Black Tora makes fans scream

The lights dimmed, and roadies hustled around the stage at Smokin' Aces.

A crowd packed the venue's floor Saturday night, waiting for Black Tora to take the stage. The McAllen trio released its debut album, Rise of the Tora, and they introduced fans to the new material with a blistering 90-minute set.

As the roadies set up the speakers and instruments, lead guitarist "Razor" Dave Benitez took the stage to start sound check. Nearly every female in the place let out a shriek. After the show, the girls and the guys alike crowded around him for an autograph.

Few bands in the Valley can boast this sort of fan recognition. Not counting Tejano groups, I've only seen the Black Tora get treated this way. Their fan base is rabid, and it's largely because of the group's excellent live shows.

Saturday night's performance lived up to past Black Tora shows and then some.

CD release parties always fire up crowds, and months of anticipation amplified the excitement for this show. Black Tora recorded its debut album last fall, and they've been working to master it ever since. The crowd felt starved for new material.

From the moment the pre-recorded intro started around 12:30 to the grand finale encore a few minutes before 2 a.m., the packed house at Smokin' Aces rocked. Highlights from the set included the always popular opener "Hearts on Fire," an excellent Led Zeppelin cover, and "Stealing Thunder," where Razor Dave rifts on his guitar, almost seeming like he's improvising. And his younger brother Chris Daniel shows the full force of his vocal range.

As usual, the guys had about three wardrobe changes, and their on-stange banter pumped the room. Maybe it's because they grew up together, or because they've played music in the Valley for nearly a decade, but the brothers play with a giddy ease.

Looking around the venue, I guessed my musical tastes differed a bit from the crowd. They wore Slayer t-shirts, big boots and chains. I never even went through a Metallica phase in junior high, but when the band took the stage. That didn't matter.

Black Tora's show blasts the crowd with old school rock. If you're in the room, you don't have a choice. You'll be swept up in it.

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Zack Quaintance covers music and entertainment for Festiva. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.