She Wants Revenge Causes a Ruckus at HOB

Downtown San Diego was animated last Thursday with an thrilling performance from underground favorite She Wants Revenge. The band, led by vocalist Justin Warfield, put on a memorable show November 8^th at the House of Blues on 5^th Avenue. The venue, generally presenting bands with smaller fan bases, was alive with a unique crowd of people limited not just to the usual college students, but also attracting a surprising number of middle-aged couples and older people. Although a certain amount of decorum would be expected with such a varied group present, a fight did break out during the performance that forced security guards to take action and prompted the band to cease playing in order to pacify the crowd. Despite the punches thrown early on, all seemed to enjoy the performance, which is a rare occurrence for bands that have been narrowly classified as 'indie' or 'electronica' - genres which both assume stereotypically young, so-called alternative audiences.

Following two rather long opening acts the band began with "First Love", the brief intro on their new album "This is Forever". The track was greeted with an eager, anticipation-filled roar of applause from the crowd. This was followed by a steady stream of danceable songs, showcasing Warfield's monotone voice in a style similar to that of Interpol's Paul Banks. One of the most memorable songs of the night from their freshly released album was the track "What I Want", which featured suggestive lyrics like "Would it kill you to show a little soft side/It's so attractive and sensual, it gets me off" placed over an intensely melodic dance beat. The song, sure to be a hit, received an enthusiastic response from the energetic crowd.

The emotional "Walking Away" was also a highlight, with a catchy chorus beat and poignant lyrics sung with a passionate longing not usually present in Warfield's ominous voice. In addition to a few other songs from their sophomore album, including the dark new single "Written in Blood", She Wants Revenge also pleased fans with a few older tracks from their debut record. The aggressively seductive "Tear You Apart", which was featured in the 2007 cult film The Number 23, was greeted with a surge of excited recognition from the crowd the moment the amplified drum beat was initiated. After the fairly bland "Rachel", a new track that was received with mixed responses from the crowd, Warfield abruptly left stage prompting a drawn out piano solo by band member Adam Bravin. After a return of Warfield and an extensive encore, the band concluded with "Out of Control". Warfield performed the song, with its sensual lyrics and the band's characteristic synthesized beat, terrifically and had the audience singing along to the chorus.

San Diego certainly responded well to She Wants Revenge, which could point to a growing, more commercialized fan base for the band. I certainly encourage anyone who has not had the pleasure of hearing their music - whether you are a fan of electronica or not - to discover just what it is about She Wants Revenge that makes them so remarkable and enjoyable for fans.