This is special guest show review and photography of The Venetia Fair‘s Detroit set from January 25, at Paycheck’s Lounge by John Webb! Check out his full photography set HERE and don’t forget to “like” his Facebook page too!
“Come One, Come All”
The Venetia Fair (Boston, MA) currently touring with A Lot Like Birds (Equal Vision Records) and many others on “The Substance Sequence Tour” recently took the stage at Paychecks Lounge in Hamtramck, Michigan. Being my first time hearing the band, I wasn’t sure what to expect before their performance. My expectations were high considering the fact that the Facebook event page was buzzing with tons of fans expressing how excited they were to see and hear the band perform.
I was lucky enough to find a great spot to watch the band side stage, from there I was able to see not only the bands energy level, but the crowds as well. The stage setup the band had chosen was breathtaking. The drum kit looked like circus props, and the stage was lined with boxes labeled “The Venetia Fair, Come One Come All”. Sometimes props on stage take away from the performance but Venetia managed to pull it off perfectly. From the start of their first song forward the bands energy was simply amazing. The band exploded in a very theatrical presence that embraced the audience, keeping them dazzled and entertained for the entirety of their performance. Despite losing his voice, lead vocalist Benny Santoro gave his all and kept complete control over the crowd. All of the musicians in the band shared the same level of energy that Benny displayed, leaping around the stage like acrobats while managing to never miss a note in the process.
After the show, the crowed had nothing but nice things to say about the bands performance. One fan, an overjoyed John Augustyn, due to the bands energy, stated “Their performance was spectacular. The on stage antics of the band mixed in with the Vaudeville feel made me feel like I was in the middle of some sort of evil rock n roll circus. To see The Venetia Fair live is something you just can’t quite explain with words.” September Gutierrez, another fan, said “It was really fun! And Benny was great interacting with the crowd, he projected the band’s image very well. And they are in your face, eccentric, and unlike any show I’ve ever seen. They definitely leave an impact even if you never heard of them before, you won’t forget them.” With fan responses like this any the level of energy that I saw on stage, I have to say that after this show I am a proud fan of The Venetia Fair and plan to see them next time they play in Michigan.
– John Webb
