Back in 2017, I was invited to a show by a friend to see a band called Aesthetic Perfection. When I looked up the line up for the whole show, there was a set time for Night Club, with no description about what or who this was. I honestly thought the show would bring out a DJ and turn into a night club for a half hour, then return to live bands. To my very pleasant surprise, Night Club ended up being a synth-pop darkwave band. The charisma and musicality of this band captivated me instantly. I have been fortunate to see them four more times as a support artist on other tours. But finally, they have embarked on The Masochist Tour. This headlining event would take them across North America. I was stoked to come out and support them on the second day of the tour when they came to the Echoplex in Los Angeles, CA. Bringing with them Rosegarden Funeral Party and JPEG, the place was packed with everyone decked out in industrial and goth décor.

As we walked into the Echoplex, we were greeted by DJ JPEG spinning industrial bangers to get the crowd into the right mood for the night. As the venue filled in, more and more people could be seen getting into the vibes JPEG was blasting through the speakers as he turned the place into an industrial rave for a little bit.

After the DJ set, we were embraced by the first live band of the night with Rosegarden Funeral Party. They were here to put out a vibe and make a connection with our emotions. Helmed by singer and guitarist Leah Lane, her voice was poetry to the ears. She sang in a lower register but that just added to the weight in the emotion she was expressing through the lyrics. Not one to be stuck behind the microphone, Leah would constantly be dancing and rocking with her own music around the stage. Backed by drummer Dean, who I have dubbed the gothic cowboy, he infused Rosegarden with more of an uplighting dance beat to accompany Leah’s more dour sound. With songs like “Doorway Ghost,” “Fear of Feeling Nothing,” “Wait Until Morning,” “Love Like Goodbye,” “Ill and Getting Worse,” “Salvation and Saving Face,” “AMC,” “Polaroid,” and “From Ashes,” Rosegarden Funeral Party made me want to turn off all the lights in my room, and dance like no one was watching while losing myself to the emotions of life.

After a short DJ set by JPEG during set change, it was finally time for Night Club to perform in their hometown as headliners. This dynamic duo is made up of Emily Kavanaugh on vocals and Mark Brooks on programs and keyboards. With Mark at the back of the stage live mixing the music to every song, Emily had all the room in the world to play with on stage, and she was gonna use it. Dressed almost like a schoolgirl gone bad with a crop top blazer and skirt, Emily was there to seduce the crowd. She has so much personality on stage dancing across the whole floor, and getting right up in peoples faces while singing. Anytime she saw some one filming with their phone, she would shove her face right into camera giving fans a personal experience. All the while Mark could be seen bopping and weaving behind his keys as he flowed with the rhythms of the night. It felt like Emily’s energy could not be contained, but she did pull back for one song in particular. Night Club did slow things down for the song “Black December,” where Emily really got to let her voice shine. Fans helped sway with the song by lighting up the venue using the flash on their phones. Once this concluded we were back to the in your face dance hits like “Barbwire Kiss,” “Show It 2 Me,” “Crime Scene,” “Schizophrenic,” “Gossip,” “Candy Coated Suicide,” “Pretty Girls Do Ugly Things,” “Beware!” “Scary World,” “Your Addiction,” and coming out for an encore with “Die in the Disco.” The crowd ate up every moment with got with Night Club and felt heartbroken when the set ended.

It has been at least four years since I’ve gotten to see Night Club, and I hate to admit that I forgot just how much fun their shows can be. When people say an artist gives everything they have to the crowd, Emily Kavanaugh is the embodiment of that phrase. She puts blood, sweat, and tears into every performance and leaves it all on stage for the fans to take in. Even Mark Brooks in the back is giving us his heart and soul with the melodies he writes and takes the time to mix live when he could just be pressing the play button. This tour is travelling across North America and its just getting started. If you have the opportunity to make it out to a show, even if you don’t know the band, I can guarantee you won’t regret spending the money on a ticket.