Olivia Modarelli
Staff Writer
Energetic music blasted through a scenically lit, fog-filled room as Leprous and their opener, The Ocean, took to the stage Tuesday night at the Glass House in Pomona. The show started at 8 p.m. with a crowd of about 300 people.
Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test was required before entering to see the Norwegian band and their opening band, which originated in Germany. The venue provided masks at the door to those who needed one.
“Leprous is one of my favorite bands so I’m super excited,” audience member Kathy Windham-lass said.
She was not the only one excited for the show. By the time the first song began, audience members were already head nodding, throwing their arms in the air and dancing to the music. The Ocean opened the night with the song “Triassic.”
After progressive metal band The Ocean’s hour-long set, Leprous began with the song “Out of Here,” which had a slow, mystical feeling to it in the beginning that intensifies throughout.
The Ocean’s portion of the show was impassioned and wild. Leprous, on the other hand, had more versatility in terms of musicality and feeling. There were slow and fast-paced songs, and the emotions conveyed had more of a range.
“I saw Ocean the last time they were in the states a decade ago. I have not seen Leprous before,” audience member Kevin Larkin said.
Larkin, who is a percussionist himself, said he was excited to watch the world champion drummer of Leprous play.
No matter who the audience members were there to see, they were all excited.
“I’m obsessed with Leprous. I didn’t start looking into The Ocean until I knew they were playing the show together and then I started listening to them,” audience member Michelle Latourelle said. “I was very impressed.”
One of Latourelle’s favorite Leprous songs is “Castaway Angels,” one of their slower songs. They dedicated their performance of it to Ukraine on Tuesday night because one of the band member’s partners is Ukrainian.
The audience was visibly intrigued. They cheered as the band announced the song and their attention seemed to remain more focused on the band during this song than during any other song.
“Usually we’re not a political band but this struck home because she’s Ukrainian…It kind of turned personal for us as a group,” Leprous bass player Simen Daniel Lindstad Børven said.
Lighting designer for The Ocean, Sean Willekens, said the band focuses primarily on the music. He said it is not about the fancy instruments, clothes or what they are actually doing on the stage. It is just them and their music.
“To go on tour is a dream come true,” said David Ramis Ahfeldt, member of The Ocean.
This is the second time the band has toured with Leprous — the first being a European tour in 2019.
“It’s such a mind blowing experience to go to another place, whether it is Pomona or Japan or anywhere and have some people who appreciate what you do,” driver for The Ocean Gabriel Dubko said.
He drives the band to each location on their tour list and is also a member of the band Implore.
Dubko said that it is especially expensive for them to tour the United States due to the Visa application process.
Børven was happy to be in Pomona, though.
“It’s like summer weather for us plus this is warmer than it gets in certain places in Norway during the summer so very very lucky to be here,” Børven said.
“You can never be wrong if you truly do what you love,” Ramis said.
The bands will continue to tour through November.
Olivia Modarelli can be reached at olivia.modarelli@laverne.edu.
Olivia Modarelli, a senior journalism major with a concentration in print-online journalism, is a staff photographer for the Campus Times. She previously served as a staff writer and copy editor.
Natalie Medrano, a junior photography major, is the Fall 2022 photography editor for the Campus Times and a staff photographer for La Verne Magazine.
