Kitch is an unusual space for a bar. Located in an area which is largely zoned for industrial use, the unit which houses it is long and narrow, features a small second floor that overhangs the main section, and most of it is a high-ceilinged open-concept space. This forced the band to get creative with their stage placement when Squid Lid played there as part of Sensational When Wet. The result of their combined logistical solutions and décor was a brilliant live performance worthy of the band's reputation.
Befitting the band's underwater aesthetic theme, blue lighting was used, Kitch's high ceilings were strung with large clear balloons to mimic underwater bubbles, AirSwimmer toys were deployed in the space, and blue laser lights were used to illuminate the balloons. The visual results were quite impressive to say the least — if someone had wanted to throw a rave with an under-the-sea theme back when raves were still being thrown in warehouse spaces and attended by people who were there for the music more than the drugs, this is what they would have aspired to.
The band's legendary stage show did not suffer from the tight space. Rather than performing against one of the narrow end walls, the band used a shallow stage against one of the long walls. The primary musicians held positions in a straight line parallel to the wall while Chloe Dellark, their vocalist/suit performer/acrobat, moved around at will, at times in front of the line of musicians, at times beside them on one end of their line. The bizarre burlesque she performs by stripping down from a grotesque sea-monster costume to one of a crazy-eyed nubile sea witch (a staple of their performances since she joined the project) was included, even though it required her to be snout-to-nose with audience members. A screen placed her in silhouette during a costume change, which allowed for a complete costume change in spite of the complete lack of a backstage area. And the bands constantly-changing facial appearances, brought about by the rotation of masks which members Jonah K and Zirco use during performances, was enhanced by the close-in audience position which naturally resulted from the shallow stage. The band's musicianship was as tight as always — in this case, as tight as the space was.
In spite of the unusual layout, Kitch proved to be a good spot to see the show, and Squid Lid's adaptability to the space proved to be a good example of what they're capable of.
~ STEELCAVER
On the Web:
- Squid Lid
- Kitch
- Sensational When Wet (FaceBook Event Page, FaceBook Photo Album)
