Platinum Moon and Lachy Doley: Two Showstopping Openers
As the lights dimmed at the Madison Theater in Covington, KY, signaling the first band to take the stage, a polite applause broke out across the audience. This was just the opening act, everyone thought, the real energy would start once the headliner arrived.
Yet, that little bit of applause was all that rock band Platinum Moon needed to burst onto the stage with a powder keg of intensity, delivering a blisteringly heavy, hard rock set over the next thirty minutes. Kicking things off with the energy and prowess of “1975,” the group blazed through six more of their songs, including recent singles “The Pills” and “Hold the Gun,” as well as their most well known song, “Lockdown NRG,” a masterpiece of power pop and punk loaded with supercharged guitar hooks and an incredibly catchy chorus.
Every song drew the audience further in as lead singer AvA Anduze swaggered vividly across the stage, rallying audience participation with every movement. Her commanding nature was almost as impressive as her vocals themselves - full of grit, emotion, and conviction reminiscent of rockstars such as Joan Jett and Suzi Quatro. Further contributing to the dynamic energy was lead guitarist Anton, delivering virtuosic guitar hooks with every song (and even a space-age keyboard solo)! Bassist Toby Dorfman showed his impeccable talent for playing bluesy basslines with hints of swing, while drummer Ethan Grosman and stand-in guitarist Emmy Barone provided an excellent backbone. Every member of the band stood out as a highly skillful player and it soon became evident that their songs are crafted specifically to highlight every member’s respective talent.
By the end of the first opening set, Platinum Moon had enthralled the entire audience, receiving a massive ovation as they left the stage. This left the crowd with a prodding question: “How is the next act going to follow the liveliness of an opening act as impressive as Platinum Moon?” This question was answered as soon as Australian band The Lachy Doley Group took the stage.
Centered around keyboardist Lachy Doley, Lachy’s style of playing is so distinctive that it is tough to label him under a specific genre, rather, giving the impression of trying to channel Jon Lord of Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, and a UFO spacecraft all at once. He accomplishes this goal quite well with his armament: a Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer bass, and whammy clavinet, surrounded by a large assortment of pedals. If you’ve never heard of a “whammy clavinet,” don’t be surprised; Lachy is one of the only keyboardists to ever use one. Its primary feature is a giant metal bar sticking out of the top of a clavinet, which, when pressed down, bends the pitch of the keys played to create a funky, electrified sound.
Lachy’s set was nothing shy of spectacular, delivering feisty solo runs on the Hammond and wailing blues lines on the whammy clavinet across five original blues numbers. While he and drummer Jackie Barnes split basslines, each playing a bass keyboard with one hand, they eventually brought Platinum Moon bassist Toby Dorfman out to play two blues jam songs with them. The funkiness and groove of the set paved the way for the headlining act, the funk band Here Come the Mummies, while their style of playing set them apart as one of the most distinct musical acts I have ever seen perform live.
With the crowd-grabbing rock numbers of Platinum Moon, and the soulful blues experience of The Lachy Doley Group, these two opening bands proved themselves to be standout acts who are guaranteed to be headlining in the near future. For any fans of rock, blues, or funk, or anybody interested, I highly recommend checking out their music and social media.
Platinum Moon Instagram: @platinummoonofficial
Lachy Doley Instagram: @lachydoley
Featured Image Credit: Will Byington
Story Images Credit: Aidan Ward