REVIEW: Kolars, Calliope Musicals @ The Middle East 04/17
By Isabela Rocha
On April 17th, the Los Angeles band Kolars played Upstairs at the Middle East Club. Their show was opened by the charismatic Calliope Musicals.
In a trippy, shinny stage, the Calliope Musicals opened the Wednesday night with a lot of energy and joy. Their creative music, combines a very upbeat kind of rock with special sounds – such as xylophone notes, sweet keyboard sounds, and outer space sound effects — creating a very fun and playful vibe.
Faces, poses, and the colorful background decor, with LED lights, projections of lollipops, aliens, and polar bear backup dancers, really added to the performance, providing the audience with a really good time. Though for a modest crowd, the Calliope Musicals opened the night gratefully, creating a really fun and happy atmosphere.
“Kolars are coming up next, so get excited,” said Carrie Fussell, the band’s singer, as they left the stage.
Though not bringing anything new in terms of music style, the Kolars are a very energetic and interactive band.
Their sound, a mix of a generic drums and guitar, is very common to the ears, as if it had been heard before. However, the band is great in terms of performance. Their daunting clothing style — which uses a lot of glitter — combined with a considerable engagement with the audience built a rather entertaining presentation.
What is great to watch is the way by which the band’s drummer, Lauren Brown, builds up the beat. A “tap dancing drummer,” Brown plays the drums while tap-dancing on a round wooden step, the sound of her shoes being part of the music.
Kolars’ sound might not be the most innovative one, but the way the artists move on stage shows their passion for their work. With faces and poses, Lauren Brown and Rob Kolar play with great energy from the first to the last song; just by watching you can tell they are having fun and enjoying their time on stage, and that is beautiful.
The Kolars will be on the road for a while, playing with other great openers such as Calliope Musicals, who also have a tour of their own.