Julien-K Energizes Fans At The Amsterdam

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It took a while for Sunday night’s show to find its groove, but it did with a vengeance. I had seen Julien-K last year and really liked their set. So when my schedule matched up with their show at the Amsterdam I had to be there.

Starting the night was Illuminatè Steele who performed her first couple of songs with vocals before switching to a DJ set. Her vibe reminded me of one my favorite German performance artists from my youth Gina X. There were only a few people in the venue but she had most of them dancing.

Local artist Endif took over next. Performing under a hooded cloak. Attention was diverted by a video screen and created a focus on music and images. I appreciated the music but the overall vibe suffered a bit by the small audience. It would be  perfect for a dance night where the energy of the crowd pushes it to the next level.

Julien-K took the stage around 10 PM. Founded by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck it rose from the Ashes of Orgy taking inspiration for its name from American Gigolo’s Julian Kane. They just started a tour with Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, and The Cult. It was good to see that more fans had joined the crowd. One moment that stood out to me was when a fan helped another in a walker to the front row and the crowd moved around her so she would have a great view of the performance.
What the crowd lacked in size, it made up for in energy. From the first beats pretty much everyone was dancing. Shuck called the fans the “Julien-K family” and thanked them for coming. The band’s stage presence is impressive with smog and bottom LED lights enhancing visuals.

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