Blood Red Dancers ::: all photos by Abbey Simmons

Saturday night Blood Red Dancers celebrated the release of their EP Bikini Island with a gritty, brooding set of their brand of the blues at The Blue Moon. Blood Red Dancers specialize in dark, raw drinking songs delivered with powerful performances from each member of the trio. Singer and bassist Aaron Poppick growls and spits his words like a curse, while drummer Kevin T. Lord looks like he knows a hundred ways to kill a man with his sticks. It’s all bridged by the piano playing of Julian Thomas, who skillfully molds the mood from spooky psychedelic to dirty delta blues to Depression-era Southern gospel.

Blood Red Dancers by no means put on a flashy performance, but it is very much in your face. It’s rock’n'roll that still feels dangerous. It’s tunes you’re drinking whiskey to, but if the world was fair, and it never is, you would be drinking moonshine. It’s leering at you and is just as ready to fight you, as it is  ready to sling an arm around you and whistle at passing pretty girls.   It’s tormented and taut, and if you haven’t seen them yet — you should really remedy that. But do it at a dive, do it at a place like the Blue Moon or the Comet or the Funhouse, where you can stand toe-to-toe with the band and look the devil in the eye.

Julian of Blood Red Dancers ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Blood Red Dancers ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Blood Red Dancers With Blue Moon Percussion Accompaniment ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

See More Photos from: Blood Red Dancers EP Release Show at The Blue Moon - November 14, 2009