“I will fucking kill you!” ~ ‘The Egotist’ by CASKET OF CASSANDRA
At long last the ending of SXSW 2014 was upon us.
The barricades disappeared as well as the crowds, trash was everywhere. It looked like a building full of comic books and graphic novels had exploded its contents all over the streets and sidewalks.
But my back and forth travels were not done. Not by a long shot. It was time to finish six consecutive days of travel for last but definitely not least, CASKET OF CASSANDRA.
Operation: Solitaria Redemption.
After chatting with drummer Chris Campagna, as well as vocalist Amanda Maddera, I was given to understand that this coming show would in fact play “Solitaria.” So if I wanted to hear my favorite song from them played live then I had no choice but to strap on a pair through my fatigue and once more head out to the downtown area and back inside the Dirty Dog Bar for their show.
A 2:00 PM show was hardly anyone’s idea of fun. Especially those who went to SXSW at any time during the week especially the last couple of days, let alone six consecutive days.
I soldiered on.
I was warmly greeted by the entire band and was able to hang out just for a moment with them and engage in conversations about their music and how excited I was to be there. Most of them giving me their personal guarantee that “Solitaria” was going to be played that very day.
I was filled to the brim with excellence and excitement.
For those of you who just read the word “excrement” go to your room!!
CASKET OF CASSANDRA was first on the bill to hit the stage. It is always fun to watch Maddera do a microphone check because for those people in the venue who don’t know her or do not know what the band is all about gets a surprise drizzling down their leg when she does the sound check.
I literally heard behind me “… da fuck was that?!?” to someone who was not anticipating her style of vocals. Is it wrong of me to have laughed at that point?
So as they were preparing for the start the show, they gathered in unity as a band for a gimmick of wearing fake mustaches of various bright and florescent colors. That cracked me up.
I turned to Campagna and said “Casket Of Gimmicks!” and he turned to the rest of the band and related that message to them. A good laugh was had.
The show started and I was melting like hot butter on popcorn because CASKET OF CASSANDRA started with “Solitaria.”
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! I just wanted to hug someone. Anyone. Yep. Big ass hug for someone, anyone… right here, right now.
Anyone? No?? Damn. Oh well.
I got into the song and started singing along, doing whatever and again didn’t care what the people behind me thought they saw me do. That is the whole point of getting into the music like I do…. is to reach that escape into pure enjoyment where the bullshit of the world disappears from my mind and I do not have to deal with it.
First song and it was finished. I applauded so hard that my hands were going to break apart. Or so I thought.
Then Amanda Maddera turned her back to the crowd setting up for song number two.
She turned back towards the crowd and screamed: “I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!” and the band jumped in. I had never been so scared in my entire life. I was sitting there front and center of the stage. I could hear both the air from her vocal chords coming from her throat as well as the sounds from her larynx as well as it being amplified through the microphone.
It was a song that I inquired about later called “The Egotist.” I know that they are working on a new album and I was told that would be one of them. Unless I heard wrong? That song just broke me into pieces and I cannot wait to hear it recorded. I will never doubt Amanda on anything ever again. Good grief that was bad ass!!!
Those of you in the California area who have seen them play live know all too well what I am talking about! This stuff is just mind-blowing and amazing.
Not your Coyote Ugly show!!
Eventually the set would go on and again I would be reminded as to why Amanda Maddera uses a wireless microphone.
She jumped off stage and roamed around the bar for a while. The band came closer together on stage and rocked their own socks off as well as those in front.
Meanwhile, I could hear Amanda singing but where the hell was she? I mean seriously. Did she slip inside of a wall somewhere and stay put?
Nope. She was standing on the one of the corners of the bar.
She had been given a cookie by someone and she had it and her microphone in hand. By the time I turned around and got closer to the bar for photographs, she fed a woman standing there a nibble of her cookie.
“Communion of Cassandra” ?? Nahhhh!!!
Amanda Maddera (vocals) and Quinton Rivera (bass). Quinton in mid-flight of a head bang…Amanda in a vocal scream.
It was incredible to watch. Then she came back to the stage and finished off the song with a hellacious headbang.
That girl knows how to headbang for sure. She slams and she swirls. And the members of the band all have enough hair to look decent with headbanging…. with the exception of Campagna. But he’s the time keeper and doesn’t have time to think about it. But I am sure he’s doing it in his heart as he rattles on his drum kit.
This was a different set than what I had seen from the first time I watched this band. Most of it was made up of their new material. Songs that they are getting ready to release on their new album. They are guessing it will be released later in May of this year.
Amanda Maddera crawls over anything and everything to “Bury You.”
It was all worth the sacrifice. Even though a couple of days ago I was sick. After being around hundreds of strange people, who knows what was floating around out there.
At the end, they performed their brand new song called “Bury You” and I’ve been listening to that online since they released it. It available for purchase and you choose the price! The money goes to help them go on tour later this year. Anything and everything I am sure will be appreciated by them.
Amanda crawled all over the monitors at the front of the stage and it scared the crap out of me……again.
She was so close to me, screaming and singing, that I could have reached out and touched her. I just didn’t want her taking that aggressive nature in her music to her advantage to rip my arm clean off my body.
I’m digging that song to death. So the first and the final song….. I TOTALLY am addicted to!!! I hope that they get to do their tour and blow more minds and bring more into their musical fold.
I am glad that I’ve been in contact with the different members of the band. I’m slowly and surely becoming friends with them and that’s great. Having conversations with different members of the band both before and after the show was really cool.
Since this was a showcase … other bands were soon to follow.
Members of CASKET OF CASSANDRA were not inside of the club at the time the next band got on their microphones to address the crowds at one point… and if ANY of the members of CASKET OF CASSANDRA are reading this, then please know that Echoes In Oblivion said “Thank you to Casket of Cassandra for melting our fuckin’ faces off with their music. They are so good!”
So there you have it. Not only a fan/friend’s point of view. But from the point of view from another band.
Casket Of Cassandra – “Bury You” SINGLE
Casket Of Cassandra’s Facebook Page
Dambreaker 