For the past year, I’ve been contemplating migrating to another city as I work remote full time, but the diverse music scene in Atlanta has kept me grounded in multiple ways. I’m one hundred percent a show junkie and I breathe for live music. This year alone I’ve been to over two dozen shows since things opened back up in May and a lot of these gigs have been put on by local rock bands. I’m a rocker at heart and I have a tendency to go bananas when a band lights up a room. It’s a vivacious vibe that can only be conjured by the magic of raw, rambunctious rock and roll.
Earlier this month, I got a little taste of that magic at Bad Guru’s album release show at Smith’s Olde Bar. I had originally planned to see glimmers at the Masquerade, but I was asked by my friends and Bad Guru members Joe Hurley and Blake James Powell to come to check out their show. Their invitation had me flattered and intrigued, but what really sold me was the stacked bill for the night, specifically the gem that is Stardust Sonata from Cartersville (yes, the name slaps, but their music slaps even harder!).
Stardust Sonata
Prior to the show, Stardust Sonata had only played one gig and only had two songs on Spotify—both certified bangers with music videos. The group’s “Life on the Ground” and “Up All Night” had me hooked and hyped to see them live with both cuts stuck in my headphones for weeks on end. Their second show as a band was nasty and gives me goosebumps just writing about it. I’m definitely sporting my Stardust Sonata shirt at their next show. I need more of this fiery rock and roll in my life.
After Stardust Sonata was a tight band called Kadillak from Athens. I did zero research into this group before the show and, thus, I had no expectations. I wanted to keep the night interesting by hearing new music live for the first time. Kadillak definitely kept the party going, and I can see why this band is up-and-coming in the Athens scene. I am excited to see them come around Atlanta more and witness their growth as a band. I feel like their performance was similar to tasting a fine wine before the aging process kicks in.
Kadillak
Following Kadillak were Rae and the Ragdolls from Atlanta. I had heard the name before but I’ve never managed to check out their music. On the way to the show, I put them on Spotify to get a feel for their set. I was vibing to their songs and grew curious about how wild their live show would be. The band blew me away not only with their sound but with their overall showmanship. It was hard to tell who had more fun—the crowd or the band. Frontwoman Natasha Rae Wermers has a vibrant, silly personality that fills a room with life. Before and after the set, she popped out a hand puppet from behind the curtain to goof around a bit. Little things like that make the world a little brighter, and I will definitely be catching more shows by Rae and the Ragdolls.
Rae and the Ragdolls
For the main course of the night, weighing in at one magnificent debut album, was Bad Guru. I first heard about this band from a fellow grad student while I was working as a Graduate Research Assistant at Kennesaw State. Since then, I have connected with a few members of the band through mutual friends and have been to two of their shows. Both performances drew a sizeable crowd, and this was before Bad Guru had an album available. Their set at Smith’s turned up the energy tenfold from their previous sets.
The magic behind Bad Guru is the balance among Sierra Watkins slaying on vocals, guitarists Hurley and Ethan Bilkert trading riffs, Powell laying down the bass grooves, and drummer Quinn Brophy holding down the beats. The composition of the music and the band’s raw talent radiated throughout the room. A loud and full sound is always good for a band in my opinion. But when you can control that noise to craft something beautiful that shakes the soul, it just hits different.
Bad Guru
Over the course of the evening, the band snuck in some solid covers of “The Pot” by Tool and “Knights of Cydonia” by Muse. These are songs you have to slay as a band, and Bad Guru definitely did them justice with a little added flair to make the songs their own. Then when they played their single “Medusa” the entire room went full throttle with the floor in the Music Room ebbing and flowing with the music. I haven’t felt vibrations like that in a long time, not since I was in Heaven at the old Masquerade (if you know, you know). And of course, they had an encore planned out, which was a cover of “When God Comes Back” by All Them Witches. This song is a particular favorite of mine and it was well-received by the mass of madness surrounding me in the venue.
To say the least, I can’t wait to see what is on the horizon for Bad Guru moving forward! Be sure to give the group’s self-titled debut a listen on your favorite streaming platform.
More Info
Facebook: @BadGuruBand
Instagram: @badguruband