Photography by Cameron Yong

Performing with a unique fusion of metal and rock, the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group played on Oct. 31 in the Barn. Tickets were sold out for this highly anticipated performance with people already waiting to enter at 7 p.m. Once the doors opened, the Barn was filled with individuals dressed up in various costumes from a man dressed as a nun to people in kings and queens attire.

The show began with Dubstep artist, MONO/POLY, whose mixes contrasted but created an interesting prelude for the music performed by the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez group. The audience patiently awaited for the artists after MONO/POLY concluded his last few mixes that included creative twists to past songs.

Once the group appeared on stage, the crowd squeezed together, trying to catch a glimpse of the performance. Teresa Suarez, a.k.a. Teri Gender Bender, of Le Butcherettes, a new addition to the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group, was the lead singer for the night. Suarez passionately sang from the start, using the entire stage as her dance floor as she moved her entire body and tossed her hair in unusual ways in front of the audience. Omar Rodriguez jolted along with her on his guitar. The performance created an enthusiastic crowd that expressed their affection for Suarez and the band.

The Omar Rodriguez-Lopez group brought much more than the experimental rock music promised but definitely took in consideration of the visual effects of the show. The artists had very specific plans on how they wanted their performance to play out in that they even provided their very own lighting and sound board. The Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group definitely wanted to define the “Wow Factor” which they successfully pulled off with the cascading light effects and sound alterations that they blended in with the music. Each song had a similar tempo that began with Suarez singing softly or chanting, which eventually transformed into an upbeat symphony and the audience was able to dance along.

One of the managers that has worked at the Barn for 3 years stated that of all the nights that she has seen performers, this crowd seemed to be the most in love with the artists. This was very believable in that at the end of the show the audience begged for an encore. However, due to time, it was denied. Despite this, the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez group definitely took the Halloween night and made it into an event that people truly wanted to see and hear again.