Special guest show review of The Venetia Fair‘s Indianapolis set from January 19, at Hoosier Dome by Hayato Huseman and photography by Devin Barnes (Smileyfacemode) . Check out full photography set HERE and don’t forget to “like” her Facebook page too!
The Venetia Fair
Sunday, January 19, 2014 @ The Hoosier Dome
Sweat. Movement. Energy. Loud music. As the Substance Sequence Tour began to unwind, the scattered clamor of teenagers filling the Hoosier Dome echoed three words unfamiliar to me as they readied for the eminent hysteria that was to come – “The Venetia Fair.” Keyboards, amps, and hollow crates were all brought out onto the stage, and before them stood a tall, lanky man sporting suspenders and a mustache that would bring steampunk enthusiasts to shame. Looking around at the anticipating faces around me, I started to think I was the only one who didn’t know exactly what was about to happen, and that thought very quickly became a realization.
Just moments after sound check, I felt my entire body get shifted forward as the deranged sounds of The Venetia Fair filled the building, and all the pent up energy of the audience flooded over into calamity. From then on, there wasn’t a moment of calmness until the end of the set. Aiding to the madness, aforementioned mustachioed man Benny swung his microphone violently around his neck, catching it just before it hit his face, and hung off of the rafters directly above the audience. Pianist Joe managed to play through the set without missing a beat (barre some intentional key smashing) while jumping off of his bench and thrashing around his keyboard. Bassist Mr. Chark was typically found standing atop their “Come One, Come All” crates throughout the night, jumping and moving to the music. Mike (guitar) thrashed about while he played, running to the edge of the stage and playing above the crowd periodically, and despite having to sit through the set, even Chris (drums) was radiating energy.
Suffice to say, their stage presence was unlike nearly any other band I’ve seen. This was my first time seeing The Venetia Fair, and I can very confidently say it won’t be my last. These guys were an absolute blast, and the crowd went nuts over them. If you haven’t seen them yet, you’re doing it wrong. – Hayato Huseman
