Ume's Willowy Guitar Demon Lauren Larson Steals the Show in Toronto -- NXNE

Ume (pronounced ooo-may, def: sour Japanese plum) stepped on to the smallish Drake Underground stage Wednesday night (June 15) in Toronto and jumped right into a blazing thrash rock set that didn't let up until their 40 allocated NXNE minutes were spent.

The three-piece band from Austin consists of the blonde and willowy guitar demon Lauren Langer Larson and her husband and high-school sweetheart bassist Eric Larson, with the band's newest addition Rachel Fuhrer on drums.

From Larson's first hair-whipping headbang, it was clear that performing is an act of personal release (perhaps to counteract the bitter ume locked somewhere within her spirit).

"I've been playing in thrash and punk bands since I was 14," she tells Spinner. "My music is always deeply cathartic."

The guitarist played with such energy and finger dexterity that it seemed certain she'd trash her gear onstage. Though she and her bandmates held off, the tension was certainly there. Instead, the audience was treated to a total of four guitar changes over seven odd songs, which alternated from heavy, Refused-influenced riffs to gentler Blonde Red Head-inspired ballads, offering a teaser of their upcoming effort, 'Phantoms.'

It would have been nice to see more of the audience thrashing along to this rare appearance, but, this was a Wednesday night in Toronto after all, and NXNE has only just begun.

Watch Ume's Video for 'The Conductor'
See Spinner's Complete Coverage of NXNE 2011
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