There’s a Goner Records bumper sticker on the water cooler at the Highline. That’s so cool.  I’m here for a Doom Metal show.  It’s a proper noun because in my head it’s spoken in the deep, rumbling voice of an angry James Earl Jones.  Ask me what Doom Metal is and I’ll shrug.  Based on this show alone, I apparently like it. Saying that, these four bands feel more like shoe-gazer metal. I’m no expert but it should be noted that I like shoe-gazing.  I’m pretty certain someone mislabeled the lineup and I’m simply abiding by semantics.

The first band, The Malady of Sevendials, busts out complex melodies against melancholy soundscapes with impressive simplicity. An Afro of soft bouncy hair poofs out of a beautiful girl’s face as she sings hauntingly and I feel transported to the Roadhouse in Twin Peaks.  Playing a guitar with casual skill, her demeanor reflects the entire group’s talent on stage. Their set is measured well and captivates the audience all the way through a metal-worthy climactic finish.  Again, I’m not sure what Doom Metal is – but this opening act set the tone for quality music.

The second band suffers from a comparison to the first group. Not bad but not good, relatively speaking. Their overall quality is great for a house party but not something exciting for the stage.  The lead vocals start off key and a plague of technical difficulties hinder the overall performance. A leaky ceiling near the front row might have something to do with the audience’s sparse attention.  The floor is mostly full, just not engaged in the show.  No matter how you slice it, the music feels like a sub-par version of the previous performance.  60% of good is still good, right?

Bloody Knives, from Austin, brings a whole different energy to the stage and is very fun to watch.  I even catch myself dancing a little bit.  It’s the right warm-up for the main show and everyone gets a chance to purchase second and third rounds as needed.  I’ve been to a few shows at the Highline so far.  They continue to exceed my expectations as a venue.  A feng shui nerd (if such a thing exists), I really like the flow of the room.  Everyone can get to anywhere and there’s no need to “claim” seats or even really worry about getting to the bathroom.  Seriously, a great floor plan should never be underestimated.

Headliners Vibragun take the stage as a 3-piece.  Only two of the 3 members are in the promo picture.  A 2014 blurb on the event page says the band is supposedly fronted by a husband and wife team.  With only the husband in attendance I assume a fit of creative differences?  Not the type to idly speculate about strangers’ lives, I only wonder what I’m missing from the lineup change.  The show is very pleasant and the band’s cohesiveness is professional quality.  Their video projections has the most aesthetic appeal of the evening, if you care about that sort of thing.

So I doubt the night represents an authentic Doom Metal experience.  The mix-up made it feel a little bit like The Blues Brothers in a country-western bar.  The performers’ overall enthusiasm saved the night and I look forward to the next show.  There’s a Ska Fest later this month I’ve got my eye on.