Zola Jesus Brings Her ‘Dangerous Days’ Into the Night at El Rey October 9

Alexander Volz

Russian-American musician Zola Jesus aka Nika Roza Danilova, is known for performing electronic music influenced by her Russian ancestral heritage of goth, opera, and classical music. Experiencing the majority of her childhood isolated in the woods of Wisconsin, her life is definitely not ordinary for the typical Hollywood singer. Danilova always wanted to be an opera singer but tended to lose her voice due to anxiety and the stress. But she found a path of becoming a performer her own way. Confiding with her alter ego, Zola Jesus was an opportunity to create a character of isolation. Some people might consider the name sacrilegious, while most entertainers would try to attract attention, as isolation does not fill arenas.

Zola Jesus cites Joy Division, Swans, Throbbing Gristle, Lydia Lunch and classical music among her influences. Mirroring her early life, Zola recorded her first album, The Spoils isolated and alone in the dead of winter in Wisconsin. She considers the album a reflection of her surroundings. Zola Jesus continued to release albums to stellar reviews. Conatus was considered a more mature album and many critics noted her growth as an artist. Her latest album, Taiga is set to be released on October 7th and will be performed at the El Rey on October 9th.

Zola features a full band with electronics, synthesizer keyboard, drummer, and violin players in live concert. Expect the performance to be dark with very few thrills to be had. Like her albums, Zola instead opts to crush her fans with an awesome sound and noise. Despite the usual reputation that concerts are filled with screaming fans, Zola encourages her fans to be silent while she is performing. If readers are planning to attend a Zola Jesus concert, they should look into wearing earplugs as the crescendo of sounds can be overwhelming. Zola’s voice is classically trained for opera and she prefers to sing in the upper registers of her voice. So, be prepared for a great night!

Zola Jesus will be bringing her ‘Dangerous Days’ and creative ways to the El Rey October 9th.