Minor Strut, Evisceration, Azalea at Hotel Ziggy – Live Review

Minor Strut, Evisceration, Azalea, Hotel Ziggy, February 1, 2025

It is so great to see Dave and The Cobalt Presents, so very active promoting live shows and the new talent on our local music scene. The Cobalt Café was a place where legends and memories were made, and with The Cobalt Presents, Dave and his crew continue to deliver the amazing shows with the very best bands Los Angeles has to offer. Thank you, Dave, for being a tremendous supporter of live music throughout the years.  And on this night at Hotel Ziggy on the Sunset Strip, Highwire Daze caught up with three of the most promising of the new breed of L.A. bands…

EVISCERATION

Kicking off the evening was the almighty Evisceration, presenting their own dynamic brand of thrash metal at Hotel Ziggy. It was fun to see a band this heavy at the upscale venue, and they played with nothing short of a ferocious intensity. With band members ranging from 14 to 18, there is so much talent and energy to be found within the ranks of Evisceration. For now, it’s most covers by bands such as Slayer, Megadeth, and Sepultura – all played superbly by each and every member. The band also premiered an original song entitled No Escape – and what a staggering slab on sonic intensity that one was!

Absolutely amazing performances all around, including Beckett Seals on vocals and bass, Jozef and Milan shredding it into the stratosphere on dueling guitars, and Damien on drums. Even Coryn of Minor Strut would comment on the band later, saying they were amazing and that the “vocalist was sick!” Can’t wait to see Evisceration again! Keep up the great work and let’s hear even more original songs in the future.

MINOR STRUT

Minor Strut recently celebrated a decade in music, playing a standout show in the wilds of Pomona several months ago. It was fantastic to see them once again, this time rocking out Hotel Ziggy on the legendary Sunset Strip. This band is anything but Minor – a majorly explosive female fronted act who really know how to present a vibrantly memorable show! Opening with the thrilling refrains of Gotta Tell You and then merging into the brilliantly infectious Mannequin Head, Minor Strut enraptured the entire room with a rock-solid set of original tunes.

Coryn Cahill is such an extraordinary vocalist in the grand tradition of Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen while unleashing an identity and performance that was captivating to witness. Ethan Nguyen is an absolutely brilliant guitarist who fills the songs with a remarkable amount of imagination and intrigue. And what a killer rhythm section Minor Strut possesses, featuring Marquis Miranda on bass and Aiden Kunhardt on drums.

Closing out the set with their latest single OK 01, Minor Strut left us all wondering why this band hasn’t been signed to a major label and touring all over the world yet. A great mystery indeed, but one that is destined to be resolved soon if Minor Strut keeps unleashing shows this great!

AZALEA

I nearly missed Azalea, but my ride was late, so I was a captive audience to whoever would play right after the terrific Minor Strut set. I am so glad I did not miss Azalea! An all-girl group ready to set the world on fire, Azalea presented a topnotch set of mostly covers, but they played them all with a wide-eyed amount of passion and imagination. And their original song Blue Jeans was excellent – here’s hoping they record this gem of a tune soon!

There was so much talent and charisma to be found in the Azalea lineup, featuring Taryn Haze on lead guitar, Madison Jones on vocals and backup guitar, Savannah Tweedt on drums, and Candy Zhang on bass. It’s always a treat to accidentally discover an amazing new band – something you are almost guaranteed to achieve when attending a show produced by The Cobalt Presents. You can bet I’ll be covering Azalea again in future days. And as with Evisceration, it would be exciting to hear even more original songs for the Azalea camp.  All in good time…

(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

Evisceration on Instagram
Minor Strut on Instagram
Azalea on Instagram