New faces in grunge music will perform in Gardner on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 8:30 p.m. The Seattle band, Crater, comprised of Ceci Gomez on vocals and Kessiah Gordon on drums, with the addition of a bass and guitar player for the live show, will share their unique style of music with the Grinnell community. Opening for Crater will be student musician Squirrel Flower, given name Ella Williams ’19.
Gomez and Gordon, both in their mid-20s, manage to create catchy, driving melodies that combine elements of modern electronic music and classic grunge in order to represent the anxiety, frustration and catharsis of being young and adrift.
Crater’s hometown of Seattle is known as the home of grunge, a mix of punk rock and heavy metal defined by its use of distorted or fuzzy guitars and raw sound. Lyrically, grunge is known for a pessimistic, doom and gloom perspective. Emerging as an “underground” sound in the mid-80s, grunge was popularized by Seattle groups such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.
Coming from a city that has such a deep connection to the genre, it comes as no surprise that Crater incorporates certain elements of grunge into their work. Yet, rather than coming off as a neo-Nirvana wannabe, Crater integrates characteristic qualities of grunge into their work skillfully and subtly.
A characteristic Crater song synthesizes 80s-style beats, ethereal female vocals and distorted guitar to communicate a nihilistic, moody vibe. The overall effect is reminiscent of fellow female-fronted, ennui-fueled electronic rock duo Phantogram.
This electro-grunge musical identity was established in a very short amount of time. The group only entered the public sphere in 2014 but that doesn’t come through in their music. Gomez and Gordon have produced a cohesive, albeit small, body of work. The pair has released only four original songs but has composed close to twenty songs, according to a 2014 interview with Impose Magazine. This offers concert goers a unique opportunity to hear songs that are unavailable to the public.
Student opener Squirrel Flower’s music contrasts and complements that of Crater. Whereas Crater provides heavy electric riffs and deep bass, Squirrel Flower’s repertoire consists of pensive acoustic guitar and meandering melodies.
