Live music review: Austin rockers Kalijah at Hole in the Wall
Saturday night, legendary campus-area venue Hole in the Wall across from the University of Texas hosted up-and-coming Austin-based rockers Kalijah. The late night show followed a busy day on the Drag as LSU narrowly defeated Texas in a thriller of a game.
After midnight, Kalijah took stage. Each member donned various styles of sunglasses, their attire and demeanor was indicative of something out of the film, Donnie Brasco. They sported 1970’s swagger and bravado. Their stage presence foreshadowed the band’s familiar-yet-unique sound.
“Heatwave,” symbolic of the typically Texas warm, August night was the second song of the set. Then the band slowed it down with an emotive presentation of “Mouth of the Cave,” which meshed into “Man of Wealth,“ followed by with an impressive rendition of “Continental Shelf.”
A transference occurred with the introduction of new material. “How High,” was performed tightly enough to convince any audience member that Kalijah has played the number for years. Another new cut, which is yet-to-be-titled, shifted the audience from engaged onlookers, to energized dancers.
The most pleasant surprise of the set arrived with the performance of the lead single from their upcoming LP “Real Crime,” for which Kalijah just wrapped filming on the song’s video that day.
The night came to an emphatic close with “The Range” and “Fossilized.” Heavy punk riffs and delivery coupled well with the bluesy, soulful emission, a convergence of punk and Americana. All was delivered with dance-inducing buoyancy. A man born in a West-Texas ghost town led a band through an exhibition of indie-rock and soul. The material reflects that dichotomy well.
Kalijah is currently working on a new LP as we mentioned earlier, “Real Crime.” The group plans to complete the album this Fall with hopes of an early 2020 release. Expect the Kalijah buzz to bubble up in the Austin music scene in the near future.
Kalijah members:
Jeff Arata: Guitar and Backing Vocals (Bay Area, CA)
Nick Smith: Bass and Backing Vocals (Kansas City)
Bryan Johnson: Drums (Fort Wayne, IN)
Micah Peredes: Guitar, Vox (Terlingua, TX)
photos and video by Brian Hillsman
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