It is a rare occasion when a band can play a sold-out show in both Hollywood and New York City after only releasing one song, but this is exactly what happened with the Los Angeles band known as The Scarlet Opera. Comprised of Luka Bazulka, Colin Kenrick, Daniel Zuker, Justin Siegal, and Chance Taylor, The Scarlet Opera made their debut at The Troubadour on September 13 to a sold-out crowd even before releasing their first single, which would come three days later.
The Scarlet Opera is best described by their official bio on their YouTube Channel:
The Scarlet Opera represents passion, lust, fury and beauty. Fine art for the promiscuous. Fine art for the bold. Fine art for all. Fusing the grandeur of the theatre with the raw energy of rock and roll, The Scarlet Opera – a five piece band hailing from Los Angeles – offers an escape into the throes of love, lust, glamour and passion. Formed as ‘Perta’ in 2016 and reborn in 2022, The Scarlet Opera is led by lyricist and frontman Luka Bazulka, whose authentic narrative and vocal prowess are matched only by the musical talents of band members Colin Kenrick [keyboard], Daniel Zuker [bass], Justin Siegal [drums] and Chance Taylor [guitar]. The band’s origins are tied to one fateful night when Colin, upon witnessing Luka perform an inspiring solo vocal set, enlisted longtime friends and seasoned musicians Daniel, Chance and Justin to provide a new dimension to what was already brimming with potential.
The Scarlet Opera began their show at the West Hollywood venue with the charismatic lead singer Bazulka making a dramatic entrance off-stage to sing a reworked version of Puccini’s classic aria “Nessun Dorma.” Even before Bazulka sings his first note, he has the audience captivated with his flamboyant and theatrical ensemble, but the minute he starts signing, Bazulka has the audience under his spell. It is a moment that Pass the Aux’s Michael Menachem depicts as “setting the mood for theatrics, mischief and antics that were thrilling from beginning to end.”
@thescarletopera and this was just the beginning of our show – what a night !! New music out in 2 Days!! Pre-save link in bio xx
“The Place to Be,” The Scarlet Opera’s debut single, was released on September 16 and when The Scarlet Opera appeared on Apple Music’s The Travis Mills Show in December, Bazulka shared with Travis Mills the inspiration behind creating the song.
Almost a month after their first single, the band head to New York City to make their east coast debut at the iconic Bowery Ballroom to a sold-out crowd.
@thescarletopera sold out the Bowery Ballroom – what a life !! Xx #TheScarletOpera #nyc #rocktober
It wasn’t more than a week before the band was back on the west coast to play once again to a sold-out crowd at The Troubadour.
On January 20, The Scarlet Opera released their second single, “Big City Thing.” Bazulka explains in a video on the band’s official TikTok account that the song is “the culmination of many, many years of pursuing a dream.”
While the band does not have any other full songs to stream or download, snippets of songs they have written can be found in videos across their social media accounts (YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram). One song, in particular, is getting a lot of attention on TikTok. In a video that is barely less than 30 seconds long, The Scarlet Opera is seen performing the end of an upcoming song, “Alive” and the caption over the video explains, “the song doesn’t even come out for another month and a room full of 300+ people knew the words.”
@thescarletopera alive! #thescarletopera #newmusic #fyp
As evidenced by both “The Place to Be” and “Big City Thing,” The Scarlet Opera, with their eclectic melodies, relatable lyrics, and enigmatic frontman, are set to be one of 2013’s bands to watch.
Sources: The Scarlet Opera Official YouTube Channel, Pass The Aux, The Scarlet Opera Official TikTok Account, The Scarlet Opera Offical Instagram Account,
Writer’s Note: This is the opinion of one contributing writer and may not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors
I saw them on the James Corden Late Late show tonight. I was impressed. I wish the best for this band in the future.