All Access Magazine has greatly enjoyed presenting a successful run of Saturday-night summertime concerts this year, bringing a broad range of musical talent to Rob Harper’s friendly Bar and Grille in Northridge. The show on July 14th was a freewheeling blend of punchy pop and progressive rock, stirred in with a bundle of hooch-fueled ballads and ska-tinged romps.
Opening the event was Benevolent Tomorrow, a five-piece outfit from Reseda that played a lively brand of modern rock. Juke-joint-pale singer Ben Bensdoun reported that Benevolent Tomorrow used to be a ska cover band, and the rum-tinged Caribbean tones of that genre were evident when the group pranced through a boozy set of songs such as “Bar Fight” and “Beer,” ditties that seemed apt to get the festivities and liquid refreshments flowing. Benevolent Tomorrow’s musicians included Shivan on lead guitar and Joseph Kaufmann on rhythm, plus Vince Chavez on bass and Steven Smith on drums, all contributing to a sound that showed some jazz and southern-rock influences, peppy enough to spur a circle of dancers out on the floor. The boys even got a bit “grungy” towards the end, and always
kept an overall fun-loving feel.
Next up was Dommin, a Los Angeles-based quartet that produced keyboard-infused excursions into something they call “goth ’n’ roll.” Singer/songwriter and guitarist Kristofer Dommin was backed by Billy James on bass, Konstantine on keyboards (playing a new Roland Phantom XA) and Doc on drums. The black-clad band opened with “Dying on the Radio,” which commenced with Konstantine supplying keys and strings and programmed percussion, giving way to busy bar chords from Kristofer that were buttressed by Doc’s basic yet driving beat. On “Trust You With My Heart,” Konstantine displayed a classic bit of showmanship by playing from the “wrong” side of the keyboard. At another point he was down on his knees while he banged away, in the flashy tradition of Jerry Lee Lewis 
and Elton John, even though Konstantine’s fingerwork tended to be a tad more spare and moody than that of his flamboyant peers. Kristofer showed his own theatrical side when he clutched a handful of red roses before beginning “Tonight,” echoing the image on the cover of the band’s latest CD, “Mend Your Misery.” The guitarist played short, slicing leads throughout the set, and with good backing vocals from bassist Billy, Kristofer and the band maintained a good-rocking energy while simultaneously projecting shades of both goth and emo styles.
Neverwonder, a female-fronted So-Cal band, was the third act to take the stage, bringing expertly-crafted indie-alt tunes to life for the house. Master guitarist Flint Mavis sallied through an impressive array of effects and techniques, teamed with a solid rhythm section consisting of brothers Andres “Dre” Ramos on drums and Vincent Ramos on bass. The band’s versatility was evident from the outset, as singer Joy Pearson delivered the poignantly bouncy “I’ll Be Alright” with the both gritty punch of Melissa Etheridge and the squeaky sauce of Gwen Stephanie, prancing in velcro boots and Capri pants while a red thong sneakily peeked over occasionally. Neverwonder displayed a spiritual side on songs such as
“Divided Highways,” while “Father’s Children,” from their self-titled CD, included preliminary editorial commentary from Joy. During “All I Know,” Vincent’s fingers flew through a tight, jazzy break, proving his bass abilities to be a worthy complement to Flint’s fretboard prowess. The pair’s tight teamwork was again highlighted during their jam in Neverwonder’s closing song, a cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” which indeed left the crowd clamoring for “More, more, more!”
The final act for the evening was a powerful progressive crew called Collusion, a six-person project from Glendale, originated and animated by boy-wonder guitarist Xander Snyder. The Cornell-educated musician was surrounded by top talent onstage, including vocalist Melanya Torosyan, drummer Emin Abdalian, keyboardist Layla Habebeh, rhythm guitarist Meher Vartoomian, and eight-string bassist Michel Chitarians. Xander and the band showed themselves to be adept at everything from the most basic blues to the fanciest fusion. After an outstanding set-opener called “Two,” Layla elicited a dramatic synth intro from her Korg keyboard 
as a prelude to Melanya’s soaring operatic vocals and Xander’s intricate picking in “False God.” The set also included an Avenged Sevenfold cover, “Bat Country,” which erupted with roiling drums and rumbling bass, as a warm-up to a killer twin-guitar attack. Collusion kept it up through “Lost” and “Imposssible,” busy with bittersweet keys and striding chords. Xander has stated that his influences include Dream Theater, Sonata Arctica, and Dragonforce, along with guitarists Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, and these threads were evident in the elaborate patterns woven by the talented youngster and his companions. Collusion concluded with a cut called “Trooper,” and the band members all smiled as they tied up what had been a solid evening of good rocking, shared with local rockers Neverwonder, Dommin, and Benevolent Tomorrow at Harper’s Bar & Grille.
