Revel Hotel @ Wierd

A scintillating showing by hybrid cabaret synth rockers Revel Hotel reminded me just what new music can be. Frontman/pianist Johnny Quinlan, bassist/synth player/theremin master Frankie Teardrop, drummer Barrett Hiatt and new guitarist Robert Tahija coalesced to create an evening of high drama without any pretense. From start to finish it was riveting, inspiring, and full of feeling. A tremulous (and ominous) synth line began the set, and right away I found there were many new elements to absorb. Even though I had seen the band in previous incarnations,  something entirely new has come to fruition since then. One of my favorites, "Drink the Pain," was introduced jokingly by Quinlan as an ode to alcohol, but there was a certain dark, redemptive soul sucking melancholy within the melody that made it one of the most bittersweet tunes of the night. Quinlan's lyrics, from what I can make out, are never trite or obvious but rather dark and smart, which is even evident in titles such as "Terminission" or "Sheep in Wolves' Clothing."


Teardrop's standout performance must be mentioned as well: he wielded the spacey oscillations of his theremin solo with a control both convulsive and focused. It was quite impressive, as was Quinlan's powerful vocal bravado, which had little need for amplification. And while there are, of course, touchstones in the past with hints of Peter Murphy's solo work, the dark electronic aura of Violator, Marc Almond's erotic torch singing, and the fragility of chromatic piano offset by aggressive guitars as found in classic Nine Inch Nails, there is no anxiety of influence. All of these elements are part of the sinewy sonic bricolage Revel Hotel weave so adroitly. So when the synth line from the beginning returned to close out the performance, I was a little crushed, yet somehow reinvigorated by this new aural synthesis. Revel Hotel's debut album, currently in the mixing process, cannot come out too soon. I am certainly not the only one from the crowd last night who will be waiting with baited breath until then...

(Photo by Ms. Natalie Kocsis.)