LOS ANGELES, CA- Prior to taking the stage at the Teragram Ballroom for their biggest performance to date, Smoke Season teased their fans on social media that it would be “the most exciting LA show [they’ve] ever played”. Considering that their live performances are already pretty lit, it was hard for me to fathom what they could do to enhance their stage presentation even more. All I can say is, “Wow.” They exceeded all my expectations and took it to a whole other level.
Gabby Bianco and Jason Rosen are absolutely well equipped to entertain as a duo. Gabby, in particularly, has always been able to captivate an audience with her dynamic stage presence while manning synths and managing pre-recorded musical elements with Jason, always on point, matching her energy note for note on the guitars.
But this performance had … and was… something extra. Not only did they enlist the aide of live drummer (which they actually do quite often), but they also had an extra guitarist, a three piece horn section, a trio of back ground singers for select songs and a dance troupe who took the stage for a selection and carried Gabby off stage at the song’s conclusion.
The additional musicians, and the unanticipated theatricality of the dance troupe, gave Smoke Season’s live performance another dimension that was an absolute pleasure to watch/hear. It should go without saying that musically speaking their sonics were so much more robust in this instance. The addition of the horn trio in particular gave their newer cuts a real organic vibe that totally suited the music’s groove. If you missed out on this performance, you missed out on seeing a band turn the knob of its live show from 10 to 11.
With a new album up their sleeves, it would seem that all we can do now is wait for Smoke Season to drop that gem before they announce more live gigs. I can’t wait to see what they’ve got up sleeves.
Follow Smoke Season on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
**********************
LIVE CLIPS
