OMAHA – On a recent Saturday night, I was lucky enough to find myself in Omaha’s Slowdown at a sold out Sleigh Bells concert. Staying true to my obsession, I had a front row view of the electrifying duo and their thunderous performance.
After the release in early 2012 of their latest album, “Reign of Terror,” the experimental electronic rock pair has been growing more popular among a wide range of ages. The band now has three official albums and is continuing to write more music.
The band consists of Alexis Krauss (lead vocalist) and Derek E. Miller (guitarist and producer). The pair met in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2008 and began working together.
Krauss was formally part of a teen pop group RubyBlue and Miller was a member of a hardcore rock band called Poison the Well. Both bring a very interesting element to their current band to say the least.
The combination of the ear-blasting, shredding guitar riffs by Miller and Krauss’s ear-popping, yet upbeat, vocals caught the attention of M.I.A.’s label N.E.E.T., and they were eventually signed in the Spring of 2010 and released the EP “Sleigh Bells” soon after.
The debut attracted many listeners and resulted in the release of “Treats” in May of 2010 and “Reign of Terror” in February of 2012.
Surprisingly, the duo seemed to reel in listeners of all age groups, and even with the threat of tornados, the venue was well packed with people ready to rock.
Guests were definitely not let down by the eccentric vocals and performance of Krauss. She spent just as much time on stage singing and kicking bottles as she did crowd surfing and screaming.
All I can say is, do not judge a book by the cover. The small, coffeehouse feel of the Slowdown in combination with the minimalist stage set up of two guitars, one vocalist and a background of speakers definitely had me expecting something much quieter and simpler.
Without a doubt, I was beyond pleased with the captivating 60 minute set and would recommend everyone to give them a listen.