Bootleg Theater was at capacity last Saturday, May 8, 2010. There were a lot of people waiting in line that unfortunately did not make it in. For a band on the bill of some of the biggest summer music festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, a sold-out show sounds about right.
The ladies of Warpaint remind me of sirens straight out of a Greek myth. The enormous amount of reverb on the vocals creates a dark haunting sound that hypnotizes the audience pulling them in closer. Honestly, looking into the first three rows of mostly males peppered in with a few girls here and there, I could see all of them with their eyes closed swaying back and forth as if under a spell to the song “Warpaint.” I’m starting to think there are some subliminal messages being sampled quietly in the mix.
The audience went from hypnotized to full dance bounce to the lighter more poppy songs, “Beetles” and “Polly.” Stella, the damn amazing drummer is my favorite band member and possibly favorite drummer of all time. Where did this lady come from?! She is rad in every sense of the word. I want to be her. Yeah, that’s creepy but I said it and mean it. The patterns she plays are complicated, creative and I can’t take my eyes off her work. Those beats on the high hat are my favorite, and the way she and Jenny the bass player feed off each other is fun to watch. This little drummer girl is like the Bruce Lee of drumming.
All the ladies are talented but she is definitely the star dancing in her seat as she hits. The set ended with the song “Elephants” going into a climatic jam session that makes you feel like you’re just hanging out with them at their rehearsal space. They kick off a tour on May 12th all over the freakin’ place so catch them if you can and get there early or you might not get in at all.
Words: Roxanne H.
Photos: Matt Draper
