I get the impression that there are more and more woman-fronted bands these days, and, as if females had more to prove than males, they reveal themselves as stunning and passionate front persons, with a bigger-than-the-stage presence. This is the case for the band Queen Caveat and her incomparable frontgirl and singer Lauren Little.
The band was replacing Smoke Season who took a break in their Monday residency at the Echoplex — but they will be back next Monday. A few bands have used the queen title in their moniker and it’s not always a royalty sign, but in the case of Queen Caveat, I would say it was rather a sign of empowerment.
This certainly was a high-energy set, fueled by Little’s powerhouse vocals and sexy presence. She dominated the scene, bounced and re-bounced, kicking the air with her legs, living at the edge of the stage while singing her drama in a theatrical way. She was alternatively ferocious, triumphant and restless, hitting the left side of her chest with her hand, having the energy of one hundred persons at the same time, while bassist Will Weissman and drummer Jesse Magnuson, guitarist Ben Epand were building tensions and momentum in their riotous songs. Their explosive music had a few quiet-poignant moments, but they were always interrupted by the incendiary and bold Lauren Little, not afraid to get carried away by her big voice and grand gestures.
The whole set was an adrenaline-charged bullet sent to the face of the Echoplex crowd, which was cheering up in response, even more when Little appropriately dedicated a song to the great Robin Williams who sadly died the same day. She has already received terrific comparisons, such as Debbie Harry, because of her sexy rebellious blondness and or Joan Jett, because of her punk energy, so this has to be an excellent boost for the young band.
Queen Caveat has been calling the Sunset Strip their home for a while – they had a spot in the 2011 Sunset Strip Music festival at the Roxy – but they are now hitting the east side and this is a good thing! They have already released several EPs, ‘Emptor’, ‘Slap on the Wrist’ ‘Manufactured Happiness’, and have appeared at SXSW in 2011 and 2012. I read that last night was their last LA show for a while, but such passion and energy can’t stay away for very long and I am sure we will see them again soon.
More pictures of the show here (Kiven and New Beat Fund were opening)
