The only catch to my enjoyment of the Jefferson Starship concert was knowing that I was probably going to miss the Crüxshadows, scheduled in the Regency Ballroom the same night.  But, in typical Dragon*Con fashion, everything was late, so I clung to a wisp of hope.

When I arrived, the darkened Regency room was clustered body-to-body, standing room only.  A throbbing rhythm, punctuated by a darkly evocative violin strain rolled through me, and hovering over the mass of enthralled bodies, I could see the face of Rogue, the Crüxshadows’ front man, bathed in a white spotlight.  They were still on!

The Crüxshadows mesmerized; they energized; they enthralled.  Dancing was, by necessity, subdued in places of highest congestion, but when the music drove the crowd to excesses of uninhibited movement, we obeyed.

Rogue’s habitual feats of agility were curtailed; the fire marshal had mandated the removal of tables to leap upon.  But to make up for it, two lovely goth femme dancers snaked and gyrated for the crowd’s enjoyment.

They played a mix of songs, classic Crüxshadows hits from their CDs and EPs like “Deception” from the “Music from the Succubus Club” CD compilation and the hauntingly powerful a cappella “Annabelle Lee,” as well as selections from their newest CD release Wishfire.  At the end of their set, the audience screamed, begged, and demanded for more.  The Crüxshadows returned for three encores: “Marilyn My Bitterness,” “Monsters,” and “Heaven’s Gaze.”  The audience would have kept them on the stage all night if we could have.

Wishfire and their other titles are available from Dancing Ferret Discs.  Visit the Crüxshadow’s website: www.cruxshadows.com.