Solicitor
REGGIE’S MUSIC JOINT | CHICAGO, IL | 09.23.023
Heavy Metal Speed Dealers from the Pacific North Waste
What happens when you take the core elements of heavy metal fashion - leather, studs, and fringe, then crank it up to 11? Queue Seattle’s own visually compelling speed metal maniacs, Solicitor.
Playing to a crowd of 50-ish people in Reggie’s smaller, more intimate Music Joint venue, Solicitor performs as if they are in front of 100,000 people. Solicitor puts on a show. Full of energy, jumping around and playing to the crowd, each band member is hard to take your eyes off of. One thing in particular I always appreciate is when the singer has a keen sense of body awareness, pausing in strong positions that allow the photographer to snap away.
Let’s circle back to fashion for a minute. Decked out in leather, multi-layered belts, plate-sized hoop earrings, and a decorative studded headband – vocalist Amy Lee Carlson’s outfits are something to aspire to. Her on-stage garb feels less like a theatrical costume and more like battle armor. Seeing Solicitor is like meeting the final heavy metal boss in a video game that you’ll definitely have to find a cheat code to beat.
In between the fringe, studs, and leather there is an incredible voice that stands out in the speed metal genre. Rather than chasing some Uncle Rico style 80s nostalgia, Solicitor feels like a contemporary building block on the foundation of metal.
I left the show thinking “why isn’t this band bigger?” Seriously, don’t sleep on this band if you get a chance to check them out at a smaller venue. As for me, I’ll be upping my fringe game.
