Palaye Royale at the Gramercy Theatre

Remington Leith

When three brothers formed a rock band called Kropp Circle in 2008 in Toronto, Canada, vocalist Remington Leith Kropp was 14, guitarist Sebastian Danzig Kropp was 16, and drummer Emerson Barrett Kropp was 12 years old. By 2011, they all individually dropped their surname and changed the name of the band to Palaye Royale, adapted from the Palais Royale dance hall in Toronto, where their grandparents first met in the 1950s. Palaye Royale relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, and then again in 2011 to Los Angeles, California. The band's second album, Boom Boom Room (Side B), was released on September 28, 2018.

Palaye Royale is a young band with an old sound, recalling glam rock bands from the 1980s, complete with the genre's legendary reckless abandon. At the Gramercy Theatre tonight, the three brothers each sported a sharp fashion look, and Leith's androgynous red and black face paint stated from the very beginning that this musical performance was going to include visual flair. Backed by three additional musicians, Palaye Royale performed a spirited, driving rock and roll set, highlighted by Leith's snarly, bluesy singing and Danzig's Aerosmith-styled hard rock riffs. The songs rolled with raw power, packing melodic compositions with sonic crunch, with the brothers cleverly playing to and engaging the audience. The recklessness became real towards the end of the concert when Leith took off his shirt and climbed sky high up the stage lighting rig, ultimately leaning outwards with one hand on the metal bar and one hand holding his wireless microphone as he sang. Welcome the next wild and dangerous millennial rock band.

Visit Palaye Royale at www.palayeroyale.com.