By Ani Heslop

The Starlight Room wasn’t very full on the Saturday night of May 10. The Famous Strangers debut
show was on the upper level, and about fifty people milled about; one bar was open. The
concert goers were dressed in dark, brooding clothes, fitting for the music, and many people
were wearing shirts that said “If you can’t beat them, eat them.” Definitely some kind of merch,
but I couldn’t decide which band it was for; there were four playing that night.


As the opening band began, the drums beat loud, the guitars all joined together, and the music
was heavy metal. I could not understand a single word the singer was saying, but their
energy was so electric. The bass player for Embur was wearing a tall top hat, the drummer
was shirtless, and the lead singer had long dreadlocks.


They were jumping all over the stage, screaming, and as they played their heavy rock and metal
music, I couldn’t help but look around, and the audience shocked me. First of all,
there was no one dancing, but more surprising, there were a lot of young people there, and by
young, I mean under 18. There were groups of children, looking to be 13 or 14, and even as
young as 9, large headphones over his ears and absolutely rocking out with, who I assume is,
his dad.


I questioned some staff about this, and they explained that some shows at The Starlight Room
are indeed all ages. I noticed many of them had X’s marked on their hands, and I assumed they
were marked at the door, but the staff informed me that it’s a metal culture thing, and for the
most part, the kids do it themselves. This shocked me. Then I wondered how drinks at the bar
were monitored.


As Embur transitioned into the band KingThief, the mood shifted. I think they had the best
energy, and people finally started moving their feet a little more, and I was happy to see some
people headbanging to the music. A little mosh pit even started up, but for the most part, the
crowd was still incredibly stiff. KingThief was made up of 3 middle aged men, one with a soul
patch, and they played their music hard and passionately.


The third band, Black Friday, followed KingThief very well. The style of music hardly changed at
all, it was a very hardcore metal show, and to my untrained ear, almost all the bands and the
songs sounded the same. I could barely understand but I was still happy to dance
and move, and practice my hand — or head — at the hair whipping.

Lastly, and most anticipated was Famous Strangers.

Despite the headliner, and the fact that this was their first ever time headlining, the crowd
was still uninterested. The music started heavy and hot, playing exactly what the band
describes their music as: “dynamic and innovative” and “dark, moody, and mysterious.” Halfway
through the second song, they released balloons from the ceilings and tossed giant inflatable
balloons into the crowd.


I was ecstatic, bopping the balloons to the back and slow dancing with The Aliens, but still, the
crowd was lethargic. I was so bored of the energy of the crowd, and I was enjoying the music of
Famous Strangers, so I gave away my inhibitions and danced really hard. The lead singer,
Amanda Keirnan was captivating on stage, her all black outfit and studded rhinestone
accessories had me mesmerized. Jeff Kittlitz and Braden Sustrik on guitar and bass were
dynamic as they slid around the stage, and Brian Beejerson “Beej” kept the beat going with the
drums. I am definitely untrained in the art of headbanging and moshing, because my body was
definitely sore the next day.


They played some interesting music compared to the other bands, including a slow song
dedicated to the band’s father’s in their lives, I was afraid it would bring the low energy of the
crowd to a screeching halt, but then an almost impromptu sounding song about The Starlight
Room itself helped, and of course, they debuted their new single “I’ll See You in the Stars.”

(Link to listen here)

The vibe of the entire show was strange, from the hoards of children, to
the style of music, to the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd, I couldn’t make my mind up for a
while, but every single band that played: Embur, KingThief, Black Friday, and Famous
Strangers, are local bands, based in Edmonton, and finding their fan base. As they continue to
play, who knows, I might become a fan myself.

You can hear Famous Strangers play live next at Decimate Metalfest in June, link here:
https://www.decimatemetalfest.com/tickets and the Loud as Hell festival in Drumheller in
August, link here: https://loudashell.ca/ and you can find their music on Spotify, Apple Music,
YouTube, or wherever you get your music.