The night was supposed to belong to the Blood Brothers, crowned princes of bloody, black-and-white striped rebellion.
But instead, grape-hued Atlanta venue, the Masquerade, was temporarily dominated by Baltimore avant-soul act Celebration. As the second opening act during a four-band night, the trio took charge as if every dyed-black head in the place was always destined to orbit around it.
Witnessing lead singer Katrina Ford in action, it’s no wonder concert goers were enraptured. Thanks to her relentless, borderline-schizophrenic enthusiasm, those unsuspecting, tattooed kids were not only shoving each other to get closer to the action, but dancing like their lives depended on it. It was a sight reminiscent of some sort of religious revival.
Rising from the ashes of the West Coast’s post-hardcore scene, Celebration simultaneously embodies the triumphant sentiment behind its name and the Goth-inspired melodrama of black-magic predecessors Pleasure Forever and Get Hustle. While Celebration’s lyrics aren’t satanic per se, they seem to summon something spiritual and otherworldly – and something that is decidedly not innocent.
Loath to betray those seemingly sinister roots, Ford arrived on stage in full-on Stevie Nicks regalia – a black-on-black costume of heavy boots, flowing top, skintight jeans and metal belt buckle. Although notable, her monochromatic appearance was immediately overshadowed by the largeness of her presence – a ball of over-the-top theatrics, trancelike concentration and flailing hair.
Backed by co-members David Bergander on drums and her husband Sean Antanaitis on organ and guitar, Ford wasted no time getting to the meat of the matter with “Tonight,” from the band’s self-titled debut. Without skipping a beat, the trio (accompanied by Blood Brothers co-vocalist Johnny Whitney on bass clarinet) flowed into “China,” a revelatory concoction of tambourine, keys and sweaty drumming.
As the seven-song set – which consisted of primarily newer, yet-to-be-released selections, including a few softer numbers – progressed, Ford became more visibly uninhibited. Her hinges loosened, as did her movements. Breathlessly, she beat a drum with a maraca and then danced all over the stage. Minutes later, she shook her tambourine high over her head like some sort of sacrificial offering. There were moments when it became clear Ford was somewhere else – not a tangible place, but an altered, transcendent state of consciousness. She was transfixed, possessed by the spirit of the sound.
The show couldn’t be called a performance as much as an eruption – a convulsion of sight and aural intensity fueled by Katrina Ford’s animalistic fervor. Celebration the band is a jubilant expression – not in the traditional balloon-and-birthday-cake sense, but in the most visceral, naturally human way possible.