Live music review: Dehd turned in jubilant performance at Antone’s
“Lucky to have people in my life with the power to break my heart”. After many months in quarantine, this opening line from the Dehd song “Lucky” succinctly captures the time I’ve spent scrolling through Instatherapy accounts and reading Brene Brown. The band played Antone’s on May 13 to full-house with support from tour mates, Pixel Grip.
The musical act, Dehd has been lauded by bands and fans for their positive messages. The stage had been cleared to give Dehd’s guitarist Jason Balla plenty of room to hop, skip, and gyrate around. The lighthearted surf rock track “Bad Love” drew in the whole crowd to sing along as vocalist and bass guitarist Emily Kempf belted the chorus.
Dehd was prepared to do an encore, no matter what the audience response (they got loud cheers from the crowd). Austin was one of Dehd’s few sold out shows on their current tour.
Dehd invited openers Pixel Grip and other backstage performers onstage for the encore. The group performed “Desire” to close out the evening. Dom Rabalais, who does visuals for the band, summoned the energy of a thousand Red Bulls, frolicking, giving spirit fingers, across every inch of the stage. At one point, Rabalais picked up Dehd guitarist Jason Balla, carrying him on his shoulders, mic stand in hand.
While Dehd is a more jubilant act, Pixel Grip had a dark, gothic presence in all black, while paradoxically, still exuding an approachable vibe. Perhaps it was because vocalist, Rita Lukea was rocking an oversized Dehd T-shirt in support of the headlining act, maybe it was the shoutouts to the friends backstage? Who knows? But they put the room in the right mood.
The trio, Pixel Grip formed in Chicago playing at dimly lit venues, seeking solace in night clubs. Pixel Grip’s stage show starkly contrasted with that of Dehd Their lyrics spoke of rebelling against societal norms with “ALPHAPUSSY” and “Demon Chaser”.
“Is it ok if we play one more?” asked Lukea. Their set had already gone over by several minutes, but Lukea made it worthwhile, playing “SOFT PEAKS. Lukea stepped offstage into the crowd during the song. Dehd and Pixel Grip did a fantastic job of breaking the fourth wall or pulling the audience onstage into the stage show leading to many smiling, satisfied patrons shuffling out of Antone’s at the end of the night.
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