Awaken The Empire Tops Industry Showcase
Alternative go getters Awaken The Empire, have gone through
some rough patches more than once. Having formed in 2009 being based in Los
Angeles, California then relocating to Seattle, Washington sometime later, the
band went on to go through a series of changes.... One being a band line-up
change replacing previous bassist Jaymz Marcc with Romina Fronti who took over
as bassist and backing vocalist. Another change up was the band's namesake
going from Awaken The Empire to Delta Wave, in which they released a single
entitled "We Control The Lights". Other changes followed suit from
them getting signed to Century Media Records to being swapped out into Another
Century Records, a partnership to Century Media's company. But it didn't stop
there the band went on to further matters that lead them right back to where
they started with Awaken The Empire.
Returning to using their original namesake Awaken The Empire
and keeping bassist/backing vocalist Romina Fronti, aiming for the future with
the release of their debut album "Aurora", where they worked
alongside producer Erik Ron whose done work with other acts, like Panic at the
Disco, Good Charlotte, and Get Scared. All of this would then cause them to
play some minor showcases on and off, later a tour with more showcases popping
up here and there, including one back where they called home, Los Angeles,
California in the infamous Hollywood. At one of its many notorious venues the
Viper Room.
The band's label Another Century/Century Media decided to
put together a special industry showcase that featured some of its most
highlighted and recent acts to be signed on, XO Stereo, Awaken The Empire,
9Electric, and Vattica. Awaken The Empire went on second on this special bill
showcase, playing roughly around 9:45PM to around 10:15PM doing a solid setlist
of around 6 tunes, including such singles as "Insomniacs Unite",
"We Control The Lights", "Cross My Heart", and "Rise
And Fall". Their performance style was chalk full of energy, passion, and
motivation. The crowd was really embracing the band's presents, music, and
drive for them, wanting to performing at such a specialized showcase.
The band themselves, did do a good job of it. Each member
individually showed their talent of instrumental skill, like the drummer for
one, was very interactive, clapping his hands during some of the band's set,
while the bassist was laid back, doing her backup vocals, playing along to the
tone of the music, while the two guitarists, took part in their own riffs and
solo tactics that kept everything together. Their frontman vocalist/guitarist Damien
Lawson really went all out, getting down on his knees, playing his heart out,
really singing the lyrics of the material the band had written so compelling it
was flawless.
Awaken The Empire:
Awaken The Empire may have been the second act to go on, but
they blew everyone away and was the most talked about act playing at this
showcased event. Everyone in earshot and height sight were in aw to what they
were capable of doing as musicians and it showed beautifully.
SETLIST:
1. Insomniacs Unite
2. New Song
3. New Song
4. We Control The Lights
5. Cross My Heart
6. Rise And Fall
