Los Angeles CA, August 17 – Experimental underground music sensation, Zola Jesus performed August 17 th in Downtown LA for MOCA’s free summer concert series, Play MOCA, with Active Child for a magical evening of epic sound. Though their roots are deeply entrenched in darkness, the crowd was mixed and brought a cross-section of fans spanning different genres, indie kids and goths alike.
The outdoor space was accented with a canopy of grey orbs levitating above the audiences’ heads. Concertgoers had free access to the museum for extended hours. People sauntered through the white hallways, while the echoes of Zola Jesus and Active Child acoustics reverberated off the walls.
A thick mist rolled across the stage as a stark, haunting voice permeated the crowd; awestruck, they swayed in sync as if floating gently on a celestial web. Zola Jesus in proper fashion donned a layered, light, ethereal slip with an avant-garde piece covering her torso like an armor. Barefoot, she embraced her diminutive frame and with a certain rawness, took the air out of peoples’ lungs in mid-breath every time she rang out a penetrating note, ripping through the air.
Zola Jesus is a successful fusion of a dream swathed in dark undertones while still maintaining a fierce resonance that stays with the listener long after the show is over. She’s an artist that manages to straddle different sounds and carry over strong in her live performance, a must for audiophiles across the board.
– Jessica Jewell
