Beast Court Darkness In Live Appearance

For a band named Beast, you'd expect no less than chaos and bewilderment at their live shows. Surprisingly, that's exactly what we got.

Stepping into the flickering strobe lights set onstage at the darker-than-usual Horseshoe Tavern on Friday (Feb. 5) night, Beast brought an unexpected amount of energy to their live set that I, who had never seen Beast before, was pleasantly amazed to see.

This atmosphere was not ideal for photographers, as the one beside me blatantly stated "the lighting is fucked," but it was ideal for a Beast show.

The band were dressed in all black, except for lead singer Betty Bonifassi, who sported a black and white dress underneath a Matrix-esque trench coat. Beast's attire definitely matched their dark sound. That's the appeal, though — this band are aware of the dramatic flare they exude and are neither too serious nor too light-hearted about it.

Bonifassi's intensity projected from her eyes and her voice; a devilish glare from her followed by that unique voice was much more striking live than it is on record.

It's clear this is Bonifassi's show. Guitarist and bassist Serge Pelletier and Jonathan Dauphinais' were positioned in the dark corners at the back of the stage and drummer Jean-Phi Goncalves was set to the side.

Dancing, jumping and running to the edge of the stage, Bonifassi's stage presence is commanding and incredible to see as she juggles two mics, singing and at times, rapping — not her forte, but still admirable — over the band's brand of "trip rock" beats and riffs. Goncalves also had his hand at taking the lead on songs like "Ashtray," rapping atop pre-recorded beats and a menacing riff.

Crowd pleasers like "Mr. Hurricane" and "Out Of Control" got the audience jumping and dancing enthusiastically, and at one point Bonifassi even got the crowd to participate by singing happy birthday to bassist Dauphinais.

Whether "trip rock" is your style of music or not, a Beast show is a fun experience that's part rock show, part house party and all worth going to see.