Lotustarr

Dark Horse Tavern, Atlanta, GA • February 22, 2000

Andrea Thompson

It was a Tuesday. No one in Atlanta goes out on a Tuesday, unless it’s for big bands with big ticket prices. But sure enough, Lotustarr failing to break precedence of packing shows had the Dark Horse Tavern filled to capacity by 8 PM. After an amicable and accessible round of handshakes, they took to the stage, and the gathering prepared to be wowed.

And wowed they were. Lotustarr is astral traveling at the speed of light. Lead singer Paul Isaac’s voice is haunting and eerie, filled with passion and bluelights. With soulful reverence, Lotustarr laid down sweet ballads like “Rubberband” that had the room swooning with unconscious collective rhythm. On the dark side of the moon, tunes like “With The Sun” were equally impressive, showcasing this band’s ability to shine with diversity. Mountainous talent from stage left in guitarist Gerson Lima lent to an already perfect offering of rock, trip, and inexplicable talent. He seems to have mastered this thing of guitar, and each note was treated as importantly as the last; the end result is one of remarkable power, precision, and experience. Bassist Ari Eisenstein is the perfect piece to complete this magical puzzle. They’ve found a way to both boggle the senses and release the mind to the experience of something way new and long overdue.

Lotustarr breathes neoteric life into a style of music that rocks as hard as it rolls. When the lights came up, you could count on no fingers the bodies and spirits that weren’t elevated. Well, maybe one body – someone had to load out. ◼