About a month ago, Madalyn - Queen GoGirl - gave me a bunch of CDs to listen to. I was working my way through the stack when she told me Astrogin was coming to town. So I had to skip several other CDs and get to "Dreams and Disasters." I was truly impressed with the album. And I was really impressed with the amazing amounts of layers and depth of the music. Now my curiosity was piqued - could these guys get that much sound in a live venue? The answer to that question is not only yes but "Hell yes!"
The crowd had gathered to see Patrice Pike, wasn't sure what to make of this first act. The first number, flavored with a touch of Pink Floyd, kind of caught them off guard. But soon enough, the audience let themselves get pulled into the highly textured, sexy, sultry music of Astrogin. By the third song I saw two couples making out. If I had a date that night I might have been doing the same thing.
Deborah Vial made her Houston debut as lead singer of this band. If Shirley Bassie and Aretha Franklin could have a love child it would be Deborah. Growly, powerful, smoky voice making the songs I heard on the album jump when performed live. The rest of the band was a tight, laid back group. No whiny, overplayed guitar solos or grandstanding. Everything was about the music.
I could make a million comparisons to a million other bands on any given song. It's just a mélange of styles and musical textures that works for Astrogin. The closest classification I can come to is 21st Century Hippie Music. And it's all great.
If you are in Dallas, Astrogin's hometown, find them. See them. You won't be disappointed. Keep an eye on their website for info about them journeying elsewhere - like Maui where they have a huge following. Astrogin is definitely a "go see" band. Watch out for a re-release of "Dreams and Disasters" with Deborah Dial on lead vocals. I'm keeping my original copy as a collector's item.
Check out the band's web site for more info: www.astrogin.com
