Show Review: Com Truise
Sad you missed Com Truise's incredible perfomance last month at The Regent? Don’t be sad; get prepared for next opportunity to see Com Truise, or his openers Clark and Tamara Sky through this review. Please be forewarned that this is my first time reviewing a solely electronic or DJ filled show so I apologize if I don’t have all the jargon down. I brought my friend, who for the purposes of his privacy, I will call Fred, to try and double our knowledge. While he proved to be just as competent as I was in this genre, our lack of vocab did not stop us from enjoying and embracing a great night of performances by these three unique artists
Tamara Sky started off the night with a slower tempo as the crowd began to trickle in. The lighting engineer matched her laid back vibes with some gentle lighting changes. Before the crowd got too thick, Fred and I made our way upstairs; if you haven’t been upstairs in the Regent, I highly recommend taking a gander. There are benches up there in case you get tired in the middle of the show and you get a great view of the stage and crowd, as well as a bar. Interestingly, the women’s bathroom was plastered with a collage of Playboy and Centerfold covers- just goes to show you that nothing is safe from society’s standards of beauty. As her set progressed, Tamara Sky picked up the pace and layered her heavy beats with some ethereal voices that whispered sweet nothings to the crowd, creating a sound that Fred felt was rather “spooky.” The lighting complemented this with more intricate arrangements that were a lot of fun to watch. Despite the chill, dark vibes, a couple of kids showed up ready to rave. Although the crowd was stagnating throughout the evening, one kid started gloving and admirably continued for the rest of the night, a true hero.
The deep sound continued as Clark came on with a bass that really made me glad that I had brought my earplugs. In his bio on the page he states “Music is a sculpture...” And certainly, his music is a sculpture. His set started and ended with the eerie chanting of young voices singing, “We are your ancestors.” The choir acted as the bookends for a meticulously planned performance. His set was accompanied by two dancers that were pulling some moves so abrupt, it’s a wonder that they didn’t get whiplash. Their eclectic ballet continued as they donned the persona of a winged creature and Clark improvised on his synth. The crowd was the stillest during this performance. At the end of the set you could tell that he was a crowd favorite from the enthusiastic applause and the fans yelling “Claaaaark duuude!”
Com Truise was a totally different change from the first two acts. He traded in the moody bass for some shimmering highs and an 80s flavor. While Clark was more of an experience to be observed and analyzed, Com Truise’s was one to be danced to, grooved, and felt. Much to my surprise, the most movement I saw was some enthusiastic head bobs. Throughout his set, Com would stop the music for a brief “Helllooo Los Angeles,” or a roommate shout out accompanied by a Seth Rogenesque chuckle. His visuals complimented his sound with some pastels and neons; Com seemed to be very “into polygons,” per Fred’s observation. The crowd continued to warm up to the idea of dancing as Com continued to bump the tunes and the lighting tech slowly pulled more and more stunts, culminating in a blinding encore for the roaring crowd.
On the attempted metro ride back which turns out, the only thing rolling on the train was the chatty concert goer sitting across from us- word of the wise, the metro stops at 1 am. After the show, I contemplated the cohesiveness of the lineup. While it was unfortunate that the crowd was less than lively for the headliner, who seems would attract a more energetic following, I thoroughly enjoyed the variety. There is a lot to be gained from intermingling one scene to another and introducing one artist’s fans to another facet of electronic music that they may also be into. All in all, it seems as if each artist had its own set of fans that packed the theater, making it a successful evening for all.
CARLY SABICER, DJ
A MORE ICONIC DUO, TUESDAYS 8:00 A.M-9:00 A.M
PHOTO BY BRIAN KILLIAN: BILLBOARD