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REVIEW: 9Electric Gets New Fans in Tempe (5-9-16)

When 9Electric took the stage at the Marquee Theatre Monday night, the crowd gathered before them was a small one. Most of the concert-goers were at the back of the house buying drinks at the bar or socializing on the patio. But it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

Mikey Lopez - 9ELECTRIC - Marquee Theatre
Mikey Lopez – 9ELECTRIC © Kataklizmic Design

9Electric along with Painted Wives and Butcher Babies opened for Lacuna Coil as part of the first leg of their North American tour to promote Lacuna Coil’s upcoming album, “Delirium”, which hits record stores on May 27.

Opening with lyrics like “Let’s start a fire. Let’s burn it down,” from “New God”—a track off 9Electric’s forthcoming album—and filling the room with smoke and laser light, it wasn’t hard to tell what kind of show it would be. Between the songs “New God” and “Time Bomb,” the audience began to grow as the electronic metal beats lured concert-goers back to the stage.

CaseyDC - 9ELECTRIC - Marquee Theatre
CaseyDC – 9ELECTRIC © Kataklizmic Design

Lead vocalist Ron “Thunderwood” didn’t waste any time. From the first song to the last, he continually engaged with fans from stage right to stage left to right behind the barricades. He brought a staggering amount of energy to the show, but what was truly impressive was that he had the stamina to keep it up for the entire performance.

Ron Underwood - 9ELECTRIC - Marquee Theatre
Ron Underwood – 9ELECTRIC © Kataklizmic Design

During “The Damaged Ones,” another song from their upcoming album of the same title, Thunderwood got up on top of the barricades in front of the stage. “I want to see you move!” he shouted to the growing audience. And by the time they started playing “Beautiful,” people were moving to bass beats so hard, it felt like it could make someone’s heart explode.

“You ready to go ape shit?” Thunderwood asked the crowd. “This one’s about people who are full of shit,” Thunderwood told concert-goers before playing “Lies”. Afterward, he announced that their first full-length album would be released in July. “So fuckin’ buy it or get fucked!” Thunderwood said with an unapologetic smile.

Although 9Electric hails from Los Angeles, Thunderwood himself is a Phoenix native. Before singing “Beautiful” for his hometown audience, Thunderwood, who had periodically been standing on a platform at the center front of the stage for better visibility, joked that the height difference between him and their towering bass player, CaseyDC, was an “optical illusion.”

Micah Electric - 9ELECTRIC - Marquee Theatre
Micah Electric – 9ELECTRIC © Kataklizmic Design

The group’s setlist included “Goodbye,” “More More,” and “Naked.” By the time they finished “Naked,” drummer Micah Electric was shirtless, and they were playing to a much bigger audience. “It’s like they know we’re here now,” Thunderwood said to CaseyDC, both of them laughing. “Yeah, we’re doing something right… Let’s end this one on a high note!”

Ron Underwood - 9ELECTRIC - Marquee Theatre
Ron Underwood – 9ELECTRIC © Kataklizmic Design

For their finale, 9Electric covered AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds,” lending their unique electronic rock sound to an old classic. Nearly everyone in the room sang along as Thunderwood made his way from one end of the stage barricades to the other, exchanging fist-bumps and high-fives with concert-goers along the way.

After the show, Thunderwood, CaseyDC, Micah Electric, and guitarist Mikey Lopez all took time to talk to fans, sign merchandise and pose for selfies. If 9Electric returns to Phoenix to promote “The Damaged Ones,” they may find a whole new clutch of fans waiting for them.

PHOTO ALBUM by Katherine Vega

9ELECTRIC – Marquee Theatre 5-9-16

Photography by Katherine Vega, © Kataklizmic Design
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