Aug 16 

West Hollywood, CA 

The Troubadour 

Private Show 

Review

SHOW REVIEW: DEAD SARA @ THE TROUBADOUR

Rockers start their string of tour dates off right

August 20th, 2012

Christine Perez

When Dead Sara performs, they perform hard and with a purpose.

I was lucky enough to attend a private performance at The Troubadour, with industry professionals in attendance, and witnessed, yet again, the powerful charge that comes from this group when it hits the stage. The strong, soulful vocals of Emily Armstrong, matched by the intricate guitar riffs of Siouxsie Medley, backed by Sean Friday on drums and Chris Null on bass, made for a fantastic evening of rocking out.

The band casually took their spots on stage in an almost neutral and emotionless way, as if to avoid unleashing the energy prematurely. They draped on their gear like shields of armor, and the audience members continued to talk amongst themselves, not ready for what was to come. However, as soon as the first chords of the opening song rang out, Dead Sara fiercely took hold of the crowd’s attention and didn’t let go until the bitter end.

Dead Sara’s set flowed in waves, from complete energetic escapism to quiet interludes of reflection. Every word had a reason. Every note the band performed took the audience on a ride through swells of heartbreak, frustration, and release. At one point in the show, Emily flung herself to the floor, presumably in complete exhaustion, and somehow broke the tuning pedals to her guitar — a minor casualty in one one of the most dynamic performances I have witnessed in a while. One audience member’s quiet murmur of “wow” at the end of their performance of the song “Test on My Patience” confirmed Dead Sara’s win over the audience of industry heads and professionals before they closed out the show with the striking hit “Weatherman.”

Dead Sara Tour Dates:

08/23 – Knitting Factory/KQXR show – Boise, ID

08/24 – Knitting Factory/KHTQ show – Spokane, WA

08/30 – On The Waterfront Festival – Rockford, IL *

08/31 – The Fillmore – Detroit, MI *

09/02 – Echo Beach (MCA) – Toronto, ON *

09/06 – House of Blues – Boston, MA #

09/08 – Sands Bethlehem Events Ctr. – Bethlehem, PA #

09/09 – Stone Pony Summer Stage – Asbury Park, NJ #

09/11 – Lupo’s – Providence, RI #

09/14 – Congress Theatre/Riot Fest – Chicago, IL

09/15 – Jiffy Lube Live/DC101 Kerfuffle – Bristow, VA (with The Offspring, Sublime with Rome, Garbage, Anberlin, and Foxy Shazam)

09/15 – The Fillmore/WEND show – Charlotte, NC

09/19 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY #

09/22 – Verizon Wireless – Irvine, CA (Epicenter Festival featuring: Stone Temple Pilots, Deftones, Bush, Scars on Broadway, Chevelle and more)

09/27 – Fillmore Auditorium – Denver, CO #

09/29 – Gallivan Center/X96 Show – Salt Lake City, UT

10/02 – San Jose Event Center – San Jose, CA #

10/07 – Trees/KDGE Show – Dallas, TX

11/10 – London Alexandra Palace – London, UK w/Vans Warped Tour

11/27 – Shiprocked Concert Cruise – Fort Lauderdale, FL

* w/ The Offspring

# w/ The Offspring and Neon Trees

For more info:

Dead Sara website

Concert photos taken by Christine Perez