The Changelings
3/12/00, Ventura Theatre

The Changelings tastefully combine folk, world, ambient and classical elements into compositions that range from very sparse to tribal and driving. Just a week before the show I had bought their latest full-length CD, Amphibian,which I enjoy very much... but nothing compares to how great this band is live!

Comprised of lead vocalist Regeana Morris, guitarist/vocalist Damon Young (who played sitting in a classical posture), percussionist Chandler Rentz, keyboardist Nick Pagan and stand-out violinist Paul Mercer, The Changelings stage presence is flawless-- without conveying the slightest pretention, the band thoroughly charmed its audience. No one wanted to let them leave the stage! I think they did three encores. After the show the band members came out to chat with everyone and Paul and I introduced ourselves. We became fast friends and fans of this amazing band and hung out until past 3 am.

This enchanting night was made complete with a tour of the Ventura Theatre and all its ghostly happenings by the theatre manager Loanne. It turns out there are more than a few unusual events that have occurred since she and Rob took over the theatre, but those are stories for another time. Paul bought all their CDs and we listened to their self-titled debut on the way home-- it completely mesmerized us. So everyone go see The Changelings if you have a chance, buy one of their CDs, or visit their page at mp3.com.

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