On the most romantic night of the year, hundreds of people crowded into the Baltimore Soundstage to share their love for rock music. With four awesome bands, the evening did not disappoint. The main act, Starset, is in the middle of their first headlining tour and they put on one hell of a demonstration. Formed in 2013, Starset’s first album, Transmissions, had three singles that reached in the top twenty on Billboard magazine’s U.S. Mainstream Rock chart. Their second album, Vessels, was just released in late January and has been well-received thus far.
The night started off with Baltimore-based band Violence In Vanity. They started off strong with “Carry On” and “All For You” off of their 2016 self-titled EP. Lead singer, Dave Gascon, is charming and very passionate in his delivery. Their set included a bad-ass cover of Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and it appeared that guitarist Jeff Lane and bassist Jamey McElroy had a blast performing this song. They then slowed down a bit with “Beyond the Dark” before ending on a high note with “Where We Divide”. Violence in Vanity gave an impressive performance and were definitely worthy of performing with such an impressive line up.
Orenda Scars hit the stage rocking out to their single, “Fera”. They also hail out of the Baltimore area and lead singer Chrystal England delivers a powerful performance as she whips around the stage with her awesome blue hair. Original songs “Shiver” and “Subterranean” were solid and kept the crowd entertained. They ended their set with a debut performance of their latest song, “Tarnish” and it was also well-received by the audience.
Gemini Syndrome was up next and put on a short but impressive performance. Lead by the iconic Aaron Nordstrom, Gemini Syndrome has been touring almost non-stop since July and they have a dedicated fan base, known as “Synners”. Nordstrom delivered a passionate performance and the crowd sang along in response. They performed singles “Eternity”, “Anonymous” and “Remember We Die” off of their latest album, Momento Mori, which was released in August 2016. The set concluded with “Stardust” from their 2013 album, Lux.
Starset started their demonstration promptly at 10pm. The stage was flanked by two LED screens and the drummer (Adam Gilbert) was encapsulated in a white cube that acted as a projector screen. Next, guitarist Brock Richards and bassist Ron DeChant appeared in white space suits which were updated from the black suits that were worn during the demonstrations of their previous album. Touring cellist, Jonathan Kampfe, was situated stage left. Lead singer Dustin Bates appeared on the stage last, wearing a button-down white shirt, bow tie, vest, and long dark trenchcoat; appearing very much like a mad-scientist. The whole show was more of a theatrical experience, with extraterrestrial graphics during the demonstrations and ‘space sounds’ in between.
Much of the information transmitted to the audience was from Vessels, including “Ricochet,” “Frequency,” and “Satellite.” The previous messages of “Halo,” “Carnivore,” and “My Demons” from Transmissions were also conveyed. The most popular demonstration was “Monster,” which was performed with passion and intensity. Overall, on this night of love, the crowd shared in something special and the Starset message was transmitted clearly; ignorance : slavery :: knowledge : power.
Learn about the history of Starset at starsetonline.com.
Catch another demonstration at one of the upcoming dates below:
04/28 Tampa, FL – 98Rock Fest
04/29 Fort Myers, FL – Fort Rock Festival
04/29 Jacksonville, FL – Welcome To Rockville Festival
04/30 Fort Myers, FL – JetBlue Park
05/05 Kannapolis, NC – Carolina Rebellion Festival
05/14 Somerset, WI – Northern Invasion
05/26 Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma
