SORAIA / CHASER EIGHT / HAUNTING TITANS – CAFE 9
By Ralph Beauchamp
On Thursday, October 8th, Cafe 9 hosted a triplet of female fronted artists. Philadelphia’s own Soraia headlined with New Haven stalwarts Chaser Eight and Haunting Titans brought in for support.
The evening started with the truly entertaining Haunting Titans who brought their singular brand of psychedelic rock to the forefront. Actually, I really shouldn’t label them with a specific genre as their music offers a delightful mix of many flavors. Lead vocalist Sarah Murphy is a true treasure as her voice is so impressive. She has an amazing range and intoxicating vigor. She can easily swing from funk and swampy blues to the pure elation of rock.
Photos Mark Turek
Her bandmates are just as talented. Haunting Titan’s guitarist, Johnny Bojanowski has a majestic fluidity to his playing while bassist Luke Lantagne holds down the bottom end with aplomb. Adam Slim on drums was confident and totally on-beat. In addition, their stage presence was top notch. Murphy enthralled the entire audience with her unique stage banter.
This evening, Haunting Titans brought a special flair. Their set was fun and lively. The songs floated throughout the venue. Some tunes were funky and some were full of brazen inflections. “Hey Girl” seemed to be the highlight of their performance. It definitely was a fan favorite. “Glitter On” hit just right. Haunting Titan was a perfect opener.
Chaser Eight is a mainstay in the New Haven scene. Their blend of crisp rock and strong songwriting always slays. Frontwoman AUDRA is a consummate entertainer and her vocals are heartfelt and huge. Her guitar fills in well with lead guitarist Mike Cocco who with his flamboyant outfit was a brazen image. He also stood on a spinning platform which was really cool. Bassist Brennan DiLernia held the verve while drummer Chris Sienna was voracious.
Photos Mark Turek
This evening Chaser Eight came to play. Every song had a fierce demeanor and their set never let up. Their first few songs had an Alice in Wonderland theme with “This Masquerade” and “Alice” running into the Jefferson Airplane big hit “White Rabbit”. AUDRA used a megaphone on “Playing With Fire” which commanded an interesting feel. “The Bell Jar” and “The Trooper” received good receptions. Chaser Eight closed out with a intense version of “Sinners and Saints”.
When Soraia hit the stage, Cafe 9 felt electric. Soraia is a Philadelphia based rock band whose sound fuses the raw energy of garage rock and punk with soulful melodies and slices of alternative. Led by powerhouse lead vocalist, Zou Zou Mansour, the band dishes out gritty vocals, imposing guitar riffs and hammering rhythms. Soraia is a band that leaves nothing to the imagination. Every song is aggressively zealous and in your face.
Soraia looked a little different tonight. The group is composed of Zou Zou, drummer Brianna Sig and bassist Travis Smith. Travis couldn’t make this tour but his replacement, Christina Madcap was excellent. Besides her spicy bass lines, she had this ruthless swagger and panache. Also, touring guitarist Robin Shakedown played like she was possessed. Her riffs and solos were absolutely intrepid. Sig’s drums carried enormous weight and substance.
Soraia is signed to Little Steven’s (Steven Van Zandt) record label Wicked Cool Records and have been championed on his Sirius XM radio channel, Underground Garage. In fact, their song “Love Like Voodoo” received the Underground Garage distinction of “Coolest Song in the World”.
Photos Mark Turek
The set began with “So Holy” and right from the start, Zou Zou was on fire. She is a spellbinding performer. She easily draws you in with her incendiary presence. Zou Zou holds nothing back. She is charismatic and full of hellbent drive. “The Witch” and “Monster” came next and Soraia was hitting on all cylinders. The audience went ballistic. Every song packed a punch.
All the while, Zou Zou had the crowd mesmerized. “I Seek fire” and “Have Love Will Travel” came off well. A couple of new songs, “Limelight” and “La Belgique” also had the room elevated. Soraia ended with a majestic surge. “Jokers, Thieves and Liars” and final song, “Monsoon Liberado” set the house ablaze.
Cafe 9 offered us a night of pure passion and unmitigated fervor. All three bands surrendered sets full of abandonment and wonder. We all left with remarkable memories and all things considered, a well spent Thursday night.
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awesome review! Love these girls.