New York, NY—Webster Hall’s doors swung open and a pack of excited fans descended the cold, cement steps. At first, the room was a mass of darkness, our eyes struggling to adjust to the cave-like studio. The floor swelled with young adults sporting funky hairstyles topped with vibrant colors, which contrasted their all-black garb. However dark the venue was, there was a welcoming warmth in the air—it drew us closer to the stage.
The background music faded as One-Eyed Doll’s singer/guitarist, Kimberly Freeman, stalked onto the stage, her Tregan guitar strapped to her slim frame. Behind her, the band’s drummer, Jason Rufuss Sewell (aka Junior), played away on his drumset. At the mic, Kimberly screamed. The lights rose. And One-Eyed Doll’s set officially began.
The crowd pulsed as the duo’s first song, “Ember,” played on, dancing and bobbing; all the while, Kimberly pranced and jumped around the stage, never missing a chord. Once their opening piece was finished, Kimberly stood by the mic and greeted the audience in her angelic voice, then introduced herself and Junior—which led right into their next song: “Committed.” While playing, Kimberly whipped her lengthy, black pigtails around—I half expected her to take off like a helicopter. Instead of prancing around during this particular song, the quirky musician stomped around in her chunky combat boots in time with Junior’s beats. During the final instrumental break, Kimberly jumped into the crowd for a more personal experience.
Next came “Break,” “I Love My Little Bus,” “UFO,” “Plumes Of Death,” and “Nudie Bar,” which led into another break in the set. After rummaging through her prop/hat box, Kimberly returned to the mic wearing a witch’s hat. There, she introduced Benjamin Riggs, their stage manager and guest guitarist. The crowd cheered and a muscular, bald man walked on stage, of course, decked in black. Together, Kimberly, Junior, and Riggs jammed to two newer songs, “More Weight” and “Black In The Rye,” from One-Eyed Doll’s newest album, Witches, which is a tribute to those victims of the Salem witch hysteria.
After Riggs retired backstage, Kimberly and Junior finished the show with two crowd-pleasers: “Be My Friend” and a medley of “Fight” and “Monster.” Of course, the energetic Kimberly had to end with a bang; once “Monster” ended, she charged toward the back of the stage, flying into Junior’s drumset (and arms) head-first. One-Eyed Doll never fails to impress.
Show date: April 5, 2016
