When I heard L.A. Witch were going to be playing at Le Beanfield I was a little surprised. The last time they came to Montreal, they were the headliner at Bar Le Ritz. I was even more surprised after I got to the venue and found out that they were the supporting band. I kept seeing posts on their socials that they were touring, but I didn’t realize that they were opening for another band. A band I was unfamiliar with.
I decided a few years ago that to step out of my comfort zone and see artists that I had never heard of. This led me to the conclusion that the only thing better than seeing one of your favourite bands is discovering a new one that becomes your new favourite band.
L.A. Witch has been around for 15 years and is finally getting the recognition they deserve. Their style and their sound may seem effortless, but they’ve been slowly expanding their musical range from surfer/GarageBand to goth/new wave. They say that they’re influences are Black Sabbath and the Brian Jonestown Massacre but I feel so many others like Hole and Courtney Barnett, especially on their last album DOGGOD.
Sade Sanchez’s (lead guitarist/vocalist) singing style has that cool yet seething tone, you’re just waiting for her to scream but she never does. It’s always in control, while her guitar playing intensifies with delicate yet powerful reverb. They added keyboardist for this tour, and I’m loving the new sound especially on S.O.S. Their last album DOGGOD was released in April 2025.
1. Dark Horse
2. Brian
3. Drive Your Car
4. Kiss Me Deep
5. DOGGOD
6. Icicle
7. I Wanna Lose
8. 777
9. The Lines
10. Starred
Around 9 o’clock the Beanfield started to get really crowded as sweaty fans of all ages (but mostly older bros) began cramming towards the stage. There is something very liberating about going to see a band you had never heard of before. There’s no expectation so you can’t be disappointed.
The first thing I noticed when The Black Angels hit the stage was guitarist Christian Bland and quite honestly not much else. The way he leaned into that gorgeous black-and-white Rickenbacker and played with manic energy and supernatural skill was really fun to watch.
Staying true to their psychedelic genre they had some very groovy flashing graphics on a huge screen behind them, so I had to focus on one musician at a time because if I stared at the screen, it was quite dizzying. I mean the effects were cool, but it’s not something you can stare at for a long period of time. Maybe I had to be high. And from the looks of the spaced-out crowd, I think a lot of them were. It was quite a mixed bag of all ages, but mostly older dudes.
Kicking it off with Young Men Dead, The Black Angels created a slow and steady groove, luring us in to their trippy vibe. My favourite was the bluesy Bloodhounds On My Trail.
I wasn’t sure if I was going last the whole night with those crazy flashing lights but somehow I did. The music is alright but the lead vocalist/bassist (Alex Maas) didn’t really do it for me. I think he was trying to channel Jim Morrison, but he lacked the fire. Stephanie Bailey was great on drums. Next time a concert announcement pops up on my feed. I’m going to make sure to read the fine print.
1. Young Men Dead
2. The First Vietnamese War
3. The Sniper At The Gates of Heaven
4. The Prodigal Son
5. Black Grease
6. Manipulation
7. Empire
8. Better Off Alone
9. Bloodhounds On My Trail
10. Call To Arms
11. Mistress Brown
12. Ronettes
13. Bad Vibrations
14. Song 6
15. Firefly
16. Daisies
17. Currency
18. Turkish
19. Entrance Song
Review – Annette Aghazarian
Photos – Simon Wellwood
