By Odeisel

Second time was the charm. IO Echo had come to Charlotte previously and I got there too late. It ended up being a very dope show with headliner, Bloc Party, but I wanted to see what IO Echo was all about. Recently, they took the stage at Charlotte’s Visulite Theater and brought their motley blend of industrial rock, Hip-Hop and Asian influences center stage.

Their set is bathed in low, moody blue and adorned with geisha set pieces. Two guitarists rocked a side of the stage apiece and a drummer brings up the rear. Lead vocalist Ioanna Gika is the center of it all, tall, lanky and blonde as can be. She reminds you of the rocker you see in those movies who is dating someone in the band but has chemistry with someone else in the band, or Phoebe from Friends with actual vocal talent.

IO Echo played a 40 minute set with a wide variety of records that all played off their minimal but potent set of strobe lights and moody blue. Their energy was high at all times, and while it was clear that the audience was there to see the headliner, IO Echo earned their respect with interesting music, high powered arrangements and a generally good show. If they are playing a bill in your town, you should definitely go out and check them out. Here are the pics and the vid to prove it.