Otep blasted soul-wrenching lyrics to a sold out crowd, Saturday night at Fletcher's.

Otep performs unforgettable show for B'more fanatics

By: Laila Hanson

Posted: 12/5/06

Otep is not a typical band. They're not a typical anything. They're an entire breed of their own, redefining poetry and art, evolving everyday. With each album they release, Otep puts in every ounce of passion they have and more, stretching the limits of music but never the limits of creativity. They are so hard to define that no article or review can do them justice; no live performance can be summed up accurately without it being a paltry effort. Currently headlining a tour (demanded by fans via Eventful.com) to promote the early 2007 release of their new album, the L.A. based metal band Otep spews out a pure catharsis of emotion, taking over their audiences, performing shows so incredible that can only be described as ritualistic.

On Saturday night, Baltimore was lucky enough to be hit full-force by The Ascension tour. After the local opening bands Anamide and Anubis warmed up the audience, the techs hurried to prepare the stage for Otep. The mic stand slithering with ribbons and several other props and masks hinted that this was not going to be a regular concert. Soon, most of the band powered on stage, initiating screams and rock gestures from the audience. Band members Brian Wolff, Karma Cheema, and Evil J started playing low beats, getting the audience riled up and screaming for Otep Shamaya, the lead singer and namesake of the band. After what seemed like an eternity, she sauntered onstage, returning the gestures to the fans and sliding out her tongue in KISS fashion.

The concert that followed was powerful -- spiritually and physically draining on everyone present in the best way possible. From the fast moving, energetic "Battle Ready" to the moshing-inducing final song, "Menocide," Otep offered the sold out Fletcher's crowd a soul-wrenching experience from beginning to end, impossible to forget.

Most bands make small talk between their songs at concerts. Otep made her "talk" part of the performance. Reciting her 2005 Def Poetry (HBO) performance piece, "Dedicated to my Enemy," as a build-up for the thundering "Hooks and Splinters" was definitely a high point of the evening. The singer pounded on her own body in conjunction with the powerful, upsetting words she uttered, "It was his fucking fist into her fucking side...and why? Because there was a baby, barely three months alive. But I survived." This produced claps, cheers, and even some tears from the audience.

Otep also muttered statistics as part of the build up to the songs, "Every two seconds, somewhere in this world, a woman is raped…by someone she loves…someone she trusts. Every two seconds, somewhere in this world, a child is a victim of violence!" It definitely made an impact on the fans, and Otep encouraged people to "revolt" both then and at the end of the night.

Otep was so involved with the words she spoke and sang, that she made it equally a visual arts performance and a musical one. With the slow moving, pulsing "My Confession," Otep made a poem-type speech about sins as a build up, including a small statue/icon as a prop, moving her hands over it while she spoke. When performing a new song, "Ghostflowers," from the upcoming album, she donned a top hat. More often then not, she jumped and head-banged on the stage, reiterating the movement of the audience. When at least three crowd surfers made it on stage, she offered them a hand, helping them up instead of giving them a look of annoyance as other bands might.

Otep took a break between songs to bring up current politics, listening to the eager words of the audience. Jokingly, she said, "Hey, everyone here paid to listen to me, not to listen to you," then grinned and urged everyone to pay attention, launching into a great speech about the recent elections. Afterwards, she went right back into the music, saying "Now back to your regularly scheduled programming."

The most intense song of the night was the deeply personal "Jonestown Tea." During most of the almost 14-minute song, Otep covered her eyes with a stocking cap, blinding herself while she recited the extreme words. The audience was at a standstill. Afterwards, Otep spoke to them with appreciation, "This song's really hard for me to perform, but with great fucking audiences like you, I feel safe..." She also mentioned the impact the song had on people: "Someone used this to tell their mother that their father was raping them. And now that motherfucker is in jail." The song was both invigorating and stunning.

Otep finished up the night thanking everyone. It's obvious that Otep is more about the art and fans than commercializing. With sentiments like that, it is no wonder that their concerts are sold out.