Thursday, September 29, 2011

Kitten: 'Cute Pet' or 'Your New Favorite Band'?


Answer: Both!

The very same day that we traveled to the interior decorating mecca, IKEA, we also visited a classy establishment, the Mad Hatter, in Covington, KY to enjoy some good old-fashioned rocking and rolling. The main event, which was the point of our attendance, was the dance-rock outfit, Electric Six. Always a good show, they did not disappoint and left us sweaty with ears ringing by the end of the evening.

However amazing they were, the true surprise of the evening, in my book, was the night's second opening act: Kitten. The Los Angeles quintet literally brought us from sitting on a couple of bar stools at the back of the room to dancing our hearts out at the edge of the stage. Prowling around atop the guitar cabinets, writhing on the floor tangled in the mic cables, and keeping time on her chest with a tambourine: the true magic of the evening was provided by the sixteen-year's-young front-woman, Chloe Chaidez. She sang with the expression and control of someone twice her age, using every aspect of her voice from a raw breathiness to a clear soprano and everything in between. I consider myself a music person, having a degree in music and also having attended innumerable concerts, but this was one of the few times in my life that I was completely floored (in a good way) by an opening act. Every member of the band was spot on. Drummer Lukas Frank kept perfect time throughout the performance, truly driving the band's whole set along with surprising precision and detail. In addition, the sonic heart of the group, Andy Miller, provided flowing chords and delicate picking on guitar while Chris Vogel pulled the music along with intricate bass lines. The finishing touches were provided by Josh Holiday, who added subtle keyboard harmonies and chords that really filled out the band's sound, making Kitten truly take over the room. I stand by what I said to those around me during the show: keep your eye on Kitten, they are the next big thing and will be, without a doubt, playing next year's summer festival circuit.

Kitten at The Mad Hatter in Covington, KY 9/18/11


2 comments:

  1. I listened to a couple of songs on their website... good stuff! I was thinking that they sort of reminded me of the Smiths, and then I saw that they did a Smiths cover!

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  2. Well done sir... lol... good ear!

    ReplyDelete