Dead Sara strikes a pose on stage. (Alicia Dewell/Neon Tommy)

Comprised of lead singer Emily Armstrong, guitarist Siouxsie Medley, bassist Chris Null, and drummer Sean Friday, the L.A.-based band delivered a mesmerizing performance.

Clad in black pants, a tattered t-shirt, and (initially at least) a black top hat, Armstrong looked the epitome of rock-n-roll. And, with the second song “Test On My Patience,” she proved this was not only an aesthetic but rather an accurate representation.

The rest of the band stayed relatively static throughout the show, providing a stable base for Armstrong’s raw vocals and movement—specifically during the particularly upbeat “Monumental Holiday” and “I Said You Were Lucky.”

While some of today’s artists may use antics such as head-banging, crowd-surfing, or guitar-smashing as mere theatrics, Armstrong performs these actions as naturally as she takes sips of her water bottle between breaths.

In fact, towards the end of the show when a fan requests the song “We Are What You Say,” she responds that she can’t play it because she broke the guitar when smashing it on-stage a few songs earlier. This is rock and roll, my friends.

Towards the middle of the set, Dead Sara ventured into some of their more melodic tunes with brilliant performances of “Face To Face,” “Dear Love,” “Feeling Empty,” and “Whispers and Ashes,” before closing their set with the crowd-pleasing “Lemon Scent” and a passionate cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name.”

Returning to the stage for their well-deserved encore, Dead Sara treated the audience to “Blue Was The Feeling For You,” before closing the show with their first single “Weatherman.”

During the hour-long set they maintained a powerful stage presence that translated into an attentive and energetic crowd. Throughout the show, frontwoman Armstrong’s periodic jumping off of amps and into the crowd ultimately landed her, and subsequently Dead Sara, on the list of top artists you do not want to miss seeing live.

Read more of NT's show reviews here.

Reach Staff Reporter Alicia Dewell here.