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Local band emphasizes talent, not showmanship

When most live bands come up short on talent they usually make a disheartening attempt to overwhelm concertgoers with over-the-top frontmen or by performing aimlessly on a wide array of instruments.

One band of locals, however, managed to capture the audience through sheer musicianship with their refreshing blend of rock, improvisation and bluesy undertones as they provided one of five opening acts for Zechs Marquis Friday night at Warehouse Live, Studio, 813 St. Emanuel St.

Desmond Zavala II, a tight-knit, Houston-based instrumental rock quartet, proved that though they may be young, what they lack in experience they make up for in raw talent.

Their live performance shows their lack of experience doesn’t trump their ability to play together as a band with a well-balanced and clean organic sound.

Comprised of guitarists Isaiah Spann and Marco Graniel, bassist Thai Do and drummer Rogelio Benitez, the group abandons traditional forms and showcases a variety of talent that spans from fierce drumming attacks to soft yet equally intense blues-tinged guitar solos.

Spann delivered light, carefully placed, quirky guitar riffs which served as a unique counterpart above a foundation of intertwining layers of spiraling bass and guitar work by Do and Graniel and skillful percussion in "Circles In Our Atmosphere." The piece showed the band’s ability to effectively abandon established song structures and experiment with repetition and augmenting dynamics.

In the succinct yet powerful "Segovia, Dim the Lights," the band made smooth transitions from intricate solos to intense, highly energetic breaks while dropping into grooves of quirky bass and guitar riffs with ease.

"The Surgeon Would Hitch Hike," laced with syncopated, edgy bass and guitar riffs and a choppy, percussion-driven groundwork, revealed the band’s truly cohesive sound as each member became equally invested in the piece.

Spann delivered warbling, bluesy guitar riffs encompassed with seemingly effortless spiraling bass and guitar riffs while Benitez offered a steady snare foundation in "Pendelum."

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