I wasn't aware
of this band until they stepped on stage, but I thought the
trio put on a solid set that did well in loosening up the
crowd for Black Mountain and Dead Meadow. Their sound
was very much the kind of rock music that entails picking up
instruments and straight out playing them at a speed that
falls somewhere between the lighter sides of metal and punk.
In other words, there were a lot of relentless vocals,
quick-paced drumming and plodding bass lines. I'd show
up early again.
This was my first time seeing
Black Mountain play, so I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to be in
for. Fortunately, these guys (and girl) didn't come close to
disappointing. I thought they sounded a lot like they do on record,
but with the healthy addition of having the volume level in the
ear-splitting range. I mean, I'm still wondering why in the world
people were asking the band to "turn it up." Apart from their sound, I
thought it was interesting that while they seemed like a bunch of cool
people they pretty much avoided talking when they weren't pounding my face
in. Granted, that may not seem like a big deal to many of you, but I
sure would have liked a little extra time to catch my breath between songs.
Despite not having ever seen
the other two acts perform I was most interested in seeing Dead Meadow.
Their new album, Old Growth, has a different feel than their other
works, and I was curious to see how the new three-piece lineup would
translate to their live show. So, how did it go? Well, of the
three times that I've seen them now I thought this was this best.
They've always been a band that comes out and jams to the point where you
feel like you could close your eyes and drift off to sleep to their grooving
ways. However, with them operating as a trio now they certainly seemed
looser and much louder. In other words, there is no closing of the
eyes and swaying anymore. It's all about the instrument wailing and
pounding of the ears.
-
John Laird -
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