There are few times when I am truly impressed by a band’s performance. Experiencing XEO3’s set was one of those times. I caught them at the Whisky, where the likes of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Robert Plant have graced the stage.
If I had to compare them to any musicians I would say they sound like an orgy of Portishead, Bjork, 12 Rounds and Tweaker. Persia White’s stage presence rivals that of PJ Harvey with a voice to match. If that name sounds familiar that’s because it is the same Persia White of TV’s Girlfriends. Don’t let that distract you though; she’s got as much ferociousness in her than any of today’s stage-stealing ladies. Rounding off the band are Roy Gnan on electro-drums, keys and programming, Russell Ali on live guitars, and Glen Sobel on live drums. All of which are some of the most talented musicians I’ve seen.
As the lights dimmed and the crowed cheered, the boys made there way to the stage setting the mood with some loops and percussion. Roy began playing this harp/xylophone-type instrument that sort of made you feel like you were in an Egyptian hall within Wonderland. It was eerie, yet you felt like you were in a painfully erotic fairytale. The ambiance was serene, but somehow I got this feeling of “the shit will hit the fan” once they really get going; and that it did.
They started off with “Space Between” and “Riptide”. Both are very solid songs, but when “Hologram” started, I was immediately hooked. The bass was deafening and I felt my chest heave with exhaustion. You know that feeling you get when you can’t breathe? Oh yeah. “Fuck You” sounded like it wanted to be an anthem-type song, but it sounded more like a cry of anger. In my opinion, that’s a good thing. My favorite song of the night definitely had to be “Pandora”. It had a nice high-hat beat with just enough bass to get you through the night. I guess you could call it a fully satisfying song. Ending the night with “Strange Fruit”, “Marry Me”, and “Numb” I can definitely say they are some kind of force to be reckoned with.
Now I’m not sure if the fans where there simply because they wanted to see and meet Persia, but I was there for the music. Everyone was roaring and clapping furiously after every song. That’s something that I can totally agree with. Usually after the really good songs people clap and cheer. After every song XEO3 performed, there was a sudden crash of applause that was well deserved. Some of the songs might sound the same, but only in their unique way can the band get away with that. They put all their emotion into their performance and it shows. You hear the first beat and you bob your head. You see Persia blast out those vocals and all you can think is, “Damn! Do it again!” I seriously can't wait for another night with XEO3. You can contact them through their website: www.xeo3music.com Or on MySpace: myspace.com/xeo3
