Rolling in from the Inland Empire, Cold Cut is a fiery rock band currently consisting of three members: Elmar Chavarria (vocalist), Lou Blackwood (bassist), and Brian Santiago (drummer). Since establishing themselves in 2018, they have marked their territory in the local music scene with a solid discography worth mentioning. They released their first single in 2021 titled, “Euphoria” and their debut album in 2022 titled, “Something Sweet” followed by a bluesy single titled, “Depths”. On Friday, July 14th 2023, I had the pleasure of attending a show celebrating Cold Cut’s newest single release titled, “Greybar Hotel”.
Slow burning and rich from Elmar’s decadent vocals, “Greybar Hotel” is a fantastic addition to Cold Cut’s discography and totally deserving of its own party. This powerful rock tune builds up to a roaring ending that fills your chest with a warm feeling similar to that after taking a sip of an alcoholic beverage. While this song is bold enough to fill the walls of an upscale venue, it’s also perfect for chaotic backyard gatherings in a city where your nearest grocery store is miles away from home. Take Fontana for example, the city where Cold Cut decided to host their big event.
Located in San Bernardino County, Fontana is not only home to a lot of dirt but also a neat backyard venue Cold Cut cleverly calls “The Deli”. Here, they churned out several promotional videos for social media with supporting acts, The Offtrax and The Dreamscape, and documented their process behind building their own stage entirely from scratch. Seeing how much effort they put into promotion was inspiring and definitely raised my expectations.
Luckily, these expectations were met! Upon walking into the backyard, I was immediately struck by how spacious it was. There was plenty of room for all of the vendors, guests to dance and mingle, and the incredible stage at the back that drew my attention. But before I could properly marvel at the setup, I wanted to visit with each vendor to see what they had and talk to them about their work! There was an assortment of thrifted clothes, crystals, crocheted bags, and other lovely handmade items. It was a pleasure getting to chat with so many creative individuals who love what they do. I love to support the musicians in my community, but I have a lot of admiration for artists of all other types as well. Vendors are an integral part of DIY shows as they keep guests occupied in between sets and add to the overall enjoyment of the event itself.
After pursuing the merchandise, catching up with some members of The Offtrax, and losing my mind over the two dogs that were present, I was ready to hear some live music. Like an elephant in the room, the stage made from blood, sweat, and tears (and wood) stared at me hauntingly. About 5 feet off tall, the stage looked well made and even had a backdrop for cool visual projections. After I paid my respects, the first act of the night called The Night Tides kicked things off and I really enjoyed watching their set! The guys had a great style and the music created a really nice atmosphere. However, a lot of audio issues started coming up. The microphone for the singer and the sound coming from the guitarist kept cutting in and out and the mix wasn’t as well balanced as I had hoped. These issues carried on throughout the night, lightly dampening the spirit coming from most of the bands that followed.
Despite this setback, I had a great time and it looked like everyone else did as well! There were still plenty of guests dancing, moshing, head bobbing, and moving various body parts. I could tell that everybody there shared a special connection with each other and was happy to support their friends. Dear Donna sounded as beautiful as ever with their dreamy instrumentals and Shaden's siren-esque tones, The Offtrax brought the house down with their infectious energy, The Dreamscape got the pit going, and Cold Cut charmed their way through the set with their musky, rock ‘n’ roll ballads. Every band showed up and did what they had to do. It takes a lot of guts to host a large-scale event, everyone who had a part in its creation deserves praise and a very firm handshake for their successes. The only thing I was truly disappointed about regarding the show at The Deli was the lack of deli meats.
Be sure to check out Cold Cut and stream their song, “Greybar Hotel” everywhere you listen to music!
Follow Cold Cut on Instagram: https://instagram.com/coldcut_?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Stream “Greybar Hotel” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3lc8qb70CcJrcZfvPqSdud?si=81NZ1duhQDqosGoXg_U2oQ
Stream “Greybar Hotel” on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/greybar-hotel/1690479209?i=1690479210&ls
Comments