Dizzylilacs at The Whisky – Live Review

Dizzylilacs, The Whisky, West Hollywood, CA., January 26, 2023

Local alternative rock band made a thunderous return to the iconic Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip, opening for Gene Loves Jezebel on a chilly Thursday night.  And while it was indeed a bit nippy outside, the music inside definitely turned up the heat, with Dizzylilacs providing rock solid support to the legendary New Wave headliners.

Dizzylilacs has opened for 80’s bands before, including the likes of ABC, Berlin and Boys Don’t Cry – and going on to the more modern entities, they’ve even been on the bill with the one and only Trapt more than a few times.  The music of Dizzylilacs is vibrantly intriguing, capturing the imaginations of all types of music fans.  They’d been playing acoustic a lot as of late, so it was tremendous so see the power trio go full on electric for their first show of 2023 at The Whisky.

Opening with the spellbinding refrains of Up Late, Dizzylilacs clearly caught the audience’s attention with their glorious and moody tapestries.  Mark V. Hoagland presents a thrilling and haunting vocal, and combined with his pulsating bass meanderings, the delivery is absolutely inspired.  Brother Paul P. Hoagland absolutely tears it up on drums with an ultra-dynamic skilled precision.  And then there’s guitarist Mike Wendland who colors in the songs with superbly imaginative reveries that are wondrous to behold.  The power trio unleashes a rapturous magic onstage that is quite powerful to witness.  Stand out selections within their set included Hazel, Pretend and Leather Coffin.

And when the band closed out their set with the almighty Indefinite, it was crystal clear that Dizzylilacs left a definitive impact upon all of the early arrivals.  Dizzylilacs keep on presenting the sonic goods tenfold, and whether it’s a stripped-down acoustic affair or a night of intensive auditory revelry, this local Los Angeles collective delivers a show that is not to be missed!  Watch for even more gripping performances from the Dizzylilacs in 2023 and beyond!

(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Vivian Ortega of So Finch Photography)

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