Not all epics need dragons or starships.
Some are fought under flickering fluorescents, through leaking ceilings and unread email--in the smoldering absurdity of modern tenant life.
Across ten acts, When David Takes On Goliath: An Emotional Journey Through Conflict and Resolution at 10 Ocean Blvd--Kalimian and the Inequities debut and immediate swan song, dissolved mid-tour under Chapter 11--charts the descent from hopeful beginnings to systemic neglect, the ignition of resistance, and the strategic grind of legal warfare. The stakes are real. The tracks are curated. The arc is undeniable.
Rent Seekers Beware: Prog-Rock Precision Meets Tenant Fury.
The artist(s) behind this project didn't just write songs—they weaponized a housing dispute. Anchored at the infamous 10 Ocean Blvd, this is a prog-rock odyssey where every act is a procedural motion, every lyric a legal jab.
From hopeful leases to hostile hearings, it charts the collapse, resistance, and courtroom brinksmanship with operatic ambition. This isn't just a concept album—it's a case file set to rhythm.
The soundtrack? A precision-cut arsenal from the rock and pop canon, each track chosen not just for what it says—but for how it *feels* in the heat of battle. Evidence, elevated.
Record Label
You Were Warned Records
Release Date
2025
Duration
3+ hours
Tracks
45
Genre
Prog-Rock, Legal Drama
Producer
SMH Productions
Rent Seekers Beware: Prog-Rock Precision Meets Tenant Fury.
The artist(s) behind this project didn't just write songs—they weaponized a housing dispute. Anchored at the infamous 10 Ocean Blvd, this is a prog-rock odyssey where every act is a procedural motion, every lyric a legal jab.
From hopeful leases to hostile hearings, it charts the collapse, resistance, and courtroom brinksmanship with operatic ambition. This isn't just a concept album—it's a case file set to rhythm.
The soundtrack? A precision-cut arsenal from the rock and pop canon, each track chosen not just for what it says—but for how it *feels* in the heat of battle. Evidence, elevated.
Movements
Movement I: The Beginning - False Promises & Realization
What starts as optimism curdles into suspicion. The lease looked great—until the ceiling leaked, the gym was a joke, and "minor issues" started stacking like eviction notices.
The journey begins shrouded in the optimism of a new home, quickly eroded by the unsettling realization that the landlord's assurances were hollow. What seemed like minor quirks or oversights start to feel like intentional misrepresentations or neglect. This phase is marked by a creeping anxiety, a transition from hopeful expectation to nagging suspicion and worry as the gap between promise and reality widens.
Tracks
Movement II: The Conflict Builds - Neglect & Resistance
Requests vanish into a void. Emails ignored, repairs delayed, respect eroded. The mask slips. What felt like miscommunication now reeks of contempt—and something in the tenant snaps.
Polite requests meet deflection or silence. Legitimate concerns about habitability, repairs, or lease terms are ignored or minimized. Frustration simmers, then boils. This act charts the mounting emotional toll of dealing with systemic neglect and the landlord's refusal to engage responsibly. It's the slow burn turning into the first sparks of righteous indignation and the nascent resolve to push back.
Tracks
Movement III: Taking Action - Research & Documentation
No more hoping. The tenant arms themselves with facts, logs, codes, and certified mail receipts. Every silence is documented. Every violation, archived. The paper trail becomes a weapon.
This act marks a crucial transformation from feeling like a victim to becoming an advocate. Fueled by the decision to resist, the tenant channels their energy into constructive action: researching tenant rights, local ordinances, and lease specifics. Meticulous documentation begins – photos, emails, certified letters, logs of communication attempts. Confidence grows with each piece of evidence gathered, building a foundation of facts to counter the landlord's neglect or denial.
Tracks
Movement IV: Strategic Preparation - Building Leverage
This isn't rage. It's reconnaissance. Legal weak points are mapped. Code violations cross-referenced. With patience and precision, the tenant turns pressure into positioning.
The focus shifts to calculated strategy. It's less about raw emotion and more about intellectual preparation. The tenant analyzes the landlord's vulnerabilities – code violations, lease breaches, potential financial pressures. They might consult with tenant advocacy groups or lawyers to understand their leverage points. This phase is characterized by patience, careful planning, and positioning oneself for the most effective confrontation. It's the quiet before the storm, setting up the chessboard.
Tracks
Movement V: The Confrontation - Settlement Demand
Time to flip the script. Armed with evidence and resolve, the tenant delivers their terms—bold, specific, undeniable. The power dynamic shifts, and the silence that follows is deafening.
This is the moment of truth, where accumulated research, documentation, and strategic planning culminate in a direct confrontation, often via a formal settlement demand letter. This letter outlines the grievances, references the evidence, cites relevant laws, and clearly states the desired resolution (repairs, monetary compensation, lease termination, etc.). It's a powerful shift in dynamics, forcing the landlord to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation. It carries both the emotional weight of finally stating one's case and the firm resolve backed by preparation.
Tracks
Movement VI: The Breaking Point - Filing Suit
The bluff's been called. After stonewalling and stalling, the tenant files. No more emails. No more chances. It's public now—and it's war.
The settlement demand is ignored, rejected, or met with an inadequate response. The internal pressure cooker, simmering since Act II, finally explodes. This act signifies the decisive, often cathartic, step of initiating formal legal action. Filing a lawsuit is crossing the Rubicon – it makes the dispute public and sets a formal legal process in motion. It's an irreversible commitment to seeking justice through the courts, mixed with the sober realization of the long road ahead.
Tracks
Movement VII: Discovery & Depositions - Truth Exposed
The curtain gets yanked. Receipts are demanded. Lies unravel under oath. What was hidden in shadow now glows under fluorescent deposition lights.
Litigation enters the formal discovery phase. This is where the legal system mandates a level of transparency. Lawyers exchange written questions (interrogatories), requests for documents, and conduct depositions – sworn testimony given under oath outside of court. This act is about the meticulous, often tedious, process of digging through evidence, forcing the opposing side to reveal information, and potentially uncovering crucial facts or admissions that were previously hidden. It can be punctuated by moments of dramatic revelation.
Tracks
Movement VIII: Motion Practice - Legal Chess
It's brains over brawn now. Every motion is a maneuver, every objection a feint. This is where lawyers earn their keep—and opponents get checkmated on procedure alone.
Before a potential trial, lawyers engage in "motion practice." This involves filing formal requests (motions) asking the court to rule on specific legal issues, dismiss parts of the case, compel discovery, or even grant judgment without a full trial (summary judgment). It's a strategic battleground where legal arguments are honed, procedural rules are wielded, and lawyers attempt to shape the case in their favor or wear down the opposition. It's an intellectual chess match that can significantly impact the trajectory and potential outcome of the lawsuit.
Tracks
Movement IX: Expert Witnesses & Trial Prep
The final load-in. Testimonies tuned, exhibits stacked, experts queued. Emotions give way to precision. Trial isn't just coming—it's rehearsed.
As trial looms, preparation intensifies. This act focuses on marshalling the most compelling evidence and arguments. Expert witnesses (like building inspectors, engineers, or accountants) may be engaged to provide specialized testimony. Lawyers meticulously prepare exhibits, refine legal strategies, and coach their client and witnesses on how to testify effectively. It's a period of high pressure and intense focus, ensuring every element is ready for courtroom presentation.
Tracks
Movement X: Trial & Verdict - Justice Served
The house lights dim. Every truth told, every lie cross-examined. After all the noise, the judgment lands—and it lands hard. Win or lose, it leaves a mark.
The climax of the legal journey. This act encompasses the drama of the trial itself – opening statements, witness testimony, cross-examinations, presentation of evidence, closing arguments – and culminates in the judge's or jury's verdict. It's a period of intense emotional strain, public scrutiny, and anxious anticipation. A favorable verdict brings validation, relief, and a sense of justice finally achieved after a long and arduous fight, offering profound catharsis.
Tracks
Movement Epilogue: Aftermath & Legacy
The fight's over—but the story's not. The verdict echoes beyond the building. One tenant's stand becomes a signal flare for everyone still waiting for justice.
The dust settles, the legal battle is won, but the story doesn't end with the verdict. This closing sequence explores the enduring impact of the fight. It's about the profound sense of personal vindication, but more importantly, the ripple effects that extend beyond the individual tenant and landlord. A successful stand against neglect and unfair practices can serve as a warning, inspire others, and contribute to tangible changes in how properties are managed or how rights are respected. This isn't just resolution; it's about the potential for reformation – the lasting legacy created when individuals hold powerful interests accountable and inadvertently pave the way for a fairer landscape for others who follow.
Tracks
Movement Post Script: The Final Feedback Squall
Enough diplomacy. This is the last word, screamed into a broken intercom. It's personal. It's raw. It's earned.
Beyond the formal resolution, the strategic battles, and the considerations of legacy, sometimes there's just one final, raw sentiment left boiling beneath the surface – a visceral release needed after enduring disrespect and dismissal.