Staff Editor on June 15th, 2019

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In support of their new record “I Never Wanted Company,” Ramonda Hammer took control of The Echo stage that was decorated in a fashion similar to the album cover. The band played their record from start to end, bookending those songs with “Destroyer.” Their set also included two guest musicians. Sarah Green from Spare Parts for Broken Hearts took on guitar duties for “Fake Thoughts” and Emily Gold from Cosmo Gold joined in with vocals for “Relativity.”

Their lyrics showcase some dark emotions such as from their song “Who’s the Narcissist” where we hear the words “We re-voice our concerns / and somehow it still hurts / The mirror distorted / the images warn us.” Their grunge-punk sounds drive home those emotions. Yet, you have to believe that working through all those thoughts, the band still believes in hope. That hope comes across through their stage show. As the band walked on stage, there was just a touch of happy laughter. And throughout the set, wide grins were witnessed. Was it all due to their record release party or are their lyrics really meant to inspire our better selves to peek through the darkness?

During the set, frontwoman Devin Davis made sure the crowd was aware of the progress the band was making while playing through their record. As their set hit the midway point, Davis pointed out that they had just finished their fifth song “Future Discounted.” And later she quizzed the audience about where they were on the set list. She approved when one fan quickly yelled back without hesitation, “Ten!” She also mentioned that if anyone bought their parking ticket-inspired T-shirt that good luck would follow them in preventing future tickets. She asked, “Who pays their parking tickets? I do.” A fan from Australia responded, “F*ck you!” The response, “F*ck you! You don’t even live here.”

Even Sarah Green, the band leader of Spare Parts for Broken Hearts (who played prior to Ramonda Hammer) expressed amazement. “I was really excited to hear the record live,” Green said. “I heard the record prior to the show and I love the energy from the record. Seeing the songs come to life on stage took it to the next level for me.”

SP4BH set things up perfectly. The night inspired bassist Jonny Cifuentes to take a shoulder ride across The Echo’s stage floor and shred a little atop the bar. Opening up the night was Cosmo Gold (fka Velvet), performing tunes from their new EP “Waiting on the City.”

Back to Ramonda Hammer, Davis was willing to share some advice to bands/artists who are thinking about putting out their first EP or LP:

“This is our first full length studio LP, but we’ve put out two other records in the last few years,” she said. “It’s so exciting any time you get to make a new work of art and put together a collection of songs, no matter how many there are. It can be a long process full of busywork and long hours that nobody really enjoys doing, but it’s so rewarding in the end.

“My advice is to zoom out a bit and see the bigger picture, but then just take care of what you need to each day along the way and see how it builds on each other. Make sure you check in with yourself and keep everything authentic. Listen to other ideas, but don’t second-guess yourself if you know what’s right for your songs. Then, when you finally get the product you want and it’s time to release it, do just that — release. It’s cathartic and wonderful and the right people who are meant to hear it will hear it and be affected by it.”

Setlist for Ramonda Hammer: Intro: Destroyer, You’re Invited, Hoax, Better View, Future Discounted, Fake Thoughts (with Sarah from Spare Parts from Broken Hearts), Who’s the Narcissist, Relativity (with Emily from Cosmos Gold), A Dramatization, Empathy, Everlasting Love, Destroyer.

Photos and recap by Notes From Vivace