It was goths’ night out at the Bottleneck on Wednesday thanks a spectacular lineup of eyeliner-clad rockers. Vision Video brought one fantastic dark wave post punk hit after another, including a new unreleased track, “Normalize.” This band’s entire vibe was magnificent. Fronted by everyone’s favorite goth dad Dusty Gannon, they were very much like most goths: bubbly personality, anti-establishment lyrics. A high point in the evening came when the audience learned the keyboard player grew up just down the road in Paola, and she took the lead on one of their rock songs.
Gannon was previously a firefighter and paramedic in Atlanta, and pulled on intensities from that experience for lyrics like “Haunted Hours.” Though he was exceptionally chatty, charming, and chipper, he mirrored the sense of togetherness from the crowd. It felt like a room where everyone appreciated the avant garde side to life and art, welcoming the unusual and appreciating the exotic.
They were joined by Sweden’s Then Comes Silence, who spent two days getting to know the Lawrence landscape. The band’s music was equally bittersweet and beautiful, and those who spent time with them came to know them for their upmost politeness (a rarity in rock and roll).
Local goth maestro Serene Fiend opened the show with a quick but needed set. They treated their fans (and Dennis!) to a more melodic and metal side of their sound. In fact, one song was straight up metal, a departure from their intense industrial tracks. Though, if you think about it, everyone in that band has roots in the metal scene, so we shouldn’t be surprised.