The Cynz at Sidewalk

Cyndi Dawson & Henry Seiz

Cyndi Dawson left her New Jersey home for the bright lights of New York City to pursue acting and dancing. While bartending in downtown rock clubs, she was drawn increasingly to live music and played percussion in the short-lived Kamikaze Kitty & the Attack Kats. Meanwhile, she wrote volumes of poems and began to read at established poetry clubs. Long time musician friend Henry Seiz suggested she read her spoken word to his music. With that, they formed the Cynz in 2011. The band released The Original Cynz album in 2012, the Five Mortal Cynz EP in 2013 and several singles in 2014. The Cynz presently consists of Dawson, Seiz, bassist Anne Husick and drummer Bob Stockl.

The Cynz has been honing its chops in local clubs, and tonight at Sidewalk, normally more of a singer-songwriter venue, the band hit the back room with a canon-like rock and roll spirit. The band kept it simple: the charismatic and engaging Dawson fronted the band with the voice and the visuals while the power trio behind her played driving three-chord rock. Seiz, originally the band's rhythm guitarist, filled the breaks in the pop melodies with sharp and sting leads. This is the kind of thick and hearty garage-rock that spurred old-school punk rock.