Hardcore Lessons

For the Esoteric, whose Lawrence residence and studio burned to its foundation in late February, the nomadic lifestyle of the touring act has become an indefinite necessity. The band returns on Monday for an El Torreon show, its first in the area after several months of solid touring, but it’s a bittersweet homecoming.

“It’s really weird now, because without a house, it still feels like we’re on the road,” says singer Stevie Cruz, calling from Chicago.

Using donated equipment, the group started playing in support of its April release, With the Sureness of Sleepwalking, less than two weeks after the fire. At these gigs, the Esoteric exhibited the intensity of a desperate band funneling everything it had to live for into its sets — but then, it always has.

“I’m not sure what we’d do if we weren’t in this band,” Cruz says. “Being able to vent and express yourself through performance is therapeutic.”

Cruz certainly needs the outlet. A few hours before this conversation, the Esoteric’s van — stocked with the best gear that benefit-show funds could buy — disappeared from a parking lot. (Police informed the panicking band that its van had been towed, not stolen.)

Smoke-related situations can be just as stressful. Certain smells, such as those produced by overtaxed electrical outlets and insufficiently extinguished butts in ashtrays, trigger memories. Cruz likely has a new appreciation for Lawrence’s smoking ban.

He also has a freshly developed fondness for repetitive tour press.

“We talk about it [the fire] in every town, which brings me back to that moment to relive it,” Cruz says. “That’s good, because it gets it out of my system. I don’t have it in my subconscious when I dream.”

All these experiences add cathartic kick to the Esoteric’s concerts. Its Sleepwalking-centered sets feature surprisingly strong melodic undercurrents, and, though Cruz maintains his gruff howl, the band excels at winning converts at metal festivals without donning corpse paint or playing at wrist-fracturing speeds.

The Esoteric learned to navigate diverse bills at home, where it shared shows with Superargo and Mac Lethal, among other eclectic acts. These gigs generated goodwill that spread beyond the metal-hardcore community. As a result, post-conflagration support for the group transcended genre lines.

“We’ve been blown away by the amount of love from Lawrence and Kansas City,” Cruz says. “It’s definitely changed our lives in a positive way. When you see people being so selfless, you want to be just as good and give back as much as possible.”