Seattle Subsonic

Wild Orchid Children’s Blissful Assault At The Columbia City Theater

November 22nd, 2010

Wild Orchid Children are currently one of  Seattle’s most exhilarating, high energy, live shows. A notion confirmed by everyone who caught them last Friday at the Columbia City Theater. With the combined intensity of  seven people on stage, they have formulated an all-out psychedelic attack, guaranteed to leave your head spinning. I’m pretty sure guitarist Thomas Hunter has been possessed by the god of rock. The man is absolutely jaw dropping!  The essential role, he alone, plays in Wild Orchid Children is astounding. His precisely executed guitar antics, were backed by hard hitting, rhythmically tight drummer Andy Lum, while the other five members, at times, ditched their respective instruments to beat and shake things in a percussive assault . I have to say, I was a bit aprehensive, after catching WOC at reverbfest where they needed to be  turned way up. A band like this demands to be experienced in a place were you can feel it in your teeth. The Columbia City theater is very much that place. I was pretty blown away. Sonically, and visually you can’t beat this venue.
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Three very different local bands were booked to play that night. See me River, led by Kerry Zettel, played dark folk gypsy songs that, at times, evoked the great Nick Cave.
They were a welcomed contrast in moods for the evening. The five piece possess a striking sound that is quite unique to  Seattle. Bluesy, classic rock outfit, The Magic Mirrors opened the show. The band includes one hell of a rock ‘n’ roll guitarist, and a singer who channels Chris Robinson. Lots of old school southern rock swagger from these kids, plus the bass man hangs a decent sized dream catcher over his amp, which is way cool!