I first came across Devon Ross in December 2023 at the Zebulon. I was an immediate fan. She was scheduled to once again play Zebulon in January 2025, but the night got cancelled due to the massive January fires in Los Angeles. I knew that the night would get rescheduled eventually so I kept an eye out. Finally, it was announced that there would be a Monday night set in May to help celebrate her single release "All the Things." Date was circled and I was there when it arrived. Of interest is that Longplayer was part of the bill for both that December 2023 set and this May 2025 set.
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| Devon Ross at Zebulon |
In anticipation, the crowd hugged the stage prior to her set. The photographers were out in force, as well. There were at least five of us in the crowd. Her band walked up onto the stage and kicked things off with the squeal of feedback. The DJ was still playing music during all of that and the volume was slowly lowered as the band launched into "I Don't Wanna."
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| Devon Ross at Zebulon |
For Ross, her guitar is like her beloved child. She carries her guitar lower than many other guitarists. Many a guitarist will play at waist level. She extends the straps so that the top of the body is nearly at hip level. When not playing the guitar, she was hugging it tight. During a water break, she squatted down, balancing herself on her toes while taking a few sips. Her guitar was tucked between her body. When she put the water bottle down, she cradled the guitar with her arms before getting back into standing position. During the song "Swim" she lifted up the guitar in a vertical direction and kept it tight to her body. Of course, all metaphors fall apart, because "Swim" is also when she takes a drum stick and scratches it hard against the strings. By the end of the song that Vic Firth drumstick was splintered apart.
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| Devon Ross at Zebulon |
"This song came out today. Stream that sh*t." That was the intro for her song "All the Things." After careful tuning, the band exploded into the guitar riffs that make Ross and her music special. The lyrics are snippets of moments in a relationship that eventually became irritants. "Go on, rub it until it bleeds." "Take your hat off. Tie your legs into a knot." The lyrics are spit out in a biting fashion.
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| Devon Ross at Zebulon |
And burn it down.
Noticed: Leeza was working the Zebulon sound. She still works at Zebulon, but I hadn't seen her working the sound in maybe a year. She used to occasionally fill in on keys for Pearl Earl.
You can catch Devon Ross at the Zebulon once again on Jul 17th.
Setlist: I Don't Wanna, Killer, Billy, Gouge Away (Pixies cover), All the Things, Boyfriend, Swim, Want Me, Mine Not Yours.
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