EXPOSING YOU TO MORE NEW MUSIC

ISSUE 27

LIVE SHOW REVIEWS

NO USE FOR A NAME / LIMP / DANCE HALL CRASHERS

The Paradise - Boston, MA

September 9, 1999

The night started out with LIMP and they are far from it. Cranking out the garage pop offerings from their new CD “GUITARDED”. The early crowd was into it as Serge and the boys were cranking. Very cool. Next up was Dance Hall Crashers, the Berkeley band with 2 chick singers up front. What a cool set as both Elyse and Karina worked the predominantly male audience to a frenzy. They played a lot from their third album “Purr” which meant a set of pop punk tunes. With a solid rhythm section of bassist Mikey Weiss and drummer Gavin Hammon it’s easy for Jason Hammon to lay his licks down and the girls to belt out the harmonies. Full of high energy, I suggest you “check them out”. Up next was No Use For A Name and I’m so tempted to say no use is an understatement but it wouldn’t be true. As soon as these guys came out you could feel a buzz in the audience. Then they started playing and the kids were rockin, hopping up and down and that kind of stuff. After a while I bailed to the back to avoid the urge of tagging someone. A fun time for all as they play the punk rock right.
DB

FAMILY VALUES TOUR 99

Centrum - Worcester, MA

September 28, 1999

Opening the Family Values Tour in MA was hometown Springfield, MA group STAIND. Their truly raw raging performance of Mudshovel woke up the barely adolescent audience at the Centrum and got them off of their asses and into the mosh pit where these families of freaks stayed all night long. As a follow up to the wave of anger that was being created next came the band Crystal Method to mellow out the crowd with their techno club music. I can only say that they sucked! The emergency broadcast system set to drums would sound better then the crap that they were laying down. During their entire set they hid behind a cloud of smoke which prevented me from hurling sharp objects at them. Watching a techno band in concert is worst than watching a record play and they were about as entertaining. Remember guys loud does not equal good. Finally after putting up with what was way too much crap Crystal Method was followed by Mobb Depp and Run DMC featuring Jam Master J. The crowd was feeling Mobb Depp as they performed their commercial successes, too bad they were only given 15 minutes. The other 15 minutes was given to one of the founders and originators of rap Run DMC and Jam Master J. themselves. They laid down some old school hip-hop dating back to 83. Too bad however most of the audience hadn’t even been born by then. Although this old man was on his feet jamming to their hip hop groove the only song that the audience responded to was their hit Walk This Way which featured rockers Aerosmith on the single. Although the concert started to take a turn for the better Mobb and Run were poor substitutes for the originally planned DMX. Now they got me thinking that the concert is getting better, out comes the band Filter. The mosh pit went crazy for these guys as they told us they were there to do 3 things, “smoke pot, drink beer, and have a rock concert with you!” They had the audience feeling their music with their song I Will Lead You off of their new album. I asked Jenny, a 17-year-old high school student what she liked out the group and she explained what I already suspected, “They attract the youth, they get our attention”. Immediately I knew that I was not included in the “our” as all I did was allow myself to daze out to the psychedelic backdrops. Finally, the main attraction Limp Bizkit. Whoever told white people that it was a good idea to rap needs to be shot. Don’t get me wrong it was entertaining especially watching a bunch of screaming 14 year old girls holding up signs like “Fred, I want to give you head!" And I’ll even admit I was getting into his remakes of House of Pain’s Jump Around and George Michael’s I Want Your Sex, but enough is enough already. Besides such artist as Eminem, groups such as Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock are showing very little originality and therefore will never have any true cross over success. All I can say is if these are the values of today’s generation no wonder there is so much dysfunction.
Xavier

Creed / Our Lady Peace / Oleander

Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL

October 14, 1999

We showed up late so we missed Oleander’s set. Surveying the crowd most felt they were kind of mellow. Since the last time I saw Our Lady Peace they have added a new guitar -keyboard player to add to their live sound. Even though this did allow them to add extra keyboard parts and allow singer Raine Maida the freedom of not having to play guitar. I think it took a lot out of their show. Raine being free of his guitar was cool but he doesn’t have the same energy without it. Over all they played a good set that was comprised mostly of songs off their new album “Happiness is a fish you can’t catch” but they also added a few old tunes. I think they should can the new guy and give Raine his guitar back. Creed was up next and the first thing you notice is the huge “Creed” banner on the back of the stage which I would normally say sucked because it reminds me too much of the ‘80’s but in this case it was actually kind of cool because it glowed under the blue lights. Now I am not a very big Creed fan but I must say they rocked! Their set was a cool mix of old and new and they played with as much energy and power as they do on their albums.Over all they pulled off the glam of an 80’s hair band with the honesty of a 90’s rock band. A pleasant supprise that I would recommend to anyone who had $30 to blow.
Ed Books

BLOODY & The VAYNES / DEADLINE / A.D.D.

Creep Crawl - St Louis, MO

October 23, 1999

Needing a little adventure I took a road trip to the city of ol St Louie but I got a little more than I expected. I stayed at the Day’s Inn near the airport and after getting to my room around 11:15PM a bathroom break was in order. While seated on the throne I heard a loud bang and the door flew open to my room as some local drunk kicked my room door in. I rose quickly and nobody was there, thank goodness but I bolted the door and slept lightly. This was a 2 decker outside hotel where you park in front of your room. The balance of my stay at the hotel was fine but if my old lady was with me we would have checked out within 5 minutes after that event. Oh the show? Went to this small club known for underground music and briefly spoke to the owner and staff and placed a stack of fine Stubble in the club literature area. The topic of discussion was local favorites VERY METAL that had cancelled for the night as their guitar player cut his hand at practice the night before. The opening act Deadline was obviously local, as it appeared a few parents of the bands showed up to root the boys on. The tunes were atypical garage pop with decent execution. The band songwriting was fairly weak with most of the tunes sounding alike. The next band was 3 young punks called A.D.D. , Who seemed to know Bloody Mess as they were hanging with him while the first set was winding down. Anyway these boys hit the stage and were very angry oi tunage that was fast and furious. They dressed like punkers from England circa 1977 with multiple zippered checkered pants on the bass player Brian. Spiked hair on the guitarist Jeff. They did songs that had one basic message ...Fuck You! With a set of songs that ran together sounding alike I felt like their best years were ahead of them. My favorite song they did was “Bitches”. Love the look, t0he energy, but they need something to break up the set. Maybe a slower song or a well-known cover done in their style. The small crowd was assembled to see Peoria’s punk legend Bloody Mess and he was in rare form on this night. The band franticly looked for him as they were taking the stage and guitarist Dave Glover found him in bar next door and brought him into The Creepy Crawl hammered or drunk as a skunk you pick. After a decent opening tune “Detroit I’m In Town” Bloody degenerated into taunting the crowd with obscenities and after playing “Acid Stomach” he mooned the audience. Shortly after that Bloody had his pants off and I can say 2 things I don’t need to know but now do. I know you don’t want me to share it but hey its Stubble quality info. He does not have a hairy ass and is circumcised, how nice. The set continued with Bloody forgetting or repeating lyrics while The Vaynes were cranking full speed ahead. The club owner put a GG Allin video in the player and it was like a mirror performance of stage antics by 2 infamous performers, one live and one on tape. The band started to play “Black Little Heart” and Bloody was behind the bar with his head resting on it. Eventually the bartenders carried him to the stage and he began to sing again. Although it looked like The Vaynes were pissed at Bloody, the crowd loved it as most were big GG fans. It was like a Bloody Mess & The Skabs show. Vaynes drummer Tim summed it up best “I’ve seen Bloody naked on stage before but not at a Vaynes show.” What a long strange trip it was, to a beautiful Midwest City to witness one of its darker moments.
DB

SHANNON CURFMAN

House Of Blues - Boston, MA

October 27, 1999

I had never been to see a band at this venue before but have been in the bar on 1st floor. They have a little monitor there so you can see the band and you can decide if you want to shell out the cash to watch the show (a very cool concept).Upon going upstairs I noticed how the room looked like a church with the stage as an altar. They had this arch above the stage with symbols from all religions and a picture of a fuzzy headed guy. The roof has tiles that were all great blues players like Buddy Guy, BB King and Jimi Hendrix to name a few. Maybe they should call it the Church Of Blues. Anyway I was there to see the 14 year old phenom guitarist/singer Shannon Curfman with a bit of scepticism. I figured with a guitarist like David Grissom (ex John Cougar) most of the cool licks on the CD “Loud Guitars Big Suspicions” were his. Not so. Once I hear a few tunes at her show I knew that this youngster can really play guitar. She made me say to my buddies she is like another Bonnie Raitt. She had a array of small guitars that all seemed custom made for her. One even had her named plated on it. She had a band of veteran musicians that all looked over 40 that were soild. The bass player looked like the actor that used to play the role of TV's The Flash except with a very large head. She belted out the vocals and amased me with her playing skills on "Few And Far Between" and "No Riders" but got the biggest reaction to a cover of the Band's "The Weight". She also played her debut single "True Friends" which is my favorite from the album. Shannon showed her maturity on stage when she switched guitars between songs and found it was out of tune and quickly switched durring the song and all without disrupting the flow of it. Great Show Shannon is the real deal.
DG

DDT / KID ROCK / POWERMAN 5000

Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA

October 27, 1999

DDT from Vancouver, BC opened the night with their high-energy act on . This fivesome composed of Mike Mackay, Dr. Dave, Brian Howes, Cory Perry White, and Bobby James gave us their ska-inspired punk music as lead singer Howes encourage the audience to all jack off letting us know that “Goddam, I’m so close to an erection it hurts!” It was more info then we needed. Although the sound system sucked all through their performance mad props goes out to their drummer who got the crowed raging in the pit. Keep your eyes on this band they are going somewhere. Powerman 5000, the hometown boys of this concert gave us their Electro rock with their hit Car Crash. Although I think this band is going places as well, I am too polite to say where. Although I know many would disagree with me I just don’t see what makes these guys special. We heard their sound too many times before and quite frankly I think I would pay money to not hear it again. The true crowd pleasers of the night were Kid Rock. He was the superstar and made sure we all knew it. He enter the stage on a hydraulic lift sporting his full pimp gear which consisted of a full length white fur coat being followed by his stable of bitches. With some phat beats and stolen old school lines like “Up jump the boogie” and “We like to party, rock the party!” he is the king of this whole white rock/rap craze that’s going on (but don’t get me started on that). I’ll just say it was overall an enjoyable concert, but just one thing Kid, next time make sure you bring the midget!
Xavier

Iggy Pop

Avalon - Boston, MA

November 1, 1999

The godfather of punk rock put on a real edgy performance featuring original Stooges guitarist James Williamson with the band Iggy has had for the last few years. They opened with “No Shit”, “Nazi Girlfriend” and “Shakin All Over” off his new CD. From there it was a mix of Iggy’s best mostly the Stooges years “Raw Power”, “Search & Destroy” that led into‘Corruption” off the new one again. He then asked the audience “What do you wanna talk about and then ranted a little politics and broke into “Real Wild One” and then barked his way into “I Wanna Be Your Dog” he also played “Home” “Lust For Life” and “The Passenger” where he pulled a dozen or more fans on the stage dancing to the La la la chorus. Iggy said ”Isn’t it more exciting up here?” Then they ended the set with “Cold Metal” The encore started with another acoustic song “Little Miss Argentina” which Iggy could hear the disco playing next door so he said” Turn up the guitar so I can drown out that fuckin disco” After that they broke into “TV Eye” and Iggy went nuts trying to knock over the PA Columns on each side of the stage by running into them like a football tackle dummy. He also took the microphone and swung it like a bolo trying to smash the strobe light on top of the speakers hitting it twice. This made his bass player duck as it was spinning near his head. Then he dives into the crowd for some body surfing before coming back to do “No Fun”, “Johnny B Goode”, and the Metallic K O version of “Louie Louie” to end it all. I never thought it would come to this. Iggy in rare form doing another fantastic electrifying performance. Iggy summed it up best mid set when he thanked the crowd “I really appreciate it, you bet I fuckin appreciate it” and so did everyone there.
DB

HUGH CORNWELL

Kendall Cafe - Cambridge, MA

November 2, 1999

On an autumn night in Cambridge I interviewed Hugh, left the club, only to return with the pouring rain. This is a very small but lively little pub to catch his set at 10:30. He started with “Golden Brown” which got the mostly Strangler fan audience howling. He followed up with a new one “Gingerbread Girl” then “First Bus To Babylon” and it was easy to tell how clueless most of the people were to any of Hugh’s solo material even though he has been away from The Stranglers for over 10 years and has 6 solo albums. There was a table of obnoxious drunks led by some guy who said he was an executive from CBS. He made an ass of himself, in fact Hugh told him to shut up at one point and to have some manners at another. Cornwell played a variety of songs off Black Hair, Black Eyes, Black Suit like the title cut, “One Burning Desire”, “Jesus Will Weep”, and “Snapper” as well as more from First Bus and Wolf and 2 more new ones “ Miss Teasy Weasy” and his song about Arthur Lee “The Prisons Going Down”. He did a few Stranglers songs few recognized like “Spain” which with its interludes in Spanish was very cool unplugged as well as favorites like “ Nice And Sleazy” and “Hanging Around” after those 2 in particular the crowd started calling out Stranglers song titles requesting them and Hugh said to the crowd “ I should really send over one of The Stranglers tribute bands they do really well at this, you shout out all The Stranglers songs and they’ll play the whole lot of them” then he broke into “Nerves of Steel” He kept a good balance retaining everyone attention and got a great ovation ending with “Strange Little Girl” and an encore that featured “Always The Sun” and “Good-bye Toulouse” leaving everyone satisfied but wanting more.
KZ

HUGH CORNWELL

Tune Inn - New Haven, CT

November 11, 1999

This club in downtown New Haven is run by former owner of The Moon, Fernando Pinto who has been big on the underground New Haven scene for over 15 years. He has produced a Strangler Tribute album as well and seemed very excited to have Hugh appear at his venue. I missed the opening acts and sat down just as Hugh was coming out. He started by talking to the soundman telling him he wanted no guitar in the monitors. He then played “Long Dead Train” which is his song about leaving the Stranglers. Then he started to play “Golden Brown” then switched to acoustic guitar and had a fit with the soundman. “Listen pal why did we do a fucking sound check? Get this fucking right will you. You have me so fucking annoyed.” On which he then began again and stopped again. “Excuse me everybody in the audience we are going to do a fucking sound check. We are going to be really unprofessional and do it all over a fucking gain. Now you could you turn the guitar down in here please in these monitors back to where it was about 5 hours ago when we spent half an hour doing it. Thank you Pal!” He resumed from the beginning. Soon he settled into his set that was similar to the Boston show adding “Ships That Pass In The Night” and “Wired” along with aforementioned opening song. Hugh may not have liked what he heard on stage but the sound was much better than Boston as the room sounded better to me, but if his monitors are not right it affects the show. At one point a fan approached the stage telling Hugh he had a gift. It was a dead rodent in a mousetrap, which he hung on one of the monitors in front of Hugh. Sick but in a strange way like a symbol of the demise of The Stranglers with Hugh’s departure. The crowd reacted best to “Nice And Sleazy” “Hanging Around” and “Spain” during his set and sang along on encore opener “Always The Sun” I also liked how he ended the set singing “Goodbye New Haven” I concurred.
DB

TYPE O NEGATIVE

Lupos - Providence, RI

November 13, 1999

When I walked into Lupo's that Saturday night, the first thing I could see was the keyboard player's entranced silouette melding to the hard but slow beat. It was hard to concentrate solely on that seeing as there were smoking cans of fake toxic waste glowing in an array or colors. It was definitely enough to keep the audience's attention regardless of what music was playing. But speaking of that, it was also quite attention grabbing. Although it was not all Bloody Kisses hardcore beat, it was tightly orchestrated between both the lead guitar and the bass. Amazingly, what one would think is a sound engineer in a studio screwing around and splicing licks together flawlessly, Type O pulled off without a glitch on stage. It was THE BEST synchonization between the lead and rhythm I have ever seen at a metal show in my life. Between that and Peter Steele drinking a bottle of wine like it was a 12 oz. Bud between songs it wastruly worth the $11.
Sbart

CHRIS CORNELL

Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA

November 14, 1999

Since the release of Euphoria Morning, it's readily apparent that Chris Cornell has shed his Soundgarden skin and begun a musical journey into the emotional landscape of the soul. Instead of flawlessly delivering with reckless passion, layered with rich guitar work and driving tempo, he sounds more like a lovesick poet backed with surreal musical textures and a voice that can tear through any heart. Cornell opened the evening with "Wave Goodbye"; written about the passing of Jeff Buckley and the vulnerability that surfaces when such events occur. Backed by Alain Johannes (guitars and backing vocals), Natasha Shneider (keyboards and backing vocals), Ric Markmann (bass) and Greg Upchurch (drums), he then reeled off "Can't Change Me", again asking questions of the heart, but sounding too much like the studio version instead of a raw, live feel. He continued to sing tracks from his new release for the first half hour until he finally picked up a guitar (while his band stepped off stage) and eased into a silky, solo rendition of "Fell On Black Days" with the crowd swaying and singing in rhythm. It was the kind of stripped down number that fully illustrates the tremendous vocal range he possesses. Soon after, he struck up a conversation with a girl, let's call her Buffy, sitting a few rows deep in the crowd. Throughout the show, Buffy had been holding up a queue card with requests. He asked Buffy what she wanted to hear next, and then repeated what Buffy said back – "Black Hole Sun". After making the announcement, he paused a moment and broke into "Like Suicide", totally ignoring Buffy's request, and again sounding a little TOO perfect, even for the acoustics of the Orphieum. Poor Buffy. Without question, the highlights of the evening (besides "…Black Days") were stirring renditions of "Seasons" and "All Night Thing" from Cornell's Temple of the Dog days. Upchurch moved from his drums over to nearby congas and set the beat to an enchanting and hypnotic blend of smoky guitar licks held together with beautiful and biting vocals. Unfortunately, the majority of the set consisted of tracks from Euphoria Morning that ended up sounding very similar from one to the next. It was the kind of show that leaves you scratching your head and saying "interesting" to yourself on the way out the door, but not feeling any different than you did before you walked in.
Review: Jeff Hodgkins
Photography: Phil Fox

MOONSPELL

The Palladium - Worcester, MA

November 18, 1999

This was my first visit to this combination concert/ dance club. The top floor is Disco fever and around the corner is the club where a metal show was going on. I missed the first band and came in during the 2nd song of Moonspell’s set. I was very excited about seeing this black metal band from Brandoa, Portugal. Unfortunately the stage went into darkness and they lost power on stage. The crowd wasn’t sure what was going on but when it happened again after 1 and a half songs Vocalist Fernando Ribeiro told the crowd that they could not continue under these conditions and that the audience should ask for a refund. After exiting the stage for a few minutes they came back out and continued the set doing new stuff from “Sin/Pecado” as well as classics from the first 2 CD’s. The crowd went nuts to “Mephisto” and “Alma Mater” holding up the “Hook em Horns “ but they were not rooting for Texas. Ricardo Amorium’s guitar along with the haunting keyboards of Pedro Paixao almost has a gothic edge to them. It was really cooking then during the next song “Opium” it happened again, no power. Fernando cursed out the club and apologized again and they continued to play more. Fernando asked the crowd “any vampires here tonight?” A few hands went up in the crowd and I looked behind me and saw the balcony full of people and a packed club with 1 exit. I thought of the Vampire club in the movie “BLADE” but alas we were safe. Moonspell broke into “Vampiria” and again the audience ate it up with much gusto. They then began the final song again off the new CD and at the climax BANG the power went dead again. Fernando thanked the audience and said, “You should all ask for a refund, I hope to see you all again at a much better club, fuck this place”. IN FLAMES was due up next, but I split as the power problem convinced me to agree with Fernando, and I got the hell out of Worcester.
DB

LIVE

Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA

Novenber 18, 1999

Supporting the release of their fourth album “The Distance To Here”, Live visited The Hub recently, and again proved why they’re one of the most creative, energetic, and influential bands this decade has seen. They kicked off the show with Patrick Dahlheimer (bass), Chad Taylor (guitar) and Chad Gracey (drums) playing the intro to a new track entitled “Meltdown”. Moments later, front man Ed Kowalczyk came strolling out wearing wrap around shades, a walking cane, and enough charisma to bring the audience to its’ feet immediately. The crowd then erupted when they dove into the song that started it all for them, “Pain Lies On The Riverside”, with an emotionally charged Kowalczyk prowling the stage and his band mates sounding tighter than ever.Later, they slowed things down briefly with a tune that Ed professed; “I’ve listened to this next song 1000 times it Spiritualizes and Mesmerizes me each time I hear it.” That song was John Lennon’s “Imagine” in which Taylor laden it with silky guitar and Kowalczyk held his own throughout. Other highlights of the night included the highly charged “Dolphins Cry”, “Lakini’s Juice”, and an inspired rendition of “Lightning Crashes” prefaced with Ed telling the crowd, “This next song is about Love, Beauty, and Truth…and whatever it means to you, it means to me too.” The night ended with two separate encores with the audience crazily swaying and belting out the lyrics in unison and then walking out the exit with the assurance they got their money’s worth and a little bit more.
Review: Jeff Hodgkins
Photography: Phil Fox

Buckethead / Incubus / Primus

Riviera - Chicago, IL

November 18, 1999

Wow. This was a night to remember. You walk into the theatre, and there’s this guy on the stage with a KFC bucket on his head, what looks like a kabuki mask on his face, and he’s wearing a raincoat, playing the guitar. This guy’s crazy. He’s amazingly creative however, playing the guitars most of the time at extremely high speeds, shredding his way through his different preset beats. He always played much calmer “songs” (his whole deal is pretty experimental). He also put on quite the sideshow, including nun chucka action, robot dancing, and even a battle with the Chris Kilmore, the DJ from Incubus. Incubus was up second. They started with “Redefine,” the first track from S.C.I.E.N.C.E. They played a good mixture of old and new songs from all albums. Highlights were “A Certain Shade of Green”, when Brandon Boyd first got out his huge drum and beat along with his vocals, “Favorite Things,” and “New Skin.” The band sounded very together during this show on their tour promoting their new CD, Make Yourself. Primus had an unusual opener, “Sgt. Baker.” Also promoting their new CD, entitled “Antipop” (which they played early in the show as well), Primus finished the night almost flawlessly. Les Claypool wore his black helmet (its original purpose I don’t know), and Ler wore a t-shirt. Brain was hiding behind the drums. They played another good mix of old and new, spanning almost all 7 albums. They played classics such as “Harold of the Rocks,” and new songs as well. For a large part of the Primus set, Buckethead played guitar, and his sound made the songs fuller, with that strange Buckethead appeal. The low point of the show was when Les paused between songs to yell at the people throwing shit and told the audience that people that threw shit did it to make up for inadequate genitalia. Then he informed the crowd that they would not be playing “Nature Boy” (a live favorite) because of the small-penised throwers. The peak of the performance was the encore, which started with “Electric Uncle Sam.” The crowd was pretty rough as it usually is at the Riv, and this song brought out the best and worst from it. This was indeed a night to remember. Three of the most out there and original acts the world has even seen. Buckethead, with his robot movement and ripping guitars, Incubus, with their DJ sound effects and clean togetherness, and Primus, with their absolutely unique style and grace. And of course, Les Claypool dancing around in circles.
Jason Johnson

DDT / Static X / Megadeth

Avalon - Boston, MA

November 21, 1999

The opening band DDT was a slow warm up for the crowd. With songs like “Pistol Whip”, “Can’t take my eyes off you” and “ MC DDT” they did put on a good performance but the crowd craved a more Gothic scene. Most people asked thought they were OK but Static X stole the show. DDT exhibited a more commercial sound but overall put on a good show. Pounding out primal rhythms with an electric frenzy the crowd raged as Static X hammered out Wisconsin Death Trip. Thier CD thrashes. The music was robust and although heavily influenced by the genera deserves recognition as a great band and is a “must see” for all metal heads. All heads were banging and the pit was wild. Most people asked at the show were familiar with the songs and even those that weren’t thought Static X rocked. They had a tremendous stage presence and put simply, blew me away. Anyone who likes Rob Zombie, Korn, old Metallica and the likes should see this band. Rocking 80’s style, lead by one of Metal’s Gods Dave Mustane, Megadeth wailed out the classic tunes. All metal heads can appreciate what Megadeth has given the industry but Risk lacked the anger and thunder of the pioneering Industrial Metal riffs and lyrics that made them what they are. They definitely put on a good show with encores like Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and their cover of “Anarchy in the UK”, but the years may have taken the “kick ass” edge off the music when compared to “Skull beneath the Skin” and “Hook in Mouth” Regardless of any critical remarks I liked the show and would go again just to see Megadeth tear into some pissed off tunes.
Sean Collins

GUANO APES

Trees - Dallas, TX

November 26, 1999

In the arts district on the west side of Dallas there are lots of clubs and unique shops, it’s called Deep Ellum. One place was Trees of which we walked in around 8 and were quite alone for about a half hour. By the time the German based rockers Guano Apes hit the stage the place was about 1/3 full. There were a few others between their set and headliners P.O.D. so we only caught them. Now in Texas they speak a lot of Spanish and even those who don't know, do know what guano (shit) is. Now they did a short set of tunes off thier debut album"Proud Like A God" which rocked the people who were not stuck at the bar. Singer Sandra Nasic was quite animated on stage bouncing from one end of the stage to the other. The Henning brothers provided the solid rhythm with soild execution on bass and drums cranking out the metalic hip-hop beat. The set was highlighted by the single "OpenYour Eyes". Here you got Korn or Limp Bizkit with a woman vocalist as the easiest way to sterotype the sound. Check them out and draw your own conclusions.
KH

HOT TUNA / The DEREK TRUCKS BAND

Sommerville Theatre - Boston,MA

November 26, 1999

The intimate confines of the Somerville Theater provided the perfect setting to close out the Thanksgiving holiday with a superb blend of a new gunslinger and wily outlaws. The youthful Derek Trucks and his Band served up an ample portion of hard to categorize blues jazz-rock fusion. While having seen Derek incorporate his bluesy slide guitar in jams with the Allman Brothers during the summer, and with Phil Lesh and Friends a few weeks earlier, I was unfamiliar with the Band’s material from their first two albums The Derek Trucks Band and Out of the Madness. However, after first several songs of the set I was hooked, and judging by the reaction of a predominately Tuna crowd, so was everyone else. The aging blues-rock veterans Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Cassidy followed with white-hot double dose of Tuna favorites spanning their three-decade existence. In fact, “Ballroom Crystal Ball” was introduced as a song the band hadn’t played in 26 years. Backed by old friends Pete Sears, prominently featured on piano, Mike Falzarano and drummer Harvey Sorges Tuna ripped through their trademark jam-filled repertoire including Robert Johnson’s “Walking Blues” and “Serpent of Dreams” from America’ Choice, as well as, “Hesitation Blues”, “99 Year Blues” and the “Water Song”. The band seems more forceful with both Jack and Jorma wailing solos every show I see them. Mid-set Trucks reappeared on stage playing slide on a couple of tunes including “Big Boss Man”. I noticed several tapers in the crowd during both bands, if a copy becomes available in your travels, grab one, it comes highly recommended.
Seymore Putty

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY

Avalon Ballroom - Boston, MA

November 27, 1999

A swinging time indeed as this place lived up to its name with the big band stylings of BBVD. They played some of thier first album which got them an audience with President Clinton as well as Super Bowl halftime shows. But the focus of the evening was the new stuff. They got good reations on “I Wanna Be Like You” ,“Big And Bad” and “Big Time Operator” off the new album This Beautiful Life. Scotty Morris and company just kept it coming and the Boston crowd loved it. A fun night of music and a cool crowd scene of swingers with many dressed for the occasion.
DB

WBRU"s DOWNCITY SIEGE

Lupo's / Met Cafe - Providence, RI

November 30, 1999

I wasn't all that excited about this one until I caught the final line-up the day of the show. The line-up consisted of Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Marcy Playground, Run DMC, Our Lady Peace, Staind, and G-Love. G-Love was what made it complete for me. I arrived at the club around 7:20pm thinking that I would be early. I was wrong. Marcy Playground was already onstage and this was pretty disappointing as I was looking forward to seeing them. Luckily I only missed the first couple of songs. I'm assuming they did Sex and Candy seeing as though I didn't hear this song through the rest of the set. Missing that one is fine with me. Marcy played a tight, prozac-induced, rockin' set waging through old and new songs. Some of the tunes fron the new album sounded pretty good. If you like what John Wozniak has put out so far then I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed. Next on the line-up was the one I was waiting for. That's right, the "Kings of Rock" themselves, Run DMC. Oh man, just the fact that I'd finally get to see the group that I had been listening to since I was 8yrs old, was sending butterflies through my stomach. Jam Master Jay came out first and began to work the crowd on the wheels of steel. I was about to burst with anticipation when The Reverend Run and Daryl, you can call him DMC, appeared and took the stage by storm. I was unsure at first how the crowd would react to the old schoolers of rap but quickly the masters of hip-hop showed why they have been in the game for over 16 years. Immediately the crowd was engaged and Run DMC went to work jamming out classics like It's Tricky, Mary Mary, Walk This Way, King of Rock, I could go on and on. I didn't stop bouncing, and neither did the rest of the place, until their 55 minute set came to an end. There's really no words to describe how great their performance was. As far as I was concerned the night was worth it at that point. I thought to myself, "I hate to be the act to follow that", when shortly after Mr. G. Love and his Special Sauce stepped on stage. What a great complimentary performance. They were really good. For anyone that hasn't had the chance to see G. Love perform live yet, you are missing out. This was the 5th time I've had a chance to see them and they never disappoint. With their brandish style of raggedy blues, hip hop, and jazz all rolled into one, their live set really gets you groovin'. They did a really groovy mix from their first album all the way up to their newest effort. I haven't heard the new CD yet, but I liked what I heard. One song had a real Sublime feel to it which was rather unexpected. Anyway, definitely check them out when they're in your area. The next performance was by Our Lady Peace. What more can I say about this one than the change in personel has not affected thier performance at all. I do have to say they sounded good and seemed to have the crowd rockin along with them. "Superman's Dead" was the set hightlight as I expected.. Lead Singer Raine had his acoustic on which rounded out the sound to this rockin tune. Anyway, there's not much more to say about them except for they played mostly from their new album "Happiness". "One Man Army", and "Potato Girl" were the two the crowd liked best. It seems like their 1st Columbia release "Clumsy" was all most attending were familiar with. Typical. I managed to squeeze into the tightly packed Met Cafe to catch the end of Jimmie's Chicken Shack's set. What a pleasant surpise! I hadn't heard much of these guys except for their radio song "Do right" which never really did anything for me. They were really funky. They had the crowd bumpin' with their unique sound of hip hop, funk, and all out rock. We caught about 4 songs including their radio hit and I was rather impressed. I'd like to hear more from these guys. It was around midnight and we got ready for the Staind show which would conclude the night. The boys from Springfield rocked the house. They opened up the set with the first song off their CD "Suffocate". Rockin' tune to open with and a great choice to get up all in the crowd's face. They really had great energy and performed really tight. Definitely a thumb's up from these guys and I can see why Limp Bizkit was immediately drawn to them when Staind opened for them on a Springfield bill a couple of years back. Around 1am the night came to a head. I left tired but very pleased. This was a really good night of music. Each set really complimented one another in every way. The night presented some really good straight up rock to old school hip hop, leaving some really good groovin in the middle. WBRU had done it again! Keep rockin' kids!
Puma1

Gwar / The Misfits

Lupos HeartBreak Hotel - Providence, RI

December 4, 1999

The show started Saturday night at Lupos in Providence around 6:00 but I didn’t show up until 7:00 when the Misfits were to play. It’s great hearing them play without their old steroid freak singer Glenn Danzig. It was also cool to hear them do their old songs that most of the kids there had no idea what he was saying. It was another infamous all ages show at Lupos so all the kiddies were looking to get kicked in the head that night!!! I noticed a few parents with their kids at the show, their facial expressions were priceless once Gwar came out in full force. I ran into a kid in the bathroom that got his nose broken when the bouncer threw him back into the crowd while he was crowd surfing and he was hurtin .(Serves him right!!!) After the Misfits rocked the place, it took almost an hour to set up the Gwar stage that was more like some Gothic altar. They had a few life size gothic headstones set up in front and had plastic all over the speakers to preserve any damage from all the fake blood that was to come. They all came out in their traditional leather spiked outfits and all had thongs on!!! They started jumping around the stage like a bunch of senseless monkeys on crack. The crazy blonde chick that calls herself Slymie Hymie was the only one worth looking at and that was only because she was blowing a 2 foot strap on cock that soon exploded all over the crowd in a perfect glowing white color. Each song was like a different act and the first execution was on a 7 foot Marilyn Manson character. He was decapitated with the battle ax which sent his head and blood all over the crowd and they loved it! Then they ripped off his skin and kicked his skeleton ass all over the stage while they jammed to one of their demonic hits. A couple songs later, the evil toilet needed a bloody sacrifice so a dead version of Elvis came out and after kicking him in the head a few times, he got the 6 foot sword to the stomach which spewed out his intestines which Slymie Hymie proceeded to play jump rope with for a while. Overall, it was great entertainment and I highly recommend you see them at least once in your lifetime. You really DON’T know what you’re missing.
Jason Ames

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE / GANGSTARR

Collesieum - New Haven, CT

December 5, 1999

Talk about security, there were more cops at this show than I could even care to count. This was due to RATM support for a cop killer, in fact police have been very present at all thier shows lately. RATM likes to have a real hip-hop act open for them, last tour it was Wu -Tang. The show opened with Gang Starr and they were smokin. The fine groves got the crowd moving. It seemed like Guru wanted to support RATM when he addressed the police durring the set "For all the law enforcement officers out there, I have nothing but love for you. This is how I show my love. Now I'm going to show you double love." "Love" on this night was an extended middle finger, "double love" was a two-hand flip of the bird. Well enough politics for this reporter I just wanted to enjoy the music and I did. While Guru and DJ Premier certainly carry a kind of street credibility, these boys ain't hustlers. They're actually college boys who've brought a sense of sophistication to the rowdy rap game and certainly got me groovin. Although this was a Rage crowd they got a solid appreciation from the fans. Gang- Starr did some old-school scratching or a rapping lyrical assault depending on the song . Either way, a show with both style and substance I reccomend. RATM on the other hand was more white rap from one of the first to do so. Does heavy metal and hip-hop combined make the perfect music for political protest? I don’t know for sure but RATM are way too political for me. The crowd loved them, I could take it or leave it. It all sounds about the same as Korn or Limp Bizkit with the sexist lyrics being replaced by political statements.
Big Wink

The Hippos / The Aquabats

The Galaxy - Dallas, TX

December 11, 1999

On a very rainy night in the Deep Ellum section of Big D there was an All Ages show we checked out. The club itself was a typical warehouse rock cavern with plain wall with posters of bands that have played there. Nice in the fact that besides the vendor area the whole club could see the stage, no side rooms. The bar is in the rear corner. The Hippos came out and rocked the crowd with tunes from "Heads Are Gonna Roll" and there was a very good reception. A solid 6 piece ska/pop band that did not look as geeky as they do on the CD cover. The crowd reacted best to "Wasting My Life" and the lame cover of "Always Something There To Remind Me" but I liked "Pollution " and "Pauline" best as I do on the CD itself. This band showed that their live show was as hot and energy filled as their recorded sound. While The Hippos are a band that executes with pop sensibility the next act The Aquabats has it going in idiocy and gimicry. There are 7 "Aquabats" in yellow hooded danskins and 2 extras that join in as extra visual perfomers. This is not GWAR but more like a Ska version of a low budget Devo performance. They tried to be a ska band cartoon super hero team. They fought a giant Red Tooth with one eye and a mouth with 1 tooth. They got their asses beat, and when it ran offstage with Commander Aquabat proclaimed "We won" . Sick ska tunes like "Martian Girl" , "Lovers Of Loving Love", and the big one "Super Rad" had the kids jumping up and down in unison like pogo sticks. When the body surfing began, the Commander said something about taking their shoes. Later in the show a kid lost his shoes that way and stood on stage begging for his 2nd shoe. The Commander said "all Shoes will be available in the toilet after the show" and threw the kid offstage. They had a dance/fight contest with Sand Fleas, they had a section of the show called Story Time which really sucked. "The Captain vs the Midget Pirates" was the story. The bartender summed it up best"I would like them too if I was 14". The amount of stupid things they said were endless. The guitarist Chainsaw lost his sight because not enough Kids were jumping. He got his sight back when they all jumped at the risk of being double blind. The Commander asked the crowd "OK Homies How Many of you Came Here Tonight?" Cheers. "How Many of you Kids like Stuff?" More cheers. I said to my friends How many of you think these guys need a beating? They cheered!
KH

Sevendust / Static X / Dope

Chevelle State Theatre - Portland, ME

December 12, 1999

The line up for the December 12th show at the Portland State Theater was Chevelle, Dope, Static X and SevenDust. The Theater is small but offers good views of the bands from most ocations. With a bird’s eye view of the stage, I overlooked the show from the front row of the balcony. Its pretty close and I haven’t seen many shows from a better vantage point. Looking almost directly down on the pit, a sense of energy filled the room. The first band Chevelle, played 5 songs and got a great response form the crowd. The band had a very Heavy sound and all heads were banging. Most people asked, liked them but were unfamiliar with them. They put on a good show. Dope was second on the scene. The New York band rocked the crowd with stage diving and a very electric sound. All members of the band flailed their dreds and put on a good stage show but didn’t have a very unique sound. Similar to a lot of the music these days they placed most emphasis on the “recipe” of the genera. Not necessarily as a result of this they didn’t quite differentiate themselves from the multitude of new bands and new sounds. Static X was next to appear and immediately the crowd went wild as they opened with “Sweat of The Bud”. From my vantage it looked like chaos in the crowd below. Moving islands of people throwing themselves at each other with arms and legs flailing, circled the crowd to the rhythms of “Looser” and “Push It”. This band totally rocks and I would love to see them again. I had to go to the pit at this point and from there on out it is all a blur. Sevendust was the main attraction and put on a good show. They differentiated themselves with complex songs and great guitar. During this show I was up front in the pit and slammed until I was drenched with sweat and beat up. The pit is a great place to be to really enjoy a concert. Sevendust has a sound unlike all of the other bands that played that night. They were great playing mostly from new CD “Home”. They have a more polished act with more stage presence then the earlier band. Some say that gives them a more commercial sound. From where I was though they rocked.
Sean Collins