Jonny Numb

Déjà vu is real.

On February 19, I made a fog-and-drizzle-shrouded pilgrimage to the Racehorse Tavern to see Psyclon Nine.

Exactly two weeks later, I made a fog-and-drizzle-shrouded pilgrimage to the Racehorse Tavern to see Ventana.

I didn’t necessarily plan on doing a write-up of the latter, but sometimes I find myself unexpectedly impressed, deeming an event recap-worthy.

(For example, I went to a small-club show at a different venue last week, and – save for the headliner – left largely unimpressed and uninspired.)

Even more telling are the facts of the case, Your Honor – presented for your consideration:

I knew headliner Ventana only by virtue of its status as a project featuring members of Mushroomhead (a band I’m mostly ambivalent toward). I listened to a handful of songs online, and liked what I heard – I thought to myself, “they’ll probably be fun live.”

Ditto touring opener Aeternum, the Colorado-based, female-fronted band most recently earning attention for their on-point cover of Garbage’s “#1 Crush.” As with Ventana, I listened to a couple songs and liked what I heard. Again, it seemed like they’d put on a good performance.

And – in a hybrid industrial/nu-metal landscape where too many bands are sausage-fests – I am always up for more female-fronted acts.

I wasn’t familiar with Yosemite in Black and Resistor (apparently hooking up at the venue from their own in-progress tour).

Through fog-shrouded backroads, light lingering just a little longer in the sky, I pulled into the now-familiar, wet-gravel parking lot.

When I exited my car, I heard the thunder-of-the-gods hammering of drums, guitars, and vocals from inside.

Doors were at 6, and by 6:40ish, the night’s entertainment had already begun.

The gathered crowd were watching Yosemite in Black, who seemed like really nice guys. I thought their sound was decent, but not quite to the point of picking up an album.

Ditto metalcore act Resistor, whose lead singer kept saying “Pennsylvaniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiia” amid shouted, incoherent lyrics. Was kind of surprised, though, that their set only clocked in at around 20 minutes. It wasn’t like they were a punk band burning through 20 minute-long songs.

I had hit the ATM earlier in the week, mostly with the expectation that I’d be taking home a bunch of Ventana and Aeternum merch. This prophecy fulfilled itself.

Aeternum’s set began interestingly, with a recorded cover of Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Head Like a Hole’ playing over the empty stage. After this, the band entered and got started proper with their energetic, driving, yet sometimes vulnerable sound. Frontwoman Kayla Smith’s clean vocal style impressed me throughout the set. I also liked hers and guitarist/keyboardist Jose Tinajero’s decision to wear those freaky contact lenses that seem to stare through you.

Aside: as I was talking with Smith at the merch table at the end of the night, she said, “[the contacts] are cool, but after a while I’m kinda over it.”

I really enjoyed their set, and find them sincere in an endearing way that betrays their slightly dark, Goth-styled stage attire of black coats and ripped fishnets. It would be interesting to see them tour with someone like Living Dead Girl.

At the merch table after their set, I complimented Smith on the performance and thanked the band for coming to “the middle of nowhere.” I wound up talking more with bassist Cam Taylor, who revealed he grew up in Phoenixville, PA – which led to a tangent about the greatness of the Colonial Theatre and Blobfest (which I hope to attend someday!).

It made me happy to see a line had formed behind me to meet the band and support their tour life by picking up some merch. I bought a T-shirt and a CD for $5 (an EP), and later purchased the vinyl they had for sale.

Aside: as Aeternum wrapped up their set and asked if the gathered crowd was ready for Ventana, the cheers were intercut with frontman Richard “St1tch” Thomas – set back a bit in the crowd – yelling about how much Ventana “sucks.” I found this self-deprecation funny and charming; seeing Thomas in his makeup and stage attire, I felt an immediate sense of respect for the man. A sense of humor goes a long way.

And, as two desecrated statues of Lady Liberty were set up on either side of the drumkit – throats cut and faces resembling something from Slausen’s Lost Oasis – I was on board for whatever was to come.

Once their set started, all bets were off; expect the unexpected, and all that. Those who think a rinky-dink bar in the middle of nowhere can’t yield some sights and sounds you won’t see anywhere else should have been in attendance that night.

Several in the crowd (myself included) had their phone-video going as the set started, and Thomas immediately made himself at home among the people, pressing his face into and against the handheld devices. When he asked the crowd to approach the stage, we complied.

Sights witnessed: Thomas writhing across the floor on his belly like a fish out of water (this was early in the set, too); Thomas getting on one fan’s shoulders and walking through the crowd, not thinking about the logistics of the corded mic that was being dragged behind; Thomas wandering into the crowd near the end of the set, sitting Indian-Style – and getting the rest of the room to do likewise – as he sang the song and kept everyone clapping in rhythm with the beat.

Also: Kayla dueted with Thomas on a Ventana song, which was cool (even though her mic experienced technical issues).

Aside: I really liked the visual aesthetic of the band; smeared grease-paint makeup and clothes that resembled funeral attire from a bygone era (not surprising: per Facebook, Thomas is “a set designer/character developer for haunted attractions”). I liked guitarist Rocky Sobon’s vertical, red-rooster hair. And I liked how Daniel Fox did the twirling-to-juggling drumsticks thing as he hit the skins with rat-a-tat force.

But most importantly, the music of Ventana was relentless, complementing the overly physical, show-stopping performance. Despite the size of the venue and the gathered audience, it was obvious the energy the crowd expended was reciprocated at least tenfold by the band.

After their set, I talked with Thomas briefly at the merch table, where he complemented my Clockwork Echo T-shirt and started talking about Psyclon Nine and how he brought them out on tour when he was the frontman for Mushroomhead. This triggered a second-hand memory of Lizard’s first encounter with Psyclon Nine – as openers for Mushroomhead many years ago, at the now-deceased Crocodile “Croc” Rock in Allentown, PA. Thomas nodded his affirmation, as if the gig had happened a day prior instead of probably almost two decades ago. He also mentioned how he’d directed the iconic video for that P9 classic, ‘Parasitic.’ Despite all he’d accomplished, he still treated each fan who approached as equally important.

That immediate sense of respect I mentioned earlier? Yeah, sometimes you just get a good feeling about a person, and it’s completely founded.

Epilogue: As I left, I thought I’d be a Smart Guy and cut up Route 74 – which Waze was ignoring – until I remembered why Waze was ignoring it: a bridge was out with a detour in effect. I found myself redirected down winding – sometimes perilous – back roads. At one point, I passed an open field with roughly two-dozen shining deer eyes staring me down as I drove cautiously past. A few miles later, at the bottom of a steep hill, I paused as another quartet of deer (family? pack? herd? clowder?) moved past a house, trying to get their bearings. A few miles later still, another quartet crossed the road; with the road void of traffic, my high beams caught the lithe bodies with enough time to just stop and allow them to cross. Made it home a little after 11pm.