Cassandra Violet mesmerizes The Satellite with stunning vocals, funky loops and sass

Donning a vibrant colored dress, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, Cassandra Violet took the stage at The Satellite this past Tuesday, ready to charm fans with her enchanting vocals. As noted in our Hot Band Alert feature spotlighting Cassandra, by day, she’s a high school English/theater teacher in East L.A.—and a coaxing, songstress by night. Her vocal prowess and personal lyrics tend to leave quite the lasting affect on anyone that witnesses her live.

At The Satellite she was a radiant siren. Before spellbinding us with her music, she took a deep breath on stage and then proceeded to deliver her gift.

What’s great about Cassandra (aside from her obvious incredible voice), she creates her own loops. One song in particular was attention-grabbing. It was a song clearly about a breakup, with the lyrics “getting over you.” She sang it as though she was drunk, and I mean that in the best possible way. Her lackadaisical tendencies, gave the effect that she was trying to portray a woman who was broken; broken-hearted—yet trying to be tough in her words—but she was obviously broken. It was somewhat theatrical.

Cassandra has an infectious personality on stage. An endearing sass and confident attitude definitely shines through her music and lyrics. She reminds me a bit of Florence and The Machine—and in with her darker songs—she has similarities with Lana Del Rey.

She performed a song called “Boomerang,” and she felt the need to describe to the crowd what a boomerang was. I’m not quite sure if she was being serious or facetious, but the crowd just played along. It must be the teacher in her explaining things to others.

Sprinkling dark tones of music over more playful vibes, Cassandra seamlessly gave us the best of both worlds. She had us mesmerized with her darker emotive songs that revealed personal stories, but she also flipped the switch driving a more upbeat atmosphere. She got a little crafty with her loops. On the last song she pulled out a glass jar, drum stick, and tambourine to make a variety of unique sounds. She even quickly ran to the drum kit to hit the bass drum for a beat in her loop. It was pretty awesome.

Cassandra Violet is an aural delight both on stage and throughout her recordings. In a couple months Cassandra will release here new EP Body & Mind, and if its anything like her “Lady” single that we just premiered, there’s a bright future ahead for this budding songbird.

Cassandra Violet is scheduled to perform on Saturday, August 15 at Echo Park Rising.

Words & Photos: Wes Marsala