ZapTown

[Article By Danielle Look]

Verona Red
Melody Inn (Indianapolis)
Friday January 8, 2010
Link: http://veronaredblog.blogspot.com/

Without warning or an introduction, sound check was over and the first notes were blasted. The sound slapped faces across The Melody Inn quicker than a sucker punch to the cheekbone. With the bar’s full attention, Verona Red delivered a rousing performance of “Warm Bloody Syndrome”, a saloon-style rock song. Before it concluded, lead guitarist Tony Focht and lead vocalist/supporting guitarist Chris Balzer both fell to the floor in a doubly pleasing display of guitar annihilation. Immediately transitioning to “In The Coat Check”, Balzer continued his captivating on-stage antics; first by scaling Mike Panagakis’ base drum for use as a platform, followed by an additional drop to the knees to support another wicked guitar solo.

Musically, Verona Red is a hodgepodge of characteristics from genres across the board. Fast tempos and heavy drums make nods to punk rock. Balzer’s deep, swing-style vocals hold a striking likeness to Murder By Death singer Adam Turla. Occasional use of a synthesizer generates a spacey, abstract feel (see: All We Ever Had). The placement of a microphone in front of all four members (something rarely seen in rock bands), provides continuous lyrical texture. Together, these combined forces create a dark, yet uplifting, bluesy sound that is both nostalgic and cutting-edge.

Continuing to play from their debut full-length Side Effects, “After All” and “Marjorie” pulled fans to the dance floor. Feeding off the crowd energy, Balzer returned to his perch atop the bass drum, Focht jumped up and down vigorously on the off beats, and bassist John Bottrell faced Panagakis in intense moments of driving rhythm. Recognizing the power of a well-translated cover song, the band gave the gift of John Lee Hooker in an unlikely rendition of “Boom Boom”. Balzer and Focht’s knees met the floor once again as they worked their guitar strings with emotional fury.

The highlight of Verona Red’s performance was easily “No Way Home”, an obscure experimental side track that was (unfortunately) not included on Side Effects. Balzer warned the audience, “You guys wanna do something weird?” as he and Focht put down their guitars in lieu of keys and a conga drum respectively. Panagakis led the song with a tribal-like cadence, complimented by Bottrell’s pounding bass line. Freed from a dance-restrictive guitar, Balzer seductively shook his hips in circles as he wailed into the microphone. The song was surprisingly long, refreshingly avant-garde, and admirably outside of the box.

Additional highlights included “Long Neck Deep Curves” with a special appearance by Indianapolis super-fan Kris Murphy on harmonica and an encore performance of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”. “Well, fuck us if we don’t play one more,” exclaimed Balzer in response to the audience demand for a final song.

Chicago-based Verona Red returns to Indianapolis on Saturday March 6th to shake The Vollrath with local indie-rockers Spare Time Killer. Expect to witness a grossly satisfying night of live music that’s sure to be high in energy, talent, and pure entertainment.