Band: Smile Empty Soul
Date: March 25, 2010
Venue: The Key Club
City: Los Angeles, CA
Smile Empty Soul
Photos by Nicolas Bates
Written by Daniel Richter
Smile Empty Soul were the headliners at The Key Club on March 25th. Smile Empty Soul started out as a high school band in Santa Clarita, CA as a three piece post-grunge band. Their self titled debut record, with the help of three successful singles, went on to become certified gold. Smile Empty Soul’s sophomore album, “Anxiety” was never released because of issues the band had with Lava Records. After five years from its original release date, Smile Empty Soul has re-released “Anxiety” as a CD/DVD combo. The DVD has backstage footage as well as on stage performances.
Smile Empty Soul has cited strong musical influences by Nirvana and other grunge bands of the past. During their show it was easy to see where they got their inspiration from. With aggressive lyrics over sharp solos and heavy guitar riffs, Smile Empty Soul is a fun band to see live. The boom from Ryan Martin’s bass fills your chest and Jake Kilmer’s drum set keeps your head nodding and toes tapping.
The band might not be a house hold name yet, but their single, “Bottom Of A Bottle” has gained them a lot of radio play and earned them more fans. I highly suggest seeing Smile Empty Soul while they are on the verge of stardom. In a couple years tickets will be more expensive and harder to come by.