Now Presenting… The Scarlet Opera 

Venue: Songbyrd
Washington, DC

The Catch Me If You Can Tour Visits D.C.

What’s up, everyone! Derek here, a.k.a. The Photographic Ginger and I’m back again with another incredible night of music in our nation’s capital. 

The Scarlet Opera 

Hello World! Allow me to introduce you to the most amazing, spectacular, electric, and fabulous band around, The Scarlet Opera! If you love your music with some flare and theatrics, bundled with fashion and thematic messages that encourage you to be who you want to be and love who you want to love, then this is the band for you. 

From the moment I first heard their music, I believe it was the song “Big City Thing”, in early 2023 I’ve since made an effort to add (and be blown away by) every release of theirs to my library. Their sound draws inspiration from the likes of Queen but make no mistake, while Freddie Mercury would certainly be a fan if he were with us today, their music and live shows bring with them originality and a power sure to make them a band we’ll be hearing from for a long time. 

As for their live show, the day finally aligned where the L.A. band made their way to D.C. and I finally got the opportunity to witness the magic of the group in person. The band is composed of Luka Bazulka on vocals and dancing, Colin Kenrick (keyboard), Daniel Zuker (bass), Justin Siegal (drums), and Chance Taylor (guitar) and as part of the tour they assigned cities their own theme, encouraging fans to dress the part. On the evening of the D.C. show the theme was Space Odyssey with a sprinkle of Pride as D.C.’s Pride festival was also taking place this weekend. 

The set began with an energy building intro as the band made their way on stage donning futuristic glasses before kicking into full gear with a recent release and the namesake of the tour with “Catch Me If You Can” complete with some band choreography.

Following that wall breaking start, was their latest single of “Someone’s Gotta Love ‘Em” which encourages love for everyone, even the misfits and outcasts of life. It was instantly clear the evening would be packed full of energy, dancing and good times as the band had come to give us a true show. You might even say it was “The Place to Be”. 😉

As the evening continued, we were treated to the dance driven sounds of “That Kind Of Woman” followed by a prideful cover of Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place On Earth”. It was then time for the best treat of all, new music. We got to hear and experience not one, not two but THREE brand new unreleased (for now) songs, all of which will be part of their upcoming EP. So make sure to stay close and follow them on socials so you don’t waste a second not having this new music in your life. We were introduced to songs like “Slutty”, “What Good Is Love?” and “Can’t Stop Falling”, all of which at no surprise felt like sure to be hits on their own. 

Then it was time to slow the tempo down a bit as waves descended upon the stage and set us adrift on the ocean as Luka sat on a stool and introduced us to a song from the band Antony and the Johnsons, ANOHNI by the name of “I Fell in Love With a Dead Boy” as he then proceeded to showcase his mesmerizing and powerful vocal range in this stripped back moment on stage. A song and a performance that encouraged us as life changes as do we, to fall in love with the new version of yourself. 

Luka then took a moment to recognize his bandmates for all they do and their support, as many trips to the airport often find them lugging instruments while his priority luggage contains wardrobe and costumes. They then took us into full party mode with the sounds of “Big City Thing”. Then to close out the night, the crowd demanded an encore as they chanted for more and were granted their wish to the theatrical and operatic building sounds of “Riot”. To which the audience sang and danced along in its entirety. Luka then informed us all that we had just officially signed on the dotted line and welcomed us to the Army of the Opera and stated, “We don’t get much done but we look fucking good”. 

Finally, as a farewell to D.C. the song “Alive” was brought to life. I can’t emphasize enough how incredible this band and show is. Be sure to stay up to date with tour dates and new music releases by giving them a follow and welcome them into your world. After-all, Someone’s Gotta Love ‘Em and we here at Shutter 16 Magazine sure as hell do.

Random Fun Fact: If you’re a gamer and a Sims 4 fan you may have heard their song “I’ve Been Waiting For You” while playing. 

Hayes Warner

Opening for this tour was an artist who is quickly taking the music scene by storm, Hayes Warner.

As she prepares to release her debut EP this Summer she’s embarked on her first tour where she’s proving she’s an artist to watch as she leaves it all on the stage with her high energy performance and natural stage presence. 

Her musical style draws inspiration from the likes of artists such as Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani and Hayley Williams. If the sounds of her viral hit “Breadcrumbs” or her song “Dead To Me” doesn’t prove how talented she is to you, songs like the soon to be released “Vicious” certainly will.

Plus, if you’re eager for an introduction through a familiar tune you can check out her recent reimagined cover of “Just a Girl” performed alongside Billy B and Kevin Rudolf.

Be sure to follow along with Warner on socials and stay up to date on upcoming shows, including her set at Lollapalooza, as well as new music coming soon. 

If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see. 

See the full gallery of the night here.