ago after a show, the band and I loaded up in the van to make our way back to the hotel. As we turned the corner, there were people bent over, showing their butts. Written on their butt-cheeks was, “We Love Beth Hart.” It was very sweet and kind of gross at the same time. It made me laugh so hard!

What is the funniest moment you have had as an artist/band so far?

There have been so many, however, one that does come to mind was not too long ago, I was doing a live TV show. During sound-check before the taping, everything went perfect. When it was time to do the show I walked over to the piano, (now mind you, this is live, on-air) and the piano wouldn’t turn on. I said, “Oh Fuck!” on-air and all the TV people behind the camera started to laugh, and I did too. Hey, when you can’t get it right, laughter always helps.

Do you have any pre-show rituals? 

Tea, a good stretch, write a new set list, play piano backstage and get focused.

If you could describe your music in one word, what would it be?

Americana, I guess. Blues, soul, jazz, gospel and rock.

How do you connect with a crowd?

Tell them stories that are personal. Maybe make them laugh at my weirdness or quirky ways. Get them involved with singing and moving their bodies, and if that doesn’t work I pray for it to be over soon. HA HA!!

What is the best way to write music?

Don’t think or analyze. Just allow your feelings to come all the way up. Stay in quiet with just yourself and be patient. When writing with others, be very, very kind and respectful. You want them to feel safe so their inner child can come out to play, and they in turn will return the favor.

Hopefully you scored your tickets to the show tomorrow, May 7, before it SOLD OUT!

By Ellen Eldridge

David Draiman of Disturbed, and ex-Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo recently collaborated together to construct Device. The self-titled debut released April 9, taking strands from hard rock, industrial and electronica to form a focused, fierce and fiery new machine.

It all started while the Grammy Award-nominated multiplatinum powerhouse Disturbed was on hiatus. Lenardo reached out to Draiman to collaborate on a song for the Underworld: Awakening soundtrack in late 2011. As soon as the singer heard the music, he was both intrigued and inspired. The duo then cut “Hunted” in Chicago. Even though the track didn’t ultimately make the final soundtrack album due to circumstances beyond their control, Draiman urged that they hold on to it and continue writing music. Soon, they had an entire album’s worth of material.

Upon finishing the record, Draiman enlisted Evanescence drummer Will Hunt and Dope and Rock of Ages guitarist Virus. Both Hunt and Virus jumped at the chance to be a part of this powerhouse trio. The three comprise the touring incarnation of Device, which plays Atlanta’s Center Stage Friday May 3. Virus took the time to speak with us for our 5 GB interview:

What is the strangest thing a fan has done for you at your show?

I can tell you a strange experience: I was playing one time, and I can’t remember where I was, but it was a Dope show way back in the day. This girl in the front row was going so ridiculously crazy that everyone around her thought, ‘man this chick is out of control.’ She was slamming around, jumping trying to grab us and she kind of lunged at me and hit her head on the edge of my guitar—on a piece of steel that was used to kind of hold my guitar together—and she had this gash in her face. She had no idea, and I kept trying to get her attention saying, ‘look at your face!’ We had to actually stop playing. I was so concerned. It the weirdest thing; she wasn’t hurt at all but it was a great mix of comedy, intensity and a great rock and roll moment.

What is the funniest moment you have had as an artist/band so far?

Sometimes, during the last gig of a tour, the opening band will pull pranks. Well, this band, 40 Below Summer, pulled a prank where they came out with duct tape and taped our ankles together, except the drummer. They taped my ankles together and opened the back of my pants and squirted mustard and ketchup and all this stuff down there while I was playing. It would have been easier but Dope’s music is all heavy and intense; not funny at all. I was trying to maintain character with cornflakes in my ass. And you can’t run away in that situation. You have to stand there. It was awful, but I probably laughed the hardest in my life that night.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Vocally I warm up. It’s kind of funny because on the bus David (Draiman) and I will be at opposite ends warming up our vocals. I do have a beer and that’s kind of it. I like my alone time. I like to stay to myself and get into the zone.

If you could describe your music (either what you add to Device or your music in general) in one word, what would it be?

I think we’re a power-rock-industrial trio. I would focus on the “trio” because that’s never been done. One word is really tough; maybe “hauntingly beautiful” but the music of Device is heavy as well. I’m really excited about the future and creating music with Device in the future.

How do you connect with a crowd?

I’m pretty interactive. I’m a singer as well and I’ll sing along with David as people are mouthing the words back; I vibe off that. And I get dirty. I get into the crowd by slapping hands and straddling the stage and the barricade doing a split. I like to get a piece of it and feed off that shit.

How did you come up with your name (Virus) or adopt it?

I’ve been Virus for 13 years. It was Cyrus, and then all the guys in Dope started calling me “Cyrus the Virus.” Then it became cooler. I was using all these guitars and my hair was green so Virus became this character. For Device I think it’s fitting because of the technical elements. I really think it fits.

What is the best way to write music?

There is no right way; there is only the right way for the individual artist. David and I write the same way, which is to come up with a cool music background and then start singing over it with a melody, but the lyrics come last.

We hope to see you at Device, Friday May 3, at Center Stage!

Stolen Babies and Lacuna Coil opened for Coal Chamber and Sevendust at one of the most aesthetically pleasing shows to grace Tabernacle Atlanta. The guttural growls and high-pitched squeals reached by cabaret metal singer Dominique Lenore Persi got the early crowd’s blood pumping. Persi commanded attention as soon as she opened her mouth, but by the second song she picked up her accordion, which may have surprised Sevendust’s fans. The progressive elements in Stolen Babies’ songs mingled well with the lineup and Stolen Babies were well received as they played songs including “Never Come Back” off the 2012 release, Naught.

Lacuna Coil stirred fans’ emotions playing songs including “I Don’t Believe in Tomorrow,” “Kill the Light” and “Trip the Darkness.” These Atlanta favorites may be as much of a draw—if not more—than Coal Chamber, the band that provided direct support for Sevendust Wednesday.

The well-warmed crowd didn’t wane in waiting for Sevendust to take the stage. Though three bands came and went, and the hour approached 11, fans eagerly anticipated singer Lajon Witherspoon and the rest of Sevendust, a band that makes the city of Atlanta proud to call it home.

The energy exuded by fans warmed the Tabernacle like the heat kicking on during a chilly evening, after the break between Coal Chamber and the final act of the evening. Witherspoon called out to fans, asking if they could feel the energy; the band’s decision to open with “Decay” off the March 26, 2013, release, Black Out the Sun, drove an energetic feeling. Despite a few grumblings about Sevendust’s recent release taking a step backward toward a more mellow sound, “Decay” crunched under foot and revved up the crowd.

Witherspoon wasn’t the only energetic individual; all the members of Sevendust ran back and forth across the stage jumping and singing. He called out to his Atlanta crowd acknowledging that “this is our house” and continued to play through a setlist that included “Praise,” “Denial,” “Till Death,” “Waffle,” “Strong Arm,” “Rumble Fish,” “Bitch,” “Pieces,” “Got A Feeling,” “Black” and ended with “Splinter” and “Face to Face.”

An interesting fact for those who weren’t in the photo pit was that Witherspoon had the printed lyrics for the bluesy “Got A Feeling” taped to the stage. This song pulls away from the powerful crunch of earlier Sevendust songs and calls out to a reverence for religion with its lines “He saved my soul with gratitude and gave his life, yes he did. And God really knows us all.”

If you didn’t get a chance to see such an inspiring—both visually and aurally—lineup and Tabernacle last night, make plans to check these bands out individually next time they roll through.

Sevendust:

Lacuna Coil:

Stolen Babies:

Although they might be a square peg in a round hole, Stolen Babies may just fit somewhere within this heavily hyphenated description: Quirky-Prog Pop-Art Rock-Avant Garde-Cabaret Metal-Horror Punk-tinged with Industrial, Goth and Dark Wave.

The band’s mythology began back in 1997 when Dominique Lenore Persi, the Sharones and keyboardist Ben Rico were part of a 12-member-strong ensemble called the Fratellis. The group garnered a reputation in the Los Angeles area for productions that included puppets, performance art and a stellar level of musicianship.

Rani Sharone’s and Persi’s keen interest in special effects, animation and ’80s fantasy films helped inform the band’s aesthetic. Rani had a stint as a machinist at the legendary shop Chiodos Bros., working with stop-motion animation and armatures on installations at Disneyland, as well as major motion pictures (“Team America”), while finding time to design props for the Fratellis’ live shows. Persi became versed in the realm of theatrical makeup, working at SOTA FX and bringing those visual techniques into both the Fratellis and Stolen Babies.

Naught (out on No Comment Records) shows a retooling of the Babies’ vision, influenced by all of their individual experiences during their break while raising the level of the group’s virtuosity.

Producer Ulrich Wild gave Naught a greater sense of clarity, allowing many of the subtleties (especially Rani’s genre-hopscotching and Persi’s come-hither-so-I-may-stab-you delivery) to shine like halogen searchlights across a night sky.

STOLEN BABIES is:

Dominique Lenore Persi – Lead Vocals/Accordion

Rani Sharone – Bass/Vocals

Gil Sharone – Drums

Davey Oberlin – Guitar (touring member)

Bassist / vocalist Rani Sharone answered our 5GB Interview questions to promote the Tabernacle show April 24, where Stolen Babies open for Coal Chamber and Sevendust.

What’s the first gig you ever attended?

Lollapalooza ’93 was the first “real” gig I ever went to. My brother, Gil, and I were pretty sheltered so never got a chance to see some of our favorite bands play in town at the Palace or Palladium so when most of them, ie. FISHBONE, PRIMUS, TOOL, ALICE IN CHAINS, were on one bill we knew we weren’t going to miss that show. Having never had a club going experience and being dropped off by our parents at Santa Fe Dam was pretty overwhelming. I remember thinking uhhhhhh there’s just way too many people here, but that day pretty much solidified that being in a rock band is what we wanted to do with our lives. 

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?

So many variables contribute to a best gig. Everything from the band’s energy and performance, to the sound on/off stage, lighting, crowd, venue, overall vibe and feeling in the room, etc. To me it’s when all those variables alchemically align and create magic. With that said a couple shows stick out. Playing Mera Luna Festival 2010 in Germany is among my top 3 for sure. It was our first massive festival experience and shared the main stage with the Sisters of Mercy, Laibach and Nitzer Ebb. The other best gig that sticks out to me is on the opposite side of the large scale show spectrum. After our hiatus we booked a two week northwest run last year to test drive our new material and to get back out there. With little or no expectations we played a show in Colorado that sold out and was very surreal. The crowd would sing so loud they pretty much drowned out the band! After that night we knew people really missed us and were paying attention to us, so that was a nice kick in the ass for us to keep going!

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

It’s a tie between Oingo Boingo’s Halloween ’95 Farewell concert at the Universal Amphitheater and Mr. Bungle at the Palace in Hollywood in ’95. 

Gig you would most like to play?

Some kind of show at Disneyland would be nice, preferably inside the Haunted Mansion. 

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

Stolen Babies opening for the one and only “WYLD STALLYNS” featuring Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted “Theodore” Logan!