Event Electric Six City Los Angeles State California Venue Key Club Date March 10, 2006
by Sandra Burciaga
If calisthenics were the going requirement in becoming the next big rock sensation, the Electric Six would be well on their way of to a lifestyle filled with bling and Bentleys. Fueled with the high energy of an 80′s metal band yet pumping out a disco bravado, front man Dick Valentine should have his own work out video judging by the amount of push-ups and legs lifts he compulsively entertains his crowd with during live performances. Together since 1996 formerly as the Wildbunch, these Detroit rockers have rotated their line up to the beat of Michael Jackson’s numerous nose jobs. The band has shuffled through 5 different keyboard players, 3 different drummers, and 4 different guitar and bass players. Thus the sextet is invincible and continues to form like Voltron as the unit we recognize today as the Electric Six.
These boys definitely play to a different tune. Their versatility encompassing hard rock, to disco, all the way to acoustic ballads has granted them a broad fan base. While most bands have a deluge of songs that seem to repeat their every note Electric Six caters a distinguished sound in every song that they compose. From the release of their first album (as Electric Six) Fire in 2003, the group moved us to the groovy rock chords of “Danger High Voltage” and “Gay Bar”. Rapidly becoming an underground hit particularly in the UK, “Danger High Voltage” reached the #2 spot on the British charts, enamoring both that like to bang their head as well as shake their ass to an infectious groove. Dropping this past February in the US and providing us again with an eccentrically orchestrated album, Senor Smoke has done a good job of living up to it’s predecessor. With comedic lyrics poised as satire towards the pop culture of today some may think they’re idiotic and meaningless. However, some of the greatest rock bands were built upon a foundation of lyrics that just made absolutely no sense nor held any validity. Look at Iggy and the Stooges, everyone thought he was a joke rolling around in broken glass singing about being someone’s dog, that was definitely not of the norm during that time but it worked and they became an integral part of rock history. It’s those same fatuous lyrics combined with some hip instrumentals and attention grabbing live performances that keep attracting fans to the Electric Six.
Touring since February, the Electric Six just played a string of shows in California thus packing up venues and selling them out such as their recent show at the infamous Key Club in Hollywood. Busy for quite sometime now this vibrant bunch still plans on putting out a third album in the fall of 06. You would think they each have their own clone working along side them; one to tour, one to cut new tracks, and maybe even one more to coordinate all the spunk and originality that goes into being the Electric Six. Surprisingly enough none of their new songs will contain the word “dance”. Managing to exclude their most favored word will be a tremendous feat for the Six. But never fear for they will continue to tantalize our lexicon with some fresh new additions.
Tags: electric six, key club
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