Sunday, October 5, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
KMFDM • The Warfield Theatre • September 30, 1995
I went to this show because it was a free ticket given to me by a co-worker, I was curious to see what KMFDM was all about, not having heard a lot about them, but the main reason for my going was to check out the opening act, Korn. Back then they were a hot new band with a single off their first album that was getting much airplay, and this was back in the day when I actually still listened to radio. That first album was something new to mainstream metal. The music was unlike anything I'd heard before, and those vocals! Jonathan's delivery was intense and completely unique. I played that CD constantly. They came out and the moshers went ballistic. They definitely had a lot of fan presence at this gig, and they weren't even the headliners. Watching them then was bearing witness to a young band that was lean and mean, a group of guys that were hungry–so unlike what they would eventually become. They didn't have the stupid stage props, Jonathan wasn't wearing sequined jogging pants or Rasputin style gowns; when I saw them on this night it was all about kicking ass with just the power of the music. At one point the singer started one song with a bagpipe intro, and people lost their shit. KMFDM put on a good show, but Korn blew those techno goth motherfuckers up like The Godfather. Oh yeah, and I loved how when Korn left the stage, all the knucklehead jock/thug types moved to the back (or left) and all the goths emerged from out of nowhere to take their places up front. Nice.
Acid Mothers Temple • Bottom Of The Hill • September 30, 2005
I went to this show because it was a free ticket given to me by a co-worker, I was curious to see what KMFDM was all about, not having heard a lot about them, but the main reason for my going was to check out the opening act, Korn. Back then they were a hot new band with a single off their first album that was getting much airplay, and this was back in the day when I actually still listened to radio. That first album was something new to mainstream metal. The music was unlike anything I'd heard before, and those vocals! Jonathan's delivery was intense and completely unique. I played that CD constantly. They came out and the moshers went ballistic. They definitely had a lot of fan presence at this gig, and they weren't even the headliners. Watching them then was bearing witness to a young band that was lean and mean, a group of guys that were hungry–so unlike what they would eventually become. They didn't have the stupid stage props, Jonathan wasn't wearing sequined jogging pants or Rasputin style gowns; when I saw them on this night it was all about kicking ass with just the power of the music. At one point the singer started one song with a bagpipe intro, and people lost their shit. KMFDM put on a good show, but Korn blew those techno goth motherfuckers up like The Godfather. Oh yeah, and I loved how when Korn left the stage, all the knucklehead jock/thug types moved to the back (or left) and all the goths emerged from out of nowhere to take their places up front. Nice.
Acid Mothers Temple • Bottom Of The Hill • September 30, 2005
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Pelican • Great American Music Hall • September 27, 2006
Can't recall too much about this show, just that Daughters opened up and the hipster congregation went apeshit throughout their entire set. I liked them a lot. They were like The Stooges meets Arab On Radar. Each song would go from chaotic & noisy to straight ahead rockin' at the turn of a dime. I remember thinking the drummer would be great in a grind band. He was the perfect picture of intensity and aggression behind the kit.
Can't recall too much about this show, just that Daughters opened up and the hipster congregation went apeshit throughout their entire set. I liked them a lot. They were like The Stooges meets Arab On Radar. Each song would go from chaotic & noisy to straight ahead rockin' at the turn of a dime. I remember thinking the drummer would be great in a grind band. He was the perfect picture of intensity and aggression behind the kit.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Album(s) of the Week
Swans, Swans Are Dead
This is my favorite era of Swans: the period right before they called it quits in 1997. I think their music reached the pinnacle of everything it could be when Michael Gira decided it was time to move on. This 2-disc set captures the band live in all their terrible, sublime fury, for what was to be their last couple tours. It's one of my favorite live albums.
Khanate, Things Viral
Though these purveyors of avant doom have lamentably disbanded, I just got word that their final studio album will be released sometime this Winter. It'll be titled Clean Hands Go Foul.
This is my favorite era of Swans: the period right before they called it quits in 1997. I think their music reached the pinnacle of everything it could be when Michael Gira decided it was time to move on. This 2-disc set captures the band live in all their terrible, sublime fury, for what was to be their last couple tours. It's one of my favorite live albums.
Khanate, Things Viral
Though these purveyors of avant doom have lamentably disbanded, I just got word that their final studio album will be released sometime this Winter. It'll be titled Clean Hands Go Foul.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Mono • Bottom Of The Hill • September 23, 2005
This gig was the first time I saw Tokyo's Mono, which made me a fan for life. Their set hasn't changed much over the 2 years I've been able to see them since, but it doesn't matter to me–they're great songs and hearing them live is the best way to experience them. Bellini from Italy opened and they were rockin'. The Drift from our own fair city started the whole night off, though I missed their set completely.
Photo © Anders Jensen-Urstad
This gig was the first time I saw Tokyo's Mono, which made me a fan for life. Their set hasn't changed much over the 2 years I've been able to see them since, but it doesn't matter to me–they're great songs and hearing them live is the best way to experience them. Bellini from Italy opened and they were rockin'. The Drift from our own fair city started the whole night off, though I missed their set completely.
Photo © Anders Jensen-Urstad
Monday, September 22, 2008
Autumn Equinox 2008
To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and The Season of Mists; and may each and every one of us give the devil his due.
Time to bust out the sweaters, cook some pot roast, and get re-acquainted with Cocteau Twins, Red House Painters, The Cure, Khanate, Black Sabbath, Asunder, Swans and Corrupted. I listen to much of this shit on a regular basis anyway, but now it's just more appropriate for the season. Go Autumn!
Time to bust out the sweaters, cook some pot roast, and get re-acquainted with Cocteau Twins, Red House Painters, The Cure, Khanate, Black Sabbath, Asunder, Swans and Corrupted. I listen to much of this shit on a regular basis anyway, but now it's just more appropriate for the season. Go Autumn!
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