L.A. Witch celebrated their burgeoning legacy with a sold out homecoming set at Lodge Room
The stately walls of Lodge Room were thick with a celebratory atmosphere last Friday night as the venue embraced L.A. Witch for a homecoming performance marking the victorious conclusion of a coast-to-coast run of dates in support of the band’s latest LP, DOGGOD, with special guest Daiistar.
Daiistar’s emergence has gathered considerable buzz since the release of their 2023 Alex Maas produced LP, Good Time, buzz that proved well earned as the band opened the evening with a set of hard edged, kaleidoscopic psychedelia seemingly conjured directly from the 1990s heyday of the Britpop invasion. Chiming guitar and groovy bass moved with Madchester finesse, elevating frontman Alex Capistran’s Gallagher-esque vocals to stadium-size heights. Like a vintage Jaguar restomod packing a Chevy 350 under the hood, Daiistar had more than a few surprises in store that kept their sound fresh and exhilarating. Colossal percussion pounded with the seismic impunity of a primitive golem unleashed among tumbling ruins, and an undercurrent of sinister synthesizer darkened the fringes of the band’s sunshine psych like an encroaching analog vignette. It can be argued that Daiistar is standing on the shoulder of giants, but the band’s view stretches twice as far, encompassing the totality of the psychedelic horizon to craft a creative vision with more physical verve and tangible substance than a shimmering desert oasis.
Stream Daiistar’s discography on Spotify and follow the band on Instagram.
Taking the stage amidst waves of thunderous adoration, L.A. Witch’s arrival was heralded with the force and spectacle of a Roman Triumph. Awash in the amorphous glow of distorted video projections the band seemed otherworldly as the amplifiers exploded with their characteristic reverb laden sound that serves as a common thread across the increasingly diverse stylings of their growing repertoire.
The opening moments of the set marinated in the heady miasma of the band’s slower selections, emphasizing dreamy elements and textural arrangements with the tragic romanticism of classical poetry, reaching climax with a hypnotizing rendition of “I Hunt You Pray” that left the audience awestruck and swaying to the circuitous rhythms and mesmerizing melodies.
From there L.A. Witch gradually gathered speed until the entire band was moving at the blistering, breakneck pace of a runaway steam engine barreling headlong toward a reckless infinity. Searing cuts from Play With Fire including a monumental take on “True Believers” juxtaposed with heavier selections from DOGGGOD that heaved with an angular, post-rock perilousness demonstrated the breadth of L.A. Witch’s potent sonic spellcraft.
As the band approached the finish line, “Baby In Blue Jeans” unfurled like the petals of a black rose turning its face towards the sun, and “Get Lost” mined the depths of the bands catalog to uncover glistening gemstones of sound that radiated prismatic with the full spectrum of unequalled talent expressed by this formidable cadre of remarkable artists.
DOGGOD is available now via Suicide Squeeze. Stream L.A. Witch’s discography on Spotify and follow the band on Instagram.
L.A. Witch Upcoming Shows
June 13, 2025 - Moe's Alley - Santa Cruz, CA - TICKETS
June 14, 2025 - The Chapel - San Francisco, CA - TICKETS
June 20, 2025 - Swan Dive - Las Vegas, NV
June 21, 2025 - Pappy & Harriet's - Pioneertown, CA - TICKETS
June 27, 2025 - Casbah - San Diego, CA - TICKETS
June 28, 2025 - Casbah - San Diego, CA - TICKETS
September 12, 2025 - Sala B - Madrid, Spain - TICKETS
September 14, 2025 - Le Rex de Toulouse - Toulouse, France - TICKETS
September 15, 2025 - Le Molotov - Marseille, France - TICKETS
September 17, 2025 - Trabendo - Paris, France - TICKETS
September 21, 2025 - Stereo - Glasgow, United Kingdom - TICKETS
September 22, 2025 - The Cluny - Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom - TICKETS
September 23, 2025 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, United Kingdom - TICKETS
September 24, 2025 - The Waterfront - Norwich, United Kingdom - TICKETS
September 25, 2025 - The Hope & Ruin - Brighton, United Kingdom - TICKETS
September 26, 2025 - Moth Club - London, United Kingdom - TICKETS
September 29, 2025 - Melkweg - Amsterdam, Netherlands - TICKETS
September 30, 2025 - MTC Club - Köln, Germany - TICKETS
October 1, 2025 - Cassiopeia - Berlin, Germany - TICKETS
October 2, 2025 - Bike Jesus - Hlavní Město Praha, Czechia - TICKETS
October 3, 2025 - Schlachthof Wiesbaden - Wiesbaden, Germany - TICKETS
October 4, 2025 - Backstage - München, Germany - TICKETS
October 5, 2025 - Postgarage - Graz, Austria - TICKETS
October 6, 2025 - B72 - Vienna, Austria - TICKETS
October 7, 2025 - Covo Club - Bologna, Italy - TICKETS
October 8, 2025 - Circolo Arci Bellezza - Milano, Italy - TICKETS
October 9, 2025 - Komplex AG - Zürich, Switzerland - TICKETS