Galactic Empire forced Star Wars themes into a headbanging hyperspace journey at recordBar

Galactic Empire. // Photo by Shea McGraw

Galactic Empire
with NiNi
recordBar
Thursday, August 7

If you’ve never seen a Star Wars movie—which is criminal if you ask me—it’s more than likely that you’d still recognize its music within the first few chords. John Williams’ score has become one of the most iconic soundtracks in cinematic history, seeping into pop culture far beyond the galaxy it was written for. It instantly transports you under twin suns, onto rebel bases, flying through trench runs, or taps into the nostalgia of hearing the triumphant blare of the opening crawl for the very first time.

That kind of musical legacy is hard to match, much less reimagine. But in headbanging fashion, that’s exactly what Galactic Empire does. Donning full villainous regalia and armed with guitars instead of blasters, the band blends together the soaring drama of Williams’ original compositions with the crushing energy of instrumental metal, and holy shit does it rock.

As a humongous Star Wars nerd myself, complete with an X-Wing tattoo, this was the missing piece to my personal fandom I didn’t know I needed, and you already know I couldn’t walk out of there without buying a shirt. Opening with the “Main Title” followed by essentials like “The Imperial March,” “The Force Theme,” and even dipping into some TV show songs with “The Mandalorian,” Galactic Empire did wonders in capturing the perfect vein of nostalgia while delivering their own fresh new take on an already famed soundtrack.

Galactic Empire knows how to go the distance, too, having created storylines within their own set sprinkled between songs to pull the audience even deeper into the Star Wars experience. During the set, lead guitarist Lord Sikh was informed of “rebel scum amongst us” and brought a “rebel” on stage for them only to be subsequently force choked to the ground, answered by cheers from the audience. With the rebels defeated, the show could safely continue.

Later on, after Lord Sikh received a phone call from Emperor Palpatine himself, Galactic Empire showed their metal reaches other galaxies, too, as they brought all sorts of iconic soundtracks to life like “Superman,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and “Theme from Jurassic Park”. Although the show was halted due to some technical difficulties, they returned to their roots and closed it out with “Duel of the Fates,” which made the wait well worth it.

Putting aside the novelty and theatrics of a Star Wars metal band, Galactic Empire consists of some incredibly talented musicians who are able to reinvent famous music—not to mention being able to perform it live in bulky costumes. Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, as strange as that is, Galactic Empire still delivers an experience metal fans everywhere can enjoy.

Each member dons a unique look, too, as Sith Lords, a bounty hunter, a Mandalorian, and an Imperial droid all grace the same stage. Members Doomriff and OD-66 weren’t too keen on staying on stage either as both made trips onto the floor and atop speakers.

Galactic Empire. // Photo by Shea McGraw

recordBar made the experience all the more memorable with the stage just an arm’s length away from the audience, creating an intimate and personal feel, something that owners Steve Tulipana and Shawn Sherrill value deeply in their Kansas City staple.

I was delighted to see that Kansas Citians got the memo, too, as you couldn’t get far without seeing some Star Wars merch and even some impressive cosplays. Watching a Mandalorian get ID’d as they enter a bar is an experience I’m not sure you can find at any other show.

The crowd had great energy entering Galactic Empire’s show thanks to the opener NiNi, a Taiwanese folk rock band.

Lead vocalist and instrumentalist Nini was absolutely electric as she performed heavy metal, rock, and EDM on Chinese traditional instruments like the Ruan, Liuqin, and San Xian. Meanwhile, drummer Jak Rinaldo laid down some beats while sporting an awesome combo of hair with a handlebar mustache and a mullet fade.

While Galactic Empire was glorious, NiNi is definitely worth checking out. In fact, when Nini appeared on America’s Got Talent Season 19 last year, Howie Mandell called her “NiNi Van Halen” and “NiNi Hendrix,” which I doubt he threw around lightly.

With technical shredding in Sith robes and surprise crossovers from other cinematic scores, Galactic Empire turned nostalgia into something freshly electrifying. Paired with a standout opening set from NiNi, the night was a genre-bending experience that proved once again why recordBar is a gem for Kansas City’s live music scene.

All photos by Shea McGraw:

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Galactic Empire setlist
20th Century Fox Fanfare
Star Wars: Main Title
The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme)
The Force Theme
The Mandalorian
Battle of the Heroes
Cantina Band
Superman
Pirates of the Caribbean
Godzilla
The Terminator
Theme from Jurassic Park
Duel of the Fates