The Sword at the Double Door March 5th, 2014

I'm gonna start by saying that I, personally, have never seen the Double Door as packed as it was Wednesday night. The whole thing was almost ridiculous, and then went right over the edge when the mosh pit started.

This was the second time that I'd seen the Austin foursome in the venerable Wicker Park venue, and in neither case was it as fun as their 2010 show at the Metro. Simply for the sheer fact that I could not move, and I was surrounded by a fair number of douchey assholes, in with the decent folks. Perhaps this is a result of the band's growing popularity, or more likely the difference between a venue with a capacity of 500 versus 1150.

I cannot fathom why metal bands, after they reach a certain level of popularity, immediately become a magnet for ballcapped frat assholes. I suppose it can be traced to male power fantasies, but, whatever. The whole thing gets worse when compounded with entitlement syndrome....

You know what I'm talking about, the moment when some fireplug-shaped jagbag with a shaved head and a goatee decides he has to get to the front RIGHT NOW, and plows through everyone on the floor. Doing so in the absolutely most discourteous and, flatly, dangerous way possible.

See, back in my days of mosh pit madness, there was a code. There was an understood level of respect and concern for the people around you. If someone went down, you stopped and blocked until they could get on their feet, you could get them on their feet, or security could get them out. It was a brotherhood of violent physical release, not a competition. Not a contest to see who could force themselves furthest up front. Some idiot on Wednesday even tried to crowd surf.

Idiot.

Let's come to an understanding here....when the club is packed like sardines, you don't deserve to get to the front. Especially when you arrive late.

In short. Fuck you.

O'Brother

Anyway, aside from all that. Fantastic show.

The openers were impressive, moreso than usual. I was particularly taken with O'Brother out of Atlanta. They were heavy enough to be appropriate, melodic enough to be interesting, and their vocalist, Tanner Merritt, has a hell of a set of pipes. This despite a lot of modulation on the vocals (which was a theme for the night). The songs were catchy, which is always of primary importance with me. Definitely a band, I'll be picking up at least one disk from.

Big Business

Also on the bill was Big Business, which includes a couple of guys who play with The Melvins. I was totally unaware of this, as usual. Good band, a hard-hitting band, and Coady Willis is simply a monster drummer. Powerful and all over the kit. Thrilling to watch, although he kind of looks like an accountant (a super-cool accountant, but nevertheless...). Also with Jared Warren on bass and truly distinctive vocals. I really enjoyed the set, but, I have to admit, just base don comparing the two openers, I didn't find Big Business' songs as compelling as the performance. I might download some tracks, or an album, but I have a feeling that without the live energy, I might not be too jazzed.

The Sword was, as usual, great.  I simply love this band, so my "review" may leave a lot to be desired. I love the songs, I love the style, and I, personally, love J.D. Cronise's voice. Although, again, clearly a lot of processing on his vocal tracks.

The Sword

The sound was vastly better than the last time I saw the band at the Double Door, the vocals were pretty much inaudible at the show, and it annoyed me. Wednesday night there was no such problem. The band is rather static on stage, but that's generally fine with me. Aside from my beloved Springsteen, I'd rather bands stand still and play well (not that Springsteen doesn't play well - quite the opposite). I've had enough of the half-assed musicianship in the service of "putting on a show."

I do admit to a true joy in watching bassist Bryan Richie play. It's so unlike most metal musicians, who tend to the violent thrash. Headbanging and the like. It reflects his playing, a flow, rather than an attack. It's probably part of why I love this band so much, a true sense of groove.

The Sword stands, and delivers. In fact, the only complaint I could level would be that Night City didn't make the setlist.

Music Update: Haunting, Sammy Hagar and Rival Sons

After yesterday's micro-mini update, I thought I should expand a bit.

Deliverance is done, well, close enough. I reserve the right to go back and tweak all of this stuff for a final mix before I start running off disks. Frankly, while I'm kind of agog with how much I just like the five completed tracks, the only ones that feel "finished" are MonkeySex and The Rain Came Down. The rest sound good, but I think another pass on mixing, effects, and just a bit of re-recording can make them pop a bit more, I hope. Just trying to make something I am (surprisingly) quite happy with sound even better. However, I consider that all "final mixing," and I want to have the tracks set before we go there.

So, I've started on a new track, Haunting, which was a bit of a discovery for me. It was something I had literally forgotten about. I had done a run on it with my 8-track, just me on an acoustic, and it just popped up on my iPod one day. I really think it's some of my best lyrics, and an incredibly simple number. I think the whole acoustic version is Em, that's it, just one chord.

I want to expand that, of course. What I've worked out is kind of a pseudo-"bucket blues" thing, the melody line still works, with some added changes so it's not so, literally, one-note. There's no chorus, per-se, and I still have to work out exactly what I was doing in the bridge section. Even with that, I'm feeling energized and excited about it. The riff is simple but sounds perfect, and , like I said, I think it's some of my best lyrics.

After that, I have 2 more numbers that are "done," in that I know exactly how they work, musically. I need to tweak and edit the lyrics, but they're in good shape. That'll bring me to 8 tracks, and my goal is 10-12. I have some riffs and stuff that I'll start mining at that point. After this stuff that's "set," my plan is to stop worrying about complexity, or if something is "too simple." I'll play, and let it be what it is. Clearly, the amount of time I've spent on this set is way too long, and it's allowed me to over-think everything, over and over again. That needs to stop. Time to go with the gut. Especially since I'm aiming for rockers to finish out the set.

Haunting has helped me see how effective that can be. The recording I found is just me pounding on the guitar and growling, essentially, and it might be the most exciting thing I have on tap.

In other musical thoughts, went with CByrd, Sean H and Kim L to see Sammy Hagar for my birthday on Friday the 23rd. The tour is in celebration of his 40 years in the music biz.

Great show. Starting off with a selection of Montrose numbers, then into solo hits, and Van Halen tracks. I was a little disappointed there was no Chickenfoot represented, despite Michael Anthony being on hand (I mean Sammy and Mike represent half of that era Van Halen AND Chickenfoot). Oh well, guess I have to hope for another 'Foot tour (I skipped the last, just because Kenny Aronoff, who is still a MONSTER drummer, is no Chad Smith, who was the highlight of the Chickenfoot show I saw a few years ago).

What's obvious is that Sammy has a good time, and it's infectious. I really try to stay out of the whole Dave/Sammy Van Halen thing. I love all eras of that band, but the fact of the matter is that Sammy, as a vocalist, is miles beyond Roth (as a frontman, you can debate), and Sammy has managed to keep his voice in tremendous shape. I was blown away by his energy and the sheer power of what his voice can do. Yeah, a huge chunk of his stage antics are fairly rote stuff, but, like I said, Sammy is obviously having a good time, and it's shared with the crowd. That, the undeniable talent on display, and a really strong catalog of material trump just about anything.

I had a blast, and screamed my ass off.

- Space Station #5 (Montrose)
- Rock Candy (Montrose)
- Bad Motor Scooter (Montrose)
- Red
- I Can't Drive 55
- There's Only One Way to Rock
- I'll Fall in Love Again
- Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy
- Three Lock Box
- Right Now (Van Halen)
- Why Can't This Be Love (Van Halen)
-  Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen)
-  Top of the World (Van Halen)
- When It's Love (Van Halen)
- Finish What Ya Started (Van Halen)
- Heavy Metal
- Mas Tequilla
- Knockdown Dragout

Encore:
- Winding Down
- Eagles Fly

The other story about that evening was the opening act Rival Sons. The mix wasn't the greatest for them, but I was liking enough of the show to check out their latest, Head Down.

All I can say is, wow.

Great band, I'm enjoying the hell out of them on Spotify even as I type this. They have a solid blues-based sound, in many ways what I'd like Hayoth to sound like, ultimately. There's a ton of Zeppelin influence visible in their live show, but they don't sound like a copy. Sean hit the nail on the head when he said they sound influenced by a lot of things, but unique. I'm looking forward to digging into more of their back catalog.

The Springsteen Wrigley Weekend

Getting this out of the way fast...I think these were both stellar shows. The fact that I heard The Ghost of Tom Joad with the Tom Morello guitar solo twice makes that a solid report on my part. Having Eddie Vedder show up for each show helped, too.

On top of all that, I just felt like The Boss was in a fine mood, and ready to have a good time. He certainly came with the themes that have been in place for the whole tour, loss of old friends (Danny and Big C), as well as the continuing economic environment. No, we didn't get a four-hour show, but we did get three and a half on Friday (right up to curfew), and about three-fifteen on Saturday (and I think he'd have gone longer if not for the rain).

I'm going to be honest...the whole weekend is a whirlwind of excitement and awesome for me. It's kind of a blur. That said I'm going to try to give my impressions.

Night One: September 7th

Setlist:
Prove It All Night ('78 intro)
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Out in the Street
Hungry Heart
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night
Trapped
Jack of All Trades (with Tom Morello)
Atlantic City (with Eddie Vedder)
Lonesome Day
I'm Goin' Down
Darlington County
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
None But the Brave
The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
Badlands (with Tom Morello)
Land of Hope and Dreams (with Tom Morello)
* * *
We Are Alive
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
Jungleland
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Morello and Vedder)
Twist and Shout (with Morello and Vedder)

Prove it All Night w/'78 intro was, I have to admit, an odd way to start the show, with a long instrumental jam that wasn't readily identifiable to at least half the audience. Probably more, because it was really apparent that a lot of the crowd were "Wrigley fans" rather than "Springsteen fans." (To the guy who tried to dig up some grass from the field as we were walking out...stay classy, dude.) Drinking is always prevalent, but man...it was out of hand for some folks. I wonder if that doesn't account for Adam Raised a Cain and Lost in the Flood, which were on the setlist to be changed on the fly to Out in the Street and Hungry Heart.

I have to, grudgingly, admit this was the right choice (I LOVE Lost in the Flood). Those songs are where the crowd started to get with it. And, yeah, it is pretty cool to see a whole stadium in the palm of his hand with Hungry Heart.

The new stuff plays really well live, too. We Take Care of Our Own was great, and Death to My Hometown and Shackled and Drawn are just...astounding in a live setting. Having Tom Morello around for large chunks of it really helped, the guy obviously REALLY gets into this music. Of course, the electric Ghost of Tom Joad was....jaw dropping. Just killler. Eddie Vedder was great dueting on Atlantic City. I was even happy to hear I'm Going Down, surprised too. It's a sorta one-note song, but wow, do crowds respond to it.

The encore had to be a "casual fan's" dream. Rattling off a strong chain of big, recognizable songs. Including my first ever Jungleland without Clarence Clemons. Clarence was in the air at both shows, with My City of Ruins being a tribute to fallen E-Streeters Danny Federici and The Big Man ("If you're here, and we're here, then they're here"), and a moment of silence with a video montage right after "they made the change uptown, and the Big Man joined the band" in Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.

Big C's nephew, Jake Clemons, has obviously become a touchstone of sorts for Bruce. He's got big shoes to fill, and I have to say I'm impressed. There's no sense that he's "replacing" Clarence, but he is carrying on the traditions, and it is glorious. My tears at the end of Jungleland are my tribute to him.

Night Two: September 8th

Setlist:
The Promised Land
The Ties That Bind
No Surrender
Hungry Heart
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
My City of Ruins
E Street Shuffle
Pay Me My Money Down
This Depression (with Tom Morello)
My Hometown (with Eddie Vedder)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (with Eddie Vedder)
Because the Night
Working on the Highway
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Who'll Stop the Rain (solo acoustic)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
Badlands (with Tom Morello)
Thunder Road
* * *
Rocky Ground
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
American Land (with Morello and Vedder) 

Now, I'm going to have to say that night two trumped night one, for me. This may be an unfair comparison, because I was in the GA pit for the second night, and that's ALWAYS more exciting. That's despite the rain, which started around Working on the Highway, and sent me home sopping wet. Still, when Bruce Springsteen isn't hiding under the covered part of the stage, getting drenched himself, and continually asking "are you wet enough? Do you want to go home?" There's no way to not scream back, "Hell no!"

In fact, while I do believe the show would've been longer without the rain, it also clearly sparked a lot more fun and playfulness out of the band. This was, hands down, the finest Rosalita I've personally seen, and it was in no small part because of the goofing that the rain and technical problems inspired in Bruce and Little Steven. Bruce couldn't hear his guitar out on the ramp (in the rain) and Steven was telling him the monitors were out, ending up with Bruce just flipping off everyone on stage (playfully, of course).

Earlier in the show I saw my first E-Street Shuffle, ever, and, with the full horn section on this tour it was over-the-top great. Followed by a Sessions Band-era treat Pay Me My Money Down, chosen, I'm certain, to continue to feature the horns. It was energized, electric and tons of fun. Jake was in fine form again. 

Vedder did My Hometown and Darkness on the Edge of Town with the band. Morello did, essentially, the same songs he did the night before, and the bot returned for Tenth Ave and American Land, which closed out the show, and which Vedder clearly didn't know the words for. Still, it was great fun, and I didn't even mind the wet ride home.

Thursday's been rough.

This has been a dark day for me. Honestly, it's been a string of dark days. The sun is setting earlier, and it sucks to look out the window at 4:30 to...night. I've also been out of the house a lot. Lots of evening commitments. So, tonight is the only night this week I can go home and relax. Tomorrow I have a rehearsal for a reading, Saturday, said reading goes up, and immediately after I go to another rehearsal. Sunday, of course brings another shot of the Boss' love...

I has so hoped that the weather would hold for Sunday. We have General Admission tickets, so a lot of waiting in line is on the menu. That's, of course the day when showers are in the forecast. So, we shall see. It could've been a LOT worse, I suppose, I mean it is mid-November, we could be knee-deep in snow.

Plus, I HATE having a big coat if I'm on the floor at a show. So, I try to dress as lightly as possible. Bad news at the Metallica show last January, when I ended up quite sick after. There's a joy in being able to take public transport to concerts easily, but you also miss that ability to just jump in the car to warm up, y'know?

So, anyway...I don't know what's eating at me. I'm just kind of in a "sick of it all" funk. the sort of thing that comes and it goes, I guess. I feel like playing the guitar tonight, but, with it being my only night home, I feel bad just retreating into the office.

I do feel like I've got a sound in my head now that I can really run with. It's definitely hard rock, metal even, but a little muddy, not as sharp-edged. In preparation of the Them Crooked Vultures release, I've been listening to a lot of Kyuss, and I think it's rubbing off on me. "Stoner Metal" was the term, I guess.

My friend Tom B. introduced me to Kyuss a few years ago. He put a song or two on a disk with the Probot album. I thought that song, "50 Million Year Trip (Downside Up)," was pretty damn cool, but didn't really click with the band until I heard "Demon Cleaner" on the Metallica: Guitar Hero video game. (So I guess there is something to be said for those games introducing new music to people.)

So, anyway...it's a dark Thursday.