SHOW REVIEW: THE VOIDZ W/ NO AGE @ THE WILTERN

Photo credit: Hannah Kovensky

As a novice to the post-Strokes Julian Casablancas group, The Voidz, I was shocked to discover that upon entering The Wiltern on quite possibly the rainiest day of LA history, that the line to enter the venue wrapped allllll the way not one, but two blocks. I had anticipated fandom, yet not of this caliber. Thankfully the privilege of our KXSC connect allowed Hannah Kovensky and I to bypass the wait in which event staff were doubling down, herding young fans amidst the rain and muck.

Show opener Promiseland set things off to a relatively absurd swing of things. Donning hair metal band hair and what appeared to be technicolor moto pants, it was difficult to know what to expect. He performed somewhat of a spoken word/stream of consciousness in the tone of British punker (or perhaps New Zealander punk, as that is where he hails from.) This sort of talk-singing occurred alongside deep industrial beats. It was ironic to see just one man on stage, and at that only one man on a stage that was crowded with the instruments and gear of the coming acts. However our performer seemingly did not care as he ran and jumped about, even breaking the fourth wall and running through the audience a few times. One of this antics placed him just feet in front of me, jumping on a high-stool table which I thought was sure to fall, but alas he bounced off gracefully.

Following this delightfully bizarre cross-section of art and performance was No Age, which having been more familiar with their body of work, I looked forward to seeing. While their music felt technically good, I was a bit disappointed by their lack of movement (they stayed rather stationary at their instruments as they played.) Having just come off the high energy of Promiseland, I was expecting this to continue. However, it seems as if it did not transfer. One thing of note which I was unaware of before was that between the two of them--drummer & lead guitarist--that that drummer appeared to be contributing to lead vocals. A fascinating mix up in the traditional band dynamic.

And then finally, the event which so many souls had braved the wind and rain for, The Voidz. Perhaps as an outsider looking in, I felt a bit confused by the Strokes link and this subsequent performance. I was expecting some of that beat-boppy 2010s indie music, and instead heard something more in line with proto-metal. It was interesting yet idiosyncratic nonetheless. Julian appeared bent over and slurred much of the time, an effect of performance pre-gaming no doubt. And so while much of his performance seemed to beckon a sort of strung-out Lou Reed vibe, the band was ready to take the sound full metal. Perhaps a different venue might have impacted my viewing performance because rather than an open floor general admission, there were various viewing levels which I believe inhibited the experience of the last performance.

Overall, I got to see some really interesting acts (i.e. Promiseland) and was not forced to brave the elements, so I would consider myself KXSC #blessed. Rate: 7/10

— Violet Ames, DJ