Hotel Café Los Angeles, CA
Contact: elliot@oracle-artists.com
Web: app.getpinpoint.io/iamsavannahpope
Players: Savannah Pope, vocals; Adam Gimenez, guitar, keys; Jonas Sheeks, drums
Savannah Pope was born to perform. From the moment she makes her grand entrance at the Hotel Café’s main room, it’s clear that the stage is Pope’s natural surroundings, her stomping ground. It’s a slight shame that the crowd is quite sparse for this midweek Hollywood show, but if it bothers Pope she doesn’t let on. She’s a tornado of glamor, glitter, theatricality and strength in femininity.
This particular show was dubbed Goddesscore: A night of high femme frequency. On the bill with Pope was rising alt-pop star Charlotte Dickson and Americana singer and songwriter Sheva Elliot. That proved to be a strong lineup—each of the three female artists had a distinct sound, and the diversity in sound made for a fascinating musical evening. What they had in common was talent, and passion. But there can be little doubt that Pope is the show-person of the three.
There are elements of Ziggy Stardust about Pope’s stage presence, but also of Stevie Nicks’ witchy wonder. That also translates into the music, which is especially special because of the natural blend of glam rock and earthy poeticism. It’s as much Adele as Alice Cooper and, on a musical level, they make for far easier bedfellows that you might expect.
“Savannah Pope is a genre-defying singer, songwriter, and visual artist based in Los Angeles, crafting darkly operatic music that fuses glam rock, cinematic pop, and poetic introspection,” her bio reads. “With baroque arrangements, raw emotional depth, and a distinctive visual identity, Savannah creates immersive worlds where sound, story, and spectacle collide. A former frontwoman and SXSW performer with a cult following, Savannah has been featured in major music press, sold out her L.A. release show following a successful fan-funded campaign, and garnered over 2 million views on Instagram for her video content.”
Last year she released the Pandemonium album, an ambitious glam rock opus with elements of operatic prog that recalls Queen and, on occasion, Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The lengthier tracks highlight her ambition, and that’s her greatest strength. It’s also evident in everything she does—from her attire to her videos, artwork to stage show. Pope has a larger vision and her refusal to compromise, regardless of how many people she’s performing in front of, is impressive. If there’s any justice at all in this industry, and history tells us that there isn’t necessarily any, then Savannah Pope’s efforts, and talents, will reap their rewards.
The post Live Review of Savannah Pope first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.