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Moneta, natives of the Seattle
area, played a crisp 35-minute set
on November 16 at The Showbox
at the Market during a CD release
show with fellow Seattleites, The
Classic Crime. Where most rock
music fails, and where Moneta continues
to distinguish themselves
is in the depth of the music they
perform. While most rock bands
in the area scream and flail about
the stage, Moneta has a collected
presence dressed in their all-black
costumes.
With a stage-long banner spelling
out “HOPE” as a backdrop, Moneta
performed about ten songs, most of
them from their just-released EP,
coincidentally entitled “The Hope”.
As is typical in Seattle, the band
had a tough time getting the crowd
riled up enough to dance, but by the
end of the set, the band definitely
had listeners’ heads bobbing.
Each song that the band performed
had an intriguing riff to
it—that jangle that remains firmly
stuck in your head from the time
you leave the venue to the time you
get home. On the song “A Tale of
Two Cities,” Moneta asks, “where
do you want to go?” and continuing,
“do you know how you’ll get there?”
What made the show so interesting
was its seamless combination of
rock with classical influences. No
really, classical—Moneta includes a
violinist and the instrumentals are
allowed to shine during “Kayla”.
This anthemic piece that begins with
a long guitar note and a desperate
beat features the violin prominently
near its ominous ending.
It would be tempting to lump this
band in with other Seattle indie
favorites like Forgive Durden or
From Aphony, but Moneta takes a
page away from some classic rock
acts. For that, they need no definition.
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