Plagued by technical difficulties—a persistent and annoying electronic hum that could not be eliminated and a scratchy burr in the microphone—The Changelings went on an hour after their scheduled 11:30 PM starting time in the Centennial ballroom on Friday. But despite the various equipment shortcomings, they still managed to put on a first-rate show.
The Changelings are mesmerizing, haunting, and ethereal. The singer, Regeana Morris, is a chanteuse of soaring range and crystalline tone. Standing before an EFX strobe flashing blue swirls of light, her trademark sleeve flutters made her a vision—a techno-sylph drenched in mystical cobalt lightning.
The loyal, primarily goth, crowd, after milling and sighing for an hour, showed their appreciation of The Changeling’s willingness to forge ahead in the face of adversity by enthusiastically swaying in the cleared dance floor. If you have not witnessed a Goth dance, the style is a delightfully pretentious “glide-swoop-gesture” motion in various tempos ranging from languid to frantic. Fine accompaniment for the ambient fusion sound of The Changelings.
If you missed The Changelings, you missed a fine concert, but they will be selling their CDs, including their newest, Astronomica, at their booth in the concourse in front of the Centennial ballrooms.
