Concert Reviews | KISSES & NOISE - a music blog

Gwar at The UCF Arena 7.10.2007

Aug 152007

God, What an Awful Racket!

Youth-oriented shows start too early. Some of us (do the annoying finger-quote thing) ‚ “adults” who haven’t “grown up” yet, have “jobs” and “priorities” and can’t get to a show at 5 p.m. So when I stroll in at 8:30 p.m., Shadows Fall – the last band before the Scumdogs of the Universe – is wrapping up. Not that I missed anything, A) because the (old) UCF Arena may be the most sonically challenged venue on the planet and B) some of the special guests appearing on other legs of the tour like Testament and Suicidal Tendencies couldn’t make it to O-Town.

Deleted scenes from The Land of the Lost series

As GWAR’s cartoonish stage is being set-up, I mosey by a long line of all the bands merchandise. Table by table the artwork becomes more grotesque; each trying to outdo the other. My favorite: Necro’s octopus-zombie dining on a severed head. If I only had 20 bucks I could take care of Nanna’s birthday present. I will just wait for a sale at Penney’s. Next I notice several species flourishing which were thought extinct: the frizzy trailer mullet, next to something I thought would only be preserved in some prehistoric amber: the Motley Crue, “Girl Don’t go Away Mad” era mohawk-mullet cinched tightly in the back, shaved-head, ponytail thing. Finally, groupies, actual groupies! Beyond the barricades lurked sexy, dirty, stripper-types loitering backstage. God I miss metal.

The show did not seem as intense as it did when I was young. I guess 15 years of “real life” can even harden the heart of an old metal fan. But there were definitely highlights:

1. The slow evisceration of a fan.

2. Singer, Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus fornicating with a putrid dog carcass as it spewed blood and pus 30 feet into the crowd.

3. And the piece-de-resistance, a large character appears from backstage to an audio track blurting “Me no rikey American students, Korea numba one, me no rike you, fuck you G.I!” My feeble brain thought it may be Kim Jong Il. I was close, but reality is much, much worse. It’s a Korean alright. As the figure moves forward he reveals a Virginia Tech jersey while brandishing two 9mm pistols. GWAR urges UCF not to let a pussy-ass college in Virginia hold the mass murder record and counts aloud as Cho Seung-Hui shoots: 1,2,3, … 31,32,33 – yay!” Next, Oderus emerges with a large sword decapitating Cho and for the duration of the next number his beheaded carcass scurries around spraying blood into the stunned audience. Completely tactless, thoroughly insensitive, totally awesome!

Article originally appeared in REAX #16, August 15 2007

GWAR incites UCF crowd to cheer on Korean guy to break the West Virginia shooting record. Then they kill him. Notice the copious amounts of blood spraying from dancing, decapitated corpse for the duration.

Smashing Pumpkins Videos from Asheville, N.C Residency 7.2, 7.3, 7.5.2007

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Jul 192007

The Smashing Pumpkin residency in Asheville, North Carolina at the Orange Peel was one of the most amazing musical experiences of my life. For a $20 ticket – if you could get one – fans were allowed in to watch soundchecks and hang out with (annoy) the band. Then 9 sold out shows spread out over the first 11 days of July were monster face-melters. 3 1/2 hour plus concerts jam-packed with all kinds of songs. These residencies were meant to break-in the new band – Jeff Schroeder, Ginger Reyes, and Lisa Harrington – and build the pool of songs they could pull from to over a 100. They fine-tuned newer songs, rearranged old songs, and wrote / played songs written during their stay. The band mingled freely with Ashevillians and fans throughout their stay, making themselves available. Local newspapers covered every aspect of the stay, stores offered “Pumpkin Specials,” while other stores were exclusive vendors of custom-collectable merchandise. Just about every person you saw had a “Pumpkin sighting” or story about a casual run-in with various members. The Pumpkins had a different local artist open the show each evening and followed with wildly varied set-lists of their own. Asheville, long known as a psychic center, became the center of the Pumpkin universe and created an energy that the band and the fans shared. This unique perspective is covered in their DVD documentary If All Goes Wrong as well as the sharp contrast to the subsequent residency experience in San Francisco.

“Rotten Apples” at The Orange Peel 7.3.2007

“Starla” at The Orange Peel 7.2.2007

Vicious version of “Silverfuck” at The Orange Peel 7.2.2007

“The Aeroplane Flies High” at The Orange Peel 7.2.2007

A 36 minute “Gossamer” from 7.3.2007

The Casualties at BackBooth 6.19.2007

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Jun 192007

Furious Jorge

The first drawback to punk shows when you are a grown-up is that they usually start when the sun is still up. The pre-dusk show time lead me to miss ‚ÄúPunk for Life Tour‚Äù-mates L.A‚Äôs Time Again and Boston street punkers A Global Threat. The upside to this is that I don‚Äôt have to watch a procession of angry pre-teens coolly ignoring their moms as they saunter out of minivans.

When I get there, BackBooth is packed and hot. And, if I had any doubt as to what kind of show I stumbled into, the phrase, ‚Äúfuckin‚Äô hardcore motherfuckin‚Äô punk fuckin‚Äô rock‚Äù greeted me at the front door as it rode the magic carpet of PBR through my nostrils.

The Casualties took the stage and tore through their set. These guys are ‚Äústreet punk‚Äù a.k.a – fucking ugly. No primped ‚Äúmall punk‚Äù here, The Casualties are serious. Jorge‚Äôs voice is classic hardcore, screeching and pissed. Megger‚Äôs drumming is solid and powerful and elevated their attack from sheer noise to tenacious.

Some of the standout songs were from 2004‚Äôs¬†On The Front Line. ‚ÄúCasualties Army‚Äù and ‚ÄúThe World Belongs to Us‚Äù created a frenzy through the room. The energy of the crowd is palpable, or maybe it‚Äôs just the B.O. and angst.¬† Navigating the swirling, all encompassing pit was hard with camera in hand‚Ä¶ well, when in Rome. I cleared my path with a forearm to the throat here and elbow to the skull there. Wow, I miss this, but I am too old. I think I may have seriously hurt some 6th graders.

As Jorge‚Äôs trademark brightly colored hair spikes became flaccid so did my interest. Then, just like that, it was over. Time to beat the minivans.

Article originally appeared in REAX Issue #15, May 15 2007

Mayhem at The Casualties show

Souls of Mischief at Firestone 5.3.2007

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May 152007

"07 til Infinity" just doesn't sound right

Attending concerts for years instilled my assumption that hip-hop sucks live. I know, I know some rap shows can be truly inspirational; the Beastie Boys, Jurassic 5, Sage Francis all come to mind. More recently, Del the Funky Homosapien ripped up the Social in Orlando while simultaneously downing a bottle of Patron. That fact helps convince me fellow members of the Hieroglyphics click, Souls of Mischief, may be capable of the same. Chill beats, and jazzy, trip-hop samples mixed with unique flows translate better in the right venues. My hope that this show will be special is enhanced when I find out it is upstairs in The Firestone’s more intimate V.I.P. area.

When I make my way in at 10:30 p.m. the joint is empty. I notice a makeshift Jon-Benet fashion show-type stage crammed in the corner between the men’s crapper and the bar. My first concern is the sound and how it will project into the “L” shaped second floor. No worries though, no live music is going to start for another hour and a half! Currently, I and maybe five others are being entertained by the DJ stylings of Park Ave. CDs own Kitty Bat – maybe the highlight of the evening.

Midnight rolls around and the crowd reaches its apogee ‚maybe 70 people. The first act takes the “stage” and my fears of inept audio ring true. Neither the music or vocals are discernable and small groups of bewildered, disaffected hipsters mill about to the droning thuds of inaudible hip-hop. After the dread-lock guy comes out, another unintelligible dread-lock guy, followed by two guys in matching neon pajamas (not to be funny, but to be cool I think. Very Kid n Play). Usually one attending a rap show can figure out who is on stage because they say their name 400 times, but if they did, I couldn’t hear it. It is about 1:30 a.m. and the din of Thursday night ravers below bleeds through upstairs.

It is now 1:45 a.m. and the Souls of Mischief feel properly warmed up and drunk. They come out and despite the sound difficulties (feedback even Jimi Hendrix would be proud of) tear through their set with the most professionalism of any act so far. By 3:00 a.m. the group’s Patron bottle is empty which is probably what prompts A-Plus to spark up on stage. Finally, with the opening notes of “93 til Infinity” I am instantly taken back to my senior year and partying with my friends. Thanks A-Plus! This was the only remotely recognizable moment for the whole show, further sustaining my former assumption. What do you want for $5?

Article originally appeared in REAX issue #13, May 15 2007