OWL At The Whisky A Go Go July 21, 2015
When I received the offer to cover the band Owl at The Whisky I was more than elated. I knew this was Chris Wyse' band (former bass player of The Cult). I had not been exposed to his new project and had no idea what to expect. The last time I saw Chris play was with The Cult in 2013 at The House Of Blues. I was instantly drawn to his style and presense on stage, so I was really looking forward to the show.
Chris is known for his eclectic experimentation in the rock and roll world and some of his past musical collaborations include Ace Frehley, Ozzy Osbourne, Mick Jagger and Jerry Cantrell. It was a Tuesday night and Owl had quite the competition on the bill with Siren Call, Meade Ave, Chemical Burn and Philm headlining at The Whisky A Go Go. The venue was about half full until Chris, Dan Dinsmore (drums) and Jason Achilles Mezilis (guitar) hit the stage, now the house was suddenly packed. Everyone pushed forward with cameras and cell phones as Chris grabbed the mic said hello and flashed a confident smile. I knew right then we were in for a treat.
Their music executed combinations of Rock and Metal that sucked us in like a tornado not letting up for the entire set. I felt a dark esoterical nuance in "The Right Thing" as Chris sings "you can't trust yourself, you've been over lied, are you doing the right thing?" and then he belts out screeches similar to an owls. This sent chills up my neck and still does when I listen to this song. In "Pusher" Chris brings out some unusual sounds with his mystical looking upright bass and combined with Dinsmore's tribal drumming beats, then coupled with Jason's metal/grunge guitar riffs and solo, you will find yourself thrashing back and forth.
Owl's music will wake you, shake you and leave you wondering just how they manage to deliver so many layers as a three piece. These seasoned musicians are tight, in the pocket playing off each other and pushing to the outer limits. Their sound is unique and enhanced with Chris' electric upright bass. Watching him dissect, compose and deliver precision on each note as he uses a bow to manipulate his sound... I can't say that I have ever seen this approach before.
Owl played a short set of 7 songs in total including new songs from their upcoming EP Things You Can't See. They have 2 previous releases; self titled Owl from 2009 and The Right Thing from 2013. I hadn't listened to either one, but I can tell you that I feel a movement within this new album. Something new, unique, mystically heavy that has left me craving more. I know that this cd will undoubtly be in my musical collection and should be in yours.
Check out our photo gallery from this show on our PHOTOS page.