OTEP play the Observatory Aug. 29; photo Paul Brown
OTEP’s upcoming show at the Observatory in Santa Ana Aug. 29 is to be a sweet homecoming for the band, as it was first formed in Los Angeles by lead singer Otep Shamaya. It will also mark the final night of the current tour.
“Coming back to California to play, it’s almost indescribable,” Shamaya said. “We play in so many places that we love but California’s my home. So to be able to come back and play in front of the place I started, it’s really a very proud moment no matter how many times we go there. It feels like an accomplishment; a dream come true to return home triumphantly.”
OTEP’s latest album Generation Doom is the band’s latest success and the main driving force behind the current tour. The album reached #7 on Billboard Rock Chart and #109 on the Top 200 Albums.
Forming in 2000, OTEP has firmly established itself in the music scene for its charged, unique and energetic style. This isn’t just limited to their music but is also true of their fans.
“We played a club once with a canoe on the wall,” Shamaya recalled. “They pulled the canoe off and then they crowd surfed inside the canoe in front of us. That was pretty wild.”
Granted, such incidents aren’t a common occurrence. But typically, OTEP concerts tend to be very lively in regards to both.
“I guess it’s similar to a religious experience but it’s also like a political rally, “Shamaya said. “It’s also like a meeting of the senses.”
Were you to listen to their music, either in concert or recorded form, it’s easy to classify it as heavy metal. Although Shamaya admits that metal is a major influence for the band, she finds this association to the genre unflattering.
“I think that’s unfortunate, not only for my band, but also the genre,” Shamaya said. “We don’t represent metal traditionalists because we’re not a metal band. We’re more of a fusion band or a hybrid band. We bring in lots of different styles and influences and things that inspire us.”
Shamaya actively encourages other musicians to contribute their influences to the band’s already unorthodox and amalgamated style. As to the influences she contributes, Shamaya gave out an impressive list.
“I do scream, I do a lot of the emo stuff, but I learned that from the Deftones. Chino Moreno was sort of my guru in that one. Song structure… I learned from bands like Nirvana, The Doors and Radiohead. Stylistically as a vocalist, most of my heroes were east coast underground hip hop M.C.s.”
Shamaya’s rebellious style and personality is another integral ingredient that’s help contribute to the success of OTEP’s music.
“Growing up with a name like Otep and being an Irish girl in four neighborhoods wasn’t always fun. I got made fun of a lot,” Shamaya recalled.
“In those days you either had to run or fight. I could run, I’m a pretty good runner, but I didn’t run good enough. I liked to fight, so I ended up fighting a lot.”
Even today, Shamaya’s always up for a good fight. However, rather than throwing fists, she fights through the music of her band.
Many of OTEP’s songs like “Smash the Control Machine” and “Rise, Rebel, Resist” are the band’s most popular songs with powerful lyrics urging people to fight against elitism’s many forms, namely bigotry and war. They remain steadfast favorites among her fans and at live performances.
Besides also campaigning for veganism and animal rights, Shamaya, herself a lesbian, is well-known for being a stalwart advocate for the LGBT community both musically and off-stage. Helping people come to terms with their sexuality has been very rewarding.
“I’ve had people thank me for giving them the courage to come out to their families, to their friends,” Shamaya said.
“Because it’s still a very scary world to come out, even in our current environment, especially since [Donald] Trump has happened.”
OTEP will release two new videos while resting up before heading to Europe.
“One [is] for a song called ‘Zero’ and another for a song called ‘Equal Rights, Equal Lefts,’ which is very important to me personally because it deals with the LGBT community.”