Review & photos by Andrew Bansal
February 5th 2015, Los Globos, Los Angeles CA: 14-string guitar virtuoso Felix Martin has developed a reputation for his talent on the instrument and for blending metal, jazz and other elements together in his compositions. After touring as opening for legends such as Steve Vai and showcasing his skills in guitar-centric events, Felix Martin has embarked on his first ever full US tour. The Los Angeles-based guitarist started out this run with a hometown show at Los Globos last Thursday February 5th, along with touring support act Barishi and local openers Suns Of Orion, for a show put together by the trifecta of Thee Static Age, Church Of The 8th Day and Musicians Institute. Having never seen this guy perform but based on the quality of his 2013 debut effort ‘The Scenic Album’, I was intrigued by this opportunity to finally do so.
The gig began early at 7:30 as Suns Of Orion played a 30-minute set intertwined with progressive metal and comprising lengthy melodic/post metal passages but also the occasional growls that came across with conviction, specially nearer to the end of the set. The band gave it their all and served as an ideal local opening act for this show.
Next up were Barishi, a progressive metal band that had driven all the way from their home state of Vermont to start this tour, and the set they put forth here formed an indelible impression on each and every person inside this venue for any of its duration. The magnitude of their feat multiplies further upon considering the length of their drive, and this being the very first show after that drive. Their brand of progressive extreme metal struck the right chord with the crowd and led by vocalist Sascha Simms, their on-stage energy raised the roof off this building. The vocalist was non-stop in his movements on stage and extended his workspace by occupying portions of the floor in front of it, interacting closely with the audience in the process. At one point he even did a back flip off the stage, which was executed to perfection and instantly took everyone’s breath away. For the music, the back flips and so much more, Barishi is a band everyone must see on this Felix Martin tour.
And lastly, Felix Martin and his two band mates took the stage at 9 PM for a 40-minute set of progressive fusion music punctuated at every bend and corner by virtuosic musicianship. The notes flowed through Felix Martin’s fingers onto the double-neck 14-string instrument at electrifying pace as expected, but equally exciting was his appreciably prominent usage of the slapping technique, the resulting sound at times emanating the feel resembling a tabla rather than a guitar.
Felix Martin’s band mates gelled easily with him and created a strong sonic output, which they will certainly continue to do at even higher levels as this tour goes on. The low end was specially heavy from the combination of the bassist and one half of Martin’s guitar. It’s extremely easy for rock/metal guitar purists to jump on any available opportunity of criticizing players using instruments with more than six strings, but when made full use of, the extra-stringed instruments can indeed make a positive impact on the listener, as is the case with Felix Martin’s compositions and live performance.
Check out full video footage of the show on Arturo Gallegos’ YouTube channel here.
Remaining Tour Dates:
2/12 Vancouver, BC – The Astoria #
2/13 Spokane, WA – The Hop #
2/14 Portland, OR – High Water Mark #
2/15 Bellingham, WA – Shakedown #
2/17 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge #
2/18 Denver, CO – Lost Lake #
2/19 Kansas City, MO – Minibar #
2/20 St. Louis, MO – Fubar #
2/23 Chicago, IL – Reggies #
2/24 Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class #
2/25 Pittsburgh, PA – 31st St. Pub #
2/26 Rochester, NY – Butapub #
2/27 Toronto, ON – Hard Luck #
2/28 Ithaca, NY – Just Be Cause #
3/01 Winooski, VT – Monkey House #
3/02 Boston, MA – O’briens #
3/03 York, PA – The Depot ^
3/04 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery ^
3/05 New York, NY – Saint Vitus ^
3/06 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie ^
3/07 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter ^
3/08 Charlotte, NC – Tremont Music Hall ^
3/10 Atlanta, GA – The Earl ^
3/11 Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern ^
3/14 Orlando, FL – The Haven ^
3/16 New Orleans, LA – Siberia ^
3/17-19 Austin, TX – SXSW
3/20 Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern ^
3/21 Norman, OK – Acropolis
# with Barishi
^ with Stinking Lizaveta & Dyse