On any given Saturday evening, LA’s famed Sunset Strip is littered with all varieties of young, beautiful people hunting a good time. From the girls in tiny dresses and enormous heels trying to talk their way into fancy penthouse hotel bars to rambunctious troublemakers taking their turns riding the bull at Saddle Ranch, there is much fun to be had on this glamorous stretch of Sunset Boulevard.
On this particular Saturday evening, the young & beautiful were filtering into the iconic House of Blues to see the Colorado-native trio Savoy bring their laser-fueled flavor of electronic to life. Though this was my first adventure at the House of Blues, I’ve all but decided that it’s one of my all-time favorite venues. Though it was only opened in 1994, it has recreated that 80s-era Hollywood rock & roll feel in a way that movies like Rock of Ages have failed to do. With lots of shallow tiers along the floor and a wrap-around balcony, there is literally not a bad seat in the house.
The crowd was primed and ready as SAVOY took the stage. They knew exactly what they were getting into and wore their party pants accordingly. The lights go down, and the night comes to life.
With live drummer Mike Kelly positioned center stage between producers Gray Smith and Ben Eberdt and headless mannequins shooting lasers from their neck-stumps, SAVOY set the stage for a unique and captivating set right from the get-go. Wasting no time, they dove into the searing “Intro” off of their new album Self Predator.
And when the lasers hit, the crowd lost their s***. These Boulder boys have sculpted a live-show that transcends your typical concert—this is a visually-gripping, highly-visceral music experience that is overwhelming in the best possible way. There were moments that I truly thought I was dancing, only to find after further inspection that I was standing completely still with my mouth hanging open in awe. (I was embarrassed until I realized that all of the people around me were experiencing the same phenomenon.)
The boys started big and kept it massive the whole time—showcasing their earth-shattering new album with bangers like “Bizzy” and “Queen”, while slowing it down a bit with my personal favorite “Prey for New York”. They touched on some tried-and-true anthems as well, nearly bringing down the house with “So Bad” and “I’m Fine”.
Growing out of the rich creative landscape that is the Colorado music scene, SAVOY has developed a signature sound that is all their own: heart-pounding tempos drive relentlessly over deep, dark waves of bass compliment by blazing melodies and catchy vocal samples. With the addition of the drummer, SAVOY possesses a dynamic musicality that is only attainable through live instrumentation.
Though these boys are wrapping up their monumental tour over the next few weeks with stops in Denver, New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia, we wouldn’t be surprised if we see their names popping up on festival line-ups through the summer. Final thought: If you’ve never seen SAVOY live, you are being incredibly negligent and I demand that you change this as soon as possible. Trust me, it’s for your own good.