Drab Majesty and More Bring Goth to Sunnyvale

A sold out show on Saturday night in Brooklyn showcased acts that have started to sprout from the underground world and others that are dominating their respective genres. All black was the dress attire when Drab Majesty (Neo-Goth from California), Kontravoid (Ex-Crystal Castles, Parallels), and Bernard Herman (NYC Darkwave) took the stage at the Sunnyvale venue.

As the clock struck 9PM Bernard Herman took the stage dressed in all black, with a cloak and studded bracelets on. The stage was very dimly lit, making Bernard the equivalent of a silhouette. The set carried a very slow pace that pieced together dark vocals, synth patterns, and heavily programmed drums. Around halfway through their set a Dragicon candle was lit and the musician exclaimed, “plastic flowers never die” and played a minimalist song dedicated to the dark world that we are currently living in as a whole. Smoke lingered on the stage and Herman exited the stage.

Rippling synths began to fill the room and what happened next was something that was out of the world. Cameron Findlay (Ex-drummer of Crystal Castles) rushed the stage with his Witchhouse infused dance act, Kontravoid. Strobe lights and smoke filled the room and the performance never lost any of its energy. The feeling could be described as a jaded –with Cameron jumping in and out of the strobes in slow motion combining heavy drum patterns and screams into an energy packed show.

Lingering the stage dressed in all white it was obvious that Drab Majesty was going to be bringing a special show to Brooklyn from Los Angeles. The band did a quick dress change after setting up the gear. First the keyboard player, Mona D, walked on the stage with a silver painted face, space-age glasses, and white cloak. The crowd cheered and then Deb Demure came onto the stage with a bundle of burning stage and identical outfit. No words were uttered as Mona played chords and Deb cleansed the room. Suddenly the stage turned black and then back to light, and the group played “Induction” off of their latest album The Demonstration. The album and group in general will be perfect for anyone searching for modern goth-wave. From start to finish it’s hard to find a better band doing it than Drab Majesty. After inducing a string of songs a light glimmered off of Deb’s chest. The singer was wearing a necklace with a light on it – something similar to what miners would wear on their helmets. The light beamed onto the audience and took them into an experience unlike no other. The band cruised through the rest of their set list and suddenly ended their performance after thanking the audience. Most of the crowd stuck around thinking they would return, but that was the end and left many speechless. It only made sense for the medium of mystery to remain and felt completely appropriate. Drab Majesty is definitely not a group to skip out on if they are playing at a city near you.