Lokomotiv gig at the UBG: Introducing the new frontman, Ryan Hudson!

AWESOME!

It was a great debut for new Lokomotiv vocalist Ryan Hudson, who has taken over the frontman chores for the band after Basti Artadi left the band two months ago.  And may I just say, he fits the band like a glove.

When my friends and I went to the Universal Bar & Grill last Saturday, we had pretty high expectations - I mean, Basti was a tough act to follow, so we naturally expected that Ryan Hudson would outdo his predecessor, especially since he was chosen among the list of very capable vocalists that the band had to sort through.

And I’m happy to announce that he didn’t disappoint those expectations.

Now, lemme just answer one of the burning questions in the minds of those who keep track of Lokomotiv: Is Ryan Hudson better than Basti Artadi, when it comes to being a frontman for Lokomotiv?

The answer is a resounding yes.  Before you throw rotten tomatoes at me for spewing blasphemy, let me explain.  First of all, while I agree that Basti’s voice is just more powerful compared to Ryan’s, the young man from Oklahoma has more range, and is musically more adaptive than Basti.  He can hit the high notes with ease, and can "wail" longer, sustaining the note longer than his predecessor.

The second thing is showmanship, and this is where the scales lean heavily in Ryan’s favor.  In previous Lokomotiv gigs, Basti sometimes grows roots near the mic stand - which is not to say that he doesn’t move, but meaning that when he does move, it’s not much and he usually doesn’t leave the area where the mic stand is.  Everyone else, especially Dave, makes their presence felt onstage.  When I first watched the Lokomotiv gigs, I was always thinking that Dave steals the stage from Basti when he plays, but eventually I realized that, it’s not because Dave moves so much, but rather because Basti doesn’t. Everyone else in the band had passion and fire when they play, but Basti seemingly lacks it from time to time.

Ryan Hudson was pure motion onstage.  Sometimes he’ll stand up on one of the chairs near the tables, and other times he’ll approach one of his other bandmates and move with their playing.  And he keeps the action fun and engaging.

There are more things I can say regarding comparisons, but I guess the best way to see it is to watch Lokomotiv live.  Just the fact that everyone in the band was having fun while they’re playing is already a testament on how the frontman has that significant effect in the way a band plays.

But all I can say, after watching Ryan Hudson’s debut with Lokomotiv, is that he gives an element of intensity within the band which was sorely lacking in previous performances.  I mean, previous gigs when Basti was still the vocalist were still fun and kickass, it’s just that it was so much better last Saturday.   Everyone onstage was having fun, and it rub off on the audience.

I can’t wait to watch more Lokomotiv gigs and see how Ryan blends in with the band’s music.  As I mentioned before, the guy is just 21 years old, so he may be a little rough around the edges in some instances (as opposed to Basti’s 13+ years in the music industry). But it also means that there is nowhere for him to go but up, as he improves and hones his talent to better fit in with the band.  If he’s already this much talented at 21, imagine how he’ll be in two, three or five years… Can’t wait!

Here’s a sweet little group picture of the new (improved) Lokomotiv band.  Doesn’t it look more like a rock band now? Hahaha!