Celldweller
Davey's Uptown, Kansas City, MO
August 23, 2004
I've seen the artist formerly known as Scott Albert a few times in his old
Circle of Dust days, but I have yet to see him as Klayton in
Celldweller. I missed him the last time he came within 200 miles of Kansas City, so this was my chance.
Performing a late show (11:00 PM) at a downtown KC drinking establishment, my friends and I got there a little early for some imbibing of some adult beverages and video trivia. After an hour or so, we headed into the show. The music thumped and grinded for about the next 45 minutes. Too bad the vocals blended into the music and were barely audible. Live, Celldweller is a 4-piece: Klayton, two guitarists and a drummer. With a video screen as a backdrop constantly projecting images of interest and relevance, the band played a tight set. One thing I enjoyed about the performance is that something was always going on. Feedback, music, drumming interludes, filler samples, etc. Little to no small talk between songs. Songs that piqued my interest were "Own Little World", "Stay With Me", "Frozen", and of course, "Switchback". Unfortunately, no hint of the heavier side of things with "One Good Reason" or even the classic "Deviate" from his old days in Circle of Dust, but the songs that were played aren't exactly lightweight industrial. I'm not a big fan of dance/rave/techno, but Klayton makes it worth my while as long as he puts heaviness to it. Good example is "The Last Firstborn", which was also played, almost makes me want to break out the glowsticks & glitter and get down on the dance floor...but trust me, you would not want to see that spectacle.
After the last song, the video screen rolled credits and the band left the stage to hang out with the fans and sell some swag at the back. Good show. I'm just glad the lights didn't go out, due to the nasty thunderstorm going on outside.
