Even though it’s been 10 long years since the initial self-titled album was released, there seems to be no visible break in the sheer genius that Daron Malakian brings to the table. His music is fresh, his lyrics are thought-provoking, and his sound is clearly unmistakable.
So, who is this Daron Malakian character? Most people simply know him as guitarist extraordinaire for one of the biggest metal bands of all-time, System of a Down. Digging a little deeper, one would find that he’s the mad scientist responsible for writing most of the music on their five incredible albums. Daron is an innovator, an instigator, and a provocateur all rolled into one. And when most fans simply gave up on any new music from SOAD (after the band went into hiatus in 2006), Daron pulled a rabbit out of his hat and formed his own amazing band known simply as Scars on Broadway.
That band has evolved over the years and was rebranded in 2018 as Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway with the release of their second album, Dictator. On Thursday evening, before a packed house at The Observatory in Santa Ana, fans from all over Southern California (and around the world) got a rare chance to see Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway perform live. And as we all found out, this would be no ordinary show. Daron surprised fans by opening the show with a new track, “Animal,” and then blazed through both Scars on Broadway releases in their entirety.
For those keeping score, that was 30 songs in a row—no breaks, no encores, no nonsense. In a world where live music seems to be more gimmicks and theatrics, Daron wowed the capacity crowd with a brilliant performance that hit on all-cylinders. On top of that, his touring band (including Orbel Babayan on guitar, Niko Chantziantoniou on bass, and Roman Lomtadze on drums) was just plain fire.
So, what’s in store for Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway now that their five-show “mini tour” is now complete? Well, that’s still a mystery at the present time. Feedback from fans after the show was highly positive and begs the question as to whether Daron will take this incredible show on the road. Based on fan reaction, one would hope to see more of this band in 2019 and beyond.
Until then, fans still have a chance to see Daron along with System of a Down at the Sonic Temple Festival in Columbus, OH on May 17th and at Chicago Open Air on May 18th. You won’t hear any Scars on Broadway at these shows, but you will get a chance to see the mad-scientist at work once again with one of the biggest metal bands on the planet today.
