If you live in or around the Destin, Florida area, you know the venue that brings the live music to you is Club LA… and you also know it is a true experience for the concert goer. Why? The club is a mid-sized club that offers an intimate, up close view of the band(s). There are no bad seats in the house. Speaking of seats, it is a mostly standing, general admission venue. However, there is table seating that may be purchased for an additional cost. The club offers snack foods as well as soda… and adult beverages. The club is an all ages venue unless otherwise noted. The staff is friendly, and the lights and sound are on point.
Now for the answer: Adelitas Way. The question? Why would I make the 1.5 hour plus drive from Pensacola, FL to go to Club LA in Destin? But there is more to the story than that. Wes & I are “snow birding” in Florida. We were supposed to head home a week before Adelitas Way was set to hit the stage at Club LA. However, happy wife-happy life came into play. ME to hubby, “We are not leaving Floridia until I see Adelitas Way”. So that brings me to telling you about the show.
I will start with the opener, Kamenar, a rare two piece Rock band. Now I have to be honest… in the past, few 2 pieces captured my attention long enough to even write about them. I would try to get into them but they couldn’t do it for me. Their (the boring bands) sound wasn’t full, they did not have a stage presence, and they made the opening set last forever. However, this was NOT the case with Kamenar. The band is comprised of 2 brothers, but not just ordinary brothers, but identical twins. I guess being in sync with each other was in their DNA… that twin bond advantage. But let me tell you, they earned the spot on the stage and are worth a listen. The lead singer/guitarist was not only singing and playing, but he was interacting with the crowd, moving, and being a true front man.
KAMENAR
Love The Hate, a hard and heavy band from Mobile, Alabama, came out and showed what the crowd what hard is. Although boasting several new members, they have been around for a minute and it shows. They knew how to work the stage and the crowd. If you like it hard and heavy, check this band out…
LOVE THE HATE
Classless Act is everything but classless. During the first two bands, I saw from the crowd a guy living his best rock ‘n roll life jamming to the bands. He looked like he should be on stage himself. He was out in the crowd supporting and being a fan. I would soon see that this was the frontman for Classless Act. I have seen a lot… and I mean a lot of bands in my time (over1.5k confirmed), and Classless Act has to have one of the most talented & entertaining frontmen I have seen. Imagine a Sunset Strip band and a 80’s Rock band had a love child… that child would be Classless Act. I highly recommend them.
CLASSLESS ACT
Now here is where I explode with excitement. I am not going to lie… I am a long time fan of Adelitas Way. In fact, “Notorious” is one of my favorite songs to box to at the gym. I have seen them many times on stage, more times than I can count, and we’ve interviewed frontman Rick DeJesus a few other times. But it has been a quick minute (“Las Rageous” festival 2018). That said, I have been listening to the songs the band has been dropping on line lately. I was blown away. The songs still had the power and balls of Adelitas Way from the past, but these songs were songs that were lyrically deeper. So deep that the lyrics made me self-evaluate my own issues… and gave me hope. The words spoke to me with encouragement and strength… and made me want to overcome and have victory in my life. I think that this is really important now because so many songs that are good, and that I love, do not offer hope. They keep my hyped and let me swim in the dark waters of my negative and bad emotions. Adelitas Way’s new music is uplifting and brings light into this dark world.
If you are the kind of person who has a band list and crosses it off your list after seeing the band one time, that would be a mistake with this band. Why? They interact with the audience in a personal way. At this show it was taking a phone from a fan in the crowd and doing video for them. It was calling out and giving props to a dad who had his young daughter, I would say about 3 or 4 years old at the show. It was asking questions and when people answered, Rick talking back. Again… an Adelitas Way show is not just a band on stage… it is an experience.
Every member of the band had energy that made you want to keep your eyes on them. They moved… their passion and talent bursting out of them and into their instruments. All the while they smiled and gave back the love that the crowd was giving them.
I could go on and on, but I am going to end by saying this. Adelitas Way is a band that knows what it takes to be independent. They know the importance of supporting other music/musicians, and just as important, how important the support from fans is. This is proven if you are listening to their music on their social media. I must confess, I am an Instagram gal and one of my favorite posts to see are Adelitas Way ones. They truly look at what the fans say and answer. As a fan that is huge….
ADELITAS WAY
Support local music, and bands you love… get merch, and occupy a venue near you.
