By Andrew Bansal
November 11th 2016, Non Plus Ultra, Los Angeles CA: Joining forces with Swedish old-school hard rock group Horisont, Cincinnati OH stoner rock quartet Electric Citizen are in the midst of a three-week US headline run, and visited Los Angeles last Friday, except that the show was moved last-minute from the Teragram Ballroom to a D.I.Y. basement called Non Plus Ultra in the East Hollywood area. Word about this venue change spread quickly enough, and fans of vintage rock n’ roll took upon this new adventure to congregate for what turned out to be an evening of high spirits and great heavy music, perhaps more enjoyable than it would have been as an undersold event at the original venue.
From the advance ticket price of $15 to see this lineup at the Teragram, this was converted to a show totally free of any cover charge before 11 PM and only $5 after, and as a result, more than 50 people attended what Electric Citizen singer Laura Dolan called the band’s best ever gig in the LA area. The setup in this basement-turned concert room had first-timers pleasantly surprised, as the sound system is well put-together for loud, heavy rock, there is no stage but adequate floor space, a two-tier layout, and a wall projection of trippy visuals with little to no other source of light makes for a great vibe to experience these bands live. Besides, there was also a cat resting on a couch, unperturbed by the loud music, not something you typically see at a concert.
In addition to the two main attractions, the show also featured two last-minute additions. Local electronic/hip-hop group LA Poolside played first, and to say that they didn’t fit the rest of the lineup at all would be an understatement, but to be fair, they originally had a 2-hour set booked here for this date, and their show was simply combined with the relocated Electric Citizen gig. Most that were here for the rock show migrated to the smoking patio whilst LA Poolside performed their set.
Next up were Brooklyn NY punk/surf/doom group The Mad Doctors, who did fit the bill and provided the ideal warmup for Horisont and Electric Citizen with their solid musicianship and humorous demeanor. They started by handing out surgical masks and gloves to the audience, and went on to play an enjoyable set that was heavy as well as dynamic.
The biggest turnout of the evening was undoubtedly for Horisont. The quintet from Gothenburg, Sweden was in a zone and on an altitude of their own as they went about presenting their brand of classic hard rock through a delightfully genuine and powerfully whole-hearted performance. Driven by excemplary high-pitched clean singing and soaring guitar-synth harmonies, Horisont’s set was high on melody, harmony and heaviness in equal measures. Their music came across as an ode to the style of UFO, Nazareth, early Scorpions, Paul Di’Anno era Iron Maiden and the like, and instantly raised old-school metal fists. This laid-back yet highly enthusiastic crowd loved every moment of Horisont’s set, kept asking for more, and the band obliged for the most part. Having been around for a decade, Horisont just got signed worldwide to Century Media and deserve a much bigger fanbase. Veteran classic hard rock and metal bands retiring one by one is no longer a problem, as bands like Horisont are at the forefront to carry the torch and rejuvenate the genre with more inspired songwriting and far greater exuberance.
The night was far from over, as headliners Electric Citizen began their set a little after midnight and played for more an hour, starting with one of their catchiest tunes ‘Light Years Beyond’ and belted out great selections from both their albums ‘Sateen’ (2014) and ‘Higher Time’ (2016). From the proto-metal/early NWOBHM sounds of Horisont, Electric Citizen took things even further back in time with Sabbath-worshipping heavy stoner doom, but frontwoman Laura Dolan’s singing voice and on-stage persona gives the band a touch of uniqueness, which goes a long way towards drawing people to not only listen to the studio recordings but even more so to get closer to the stage (or the floor area in this case) to watch the band live. The singer was in her own world, it seemed, and compelled the audience to get in the same headpsace with her enchanting vocal delivery. Her band mates laid down the music loud and heavy, instigating some headbanging in the audience. During the latter half of the set, Laura Dolan’s uninhibited anti Donald Trump slogan raised the roof off this place and her words as well as the remainder of the show got a big crowd response. A sizable number of Horisont fans decided to keep their loyalties exclusive and exited the premises before Electric Citizen even started, but those that stayed absolutely did not regret doing so. Following Horisont, this band had a tough task on their hands but thrived greatly in handling it with aplomb.
Overall, a fun-filled night of heavy music for all in attendance, unarguably rendered a more enjoyable experience than what it could have been, because it took place in a small but decently packed D.I.Y. space instead of a sparely populated ballroom. Instead of spending upwards of $40 to see washed up bands well past their prime and on self-destructive journeys to ruin their own legacies, readers are encouraged to look into attending shows featuring newer bands like Electric Citizen and Horisont. It’s a far better live performance, and what’s more, it usually costs much less. This was by far the best free show Los Angeles has seen in a long, long time, yet worth so much more.
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Remaining Tour Dates:
11/14/2016 – Mesa, AZ @ Club Red
11/16/2016 – Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club
11/17/2016 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
11/18/2016 – Austin, TX @ Beerland
11/20/2016 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11/22/2016 – Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage