Live Review and Live Photos by Robert Cavuoto
Twitter : @RobertCavuoto
On an otherwise sleepy Wednesday evening in Upstate New York, two kickass bands, John 5 and The Creatures with The Haxans brought their ghoulish party to The Chance Theater to raise the dead. This terrific pairing of tourmates begs the question, “Why haven’t they toured together sooner?”
If you are not familiar with The Haxans, the duo is comprised of Matt “Count D” Montgomery [guitar/vocals], who is famously known as the bassist for Rob Zombie’s band, and Ashley Costello [vocals] of the band New Year’s Day!
With their 2017 Party Monster album under their belt, a new studio album, Dead and Restless, coming out October 7th, and a covers album to follow, the band had a significant amount of material to pull from for their 40-minute show. A tease of sorts for hopefully some headlining future shows.
The success of The Haxans live show focuses on two key elements, the interplay between Count D and Ashley and making two people sound like an army. During the show, there were countless moments where the two were in a zone performing as if no one was in the room. Their chemistry is nothing short of electric, which is understandably why they joined forces! Many songs of the ten songs played were from their Party Monster album, which elegantly marries pop and rock with a hint of techno to form a perfect sugary rock mix. That sentiment also held true for their fun and energetic-themed show.
Opting to use pre-recorded drum tracks, the duo kicked off the show with “Lights Out.” Count D provided all the guitar playing and backing vocals allowing Ashley to soar sonically. Ashley’s hypnotizing voice filled the theater with power and emotion. She has a fierce vocal style which was best demonstrated in the gut-wrenching songs “Young Blood,” “Black Cat Bone,” and “Dirty Magic.” Mid-set the duo slowed things down for their newest single, a darker and broodier song off their upcoming release, “All the Roses.” Their voices blended nicely throughout the night, giving the songs a deep and dynamic range. Count D even took lead vocals on a haunting version of the Eagles’ cover, “Witchy Woman.” He held down the fort flawlessly with his guitar playing all night. Count D is a multi-dimensional player with an expansive sonic palette working his pedalboard to incorporate all the guitar flair for the band’s upbeat airtight rocking riffs, which is the band’s hallmark sound.
Before the show, I asked Count D how this tour with John 5 finally came about, and he replied, “It takes an act of God and Congress! It’s been a long time coming [laughing]. We always thought it would be a good idea. John and I get along well and can survive under unusual conditions [laughing]. Right now, Ashley and I are a small footprint; it’s just us as a two-person show. We are all cut from the same cloth as we are nerds. It’s a cool environment. In our heads, it all works already, and we will see when boots are on the ground.”
With their entertaining ghoulish appeal, the brother and sister duo are an explosive force of talent. The Chance Theater was loud and the crowd stayed on its feet for the entire show having a monster of a party. Check this tour out with John 5 and The Creatures and The Haxans; you have nothing to lose but your mind!
To purchase tickets to their shows, visit https://www.partymonsterclub.com/the-haxans-tour-dates
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