I gotta say, I’ve been pretty stoked for Slow Southern Steel ever since I first heard of the concept a couple years back.  A documentary on the southern sludge scene starring Kylesa, Eyehategod, Sourvein, Zoroaster, Dixie Witch and Weedeater, to name but a few, directed by CT from Rwake, sure sounds like it’s right up my alley.  And now that the film’s finally ready for release, they’re taking the show on the road, with screenings in 19 US cities opening for Zoroaster and sludge supergroup Hail! Hornet (feat. Dixie Dave, T.Roy et al).  To say that I’m awfully tempted would be an understatement…

Suffice to say that this film wouldn’t be as big a hit north of the Mason-Dixon, and that’s why there aren’t a ton of Northeast dates, the closest being Columbus, or maybe Philly.  But hey, they’re hitting Columbus on a Saturday, so it might be worth the 11-hour bus ride (each way), or so I thought.  Until I took a look at the calendar.  The Columbus screening/gig’s on February 4th, after which the tour takes a day off… for Super Bowl Sunday.  Hey, if I wanted to spend an hour or two sleeping in the bus shelter, I could make it back to TO in time for kickoff, but that’s probably asking a bit much after getting on the 6 am bus outta town the day before just to make it to Columbus on time.  The other alternative would be to watch the game on the bus–hey, those Greyhounds have WiFi now, eh?–but that just seems kinda lame.

After all, the Super Bowl is best spent imbibing a cool beverage (or 10) in front of a big screen, not squinting at yer laptop on a bus fulla strangers.  I don’t see any affordable early flights from Columbus to TO either, so I think I’m gonna hafta skip this.  Now, if they had only hit Cleveland instead, I’d already have purchased my ticket.  Don’t ask me how that works, but the round-trip’s a whopping eight hours shorter…

Now, who do I hafta fuck to get a Slow Southern Steel screening up in The Big Smoke!?

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!

This time, the Swedish miscreants musta put their real names on their visas, so somebody at the embassy actually knows who they are.  (Apparently, they had troubles last year when they listed their band members as ?, ?? and ???…)  Mind you, most people in the know have some idea already, but I digress.  On this jaunt, they’re bringing their Rise Above label mates Blood Ceremony on the latter’s first North American tour–along with some hippy-dippy band named Ancient VVisdom (yes, two capital V’s!) from Texas.  I’ve seen the pictures, and they ain’t pretty.

In any case, I’ll be there with bells on tomorrow.  Debating whether to skip the openers as BC doesn’t go on till nearly 9, but at the same time, I don’t wanna be stuck at the back of the venue.  I heard the lineup in NYC went all the way around the block, so I might hafta skip the NFC championship in that case.

Eli Manning, don’t fail me now…

I’m also counting down the TOP 10 SATANIC/OCCULT ROCK/METAL BANDS/ARTISTS this week on Gruesome Views.  Ghost and Blood Ceremony both figure on said list, and I’ll be revealing the Top Two this weekend.  Check out the countdown here.

Peace,

Greg

Ghost, Blood Ceremony, Ancient Wisdom @ Virgin Mobile Mod Club, 722 College St, Sunday, January 22nd.  Doors @ 7, First band @ 8.  $15 advance.

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!

You know how you throw your coat on a pile at a concert, and expect it to still be there at the end of the nite?  Well, when I did that at Duffy’s, I noticed some old lady–one of the “regulars,” I suppose–rifling through my pockets, so I had to hang on to my jacket for the rest of the nite.  Then there was that time when the “management” shut down a gig around 12:30 cuz they didn’t want the cops to show up.  Not that they were in a residential area–unless you count rooming houses.  Let’s just say that was the last Duffy’s gig I’ve attended.  Fuck that noise complaint!

Fortunately, it seems that quite a few bands that used to play that Bloor Street dive have moved on the 460 now.  A much better location, if you ask me–College and Spadina, literally right next to the El Mocambo.  Mind you, there’s really no comparison between the ElMo and this hole in the wall, for better or for worse.

For one thing, it really is a hole in the wall.  You know that front foyer when you walk into the ElMo?  Well, it’s bigger than this entire bar.  Suffice to say, the 460 stage is small, though there’s just enough room for a four-piece band.  If everybody’s up front, 50 people practically pack the place.  And while the lighting and decor leave a little to be desired (it’s a Scott Mission resident’s take on the Smiling Buddha), I appreciate the fact that they’re not a Molson-only bar–and that a bottle of Blue still costs about four bucks.  I’m not sure you can even say that of Sneaky Dee’s anymore…

They’ve even got pitchers of some local horsepiss (I think it’s Golden Showers Horseshoe) for 10 bucks.  It’s really not the tastiest brew, but hey, 10-dollar pitchers, right?  And for the record, I’ve heard their bathrooms smell better than Duffy’s–though I wouldn’t know, as I live within stumbling distance.

And if hanging out at a dark and dingy club when it feels like -25 outside is your idea of a good time, there’s a pretty decent heavy rock show happening there this evening, what with Enchantress, Ol’ Time Moonshine and Galaxies in the River taking the stage sometime after 9.  If I can get this cough under control for more than five minutes, you might see my freezing fat ass down there, as well.

Time to go raid the medicine cabinet…

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!

Tickets are now on sale online for the RAFFLE OF DOOM, running up till the end of March.  You won’t get this kinda haul from your local record store, that’s for sure.  Here, see for yourself…

This isn’t some lame office draw where they expect you to pay 20 bucks for the chance to win Leafs tickets, either.  Entry is just five bones, bro!  And I wasn’t kidding about that RB backpatch…

Alas, the timing of last year’s fest didn’t work out for me, but I’m gonna try to get my ass down to the Cheesehead state for this one.  Anybody wanna give me a lift?  I’ll reward ya with whatever stuff I’ve already got once I win this thing…

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!

For 10 albums that don’t appear on everybody else’s list, click here.

As far as concerts are concerned, I know there are some folks who struggle to attend ten live events in a calender annum.  Suffice to say, I am not one of those people.  Though it feels like I cut back on my concert consumption in 2011, my envelope full of ticket stubs seems to suggest otherwise.  I will say that I didn’t get out of Toronto for as many gigs as I did in years past–last year in particular–but the ones I did travel to see were well worth the trip.

For the 10 gigs that melted my face, click here.

…

Well, since Kyuss first took the stage a couple minutes past midnite on New Year’s Eve, I think I can safely say I’ve seen my top concert of 2012 already.  Yuuup, I paid 200 bucks to see ‘em play two sets at Cherry Cola’s.  Worth every penny!  And now, since I used a lotta words from my Hellbound writeups in compiling each list, allow me to self-plagiarize again for a moment:

“Does this list make you wanna dwell with Denizen or climb Witch Mountain?  If so, I’ll be spinning some tunes from all of the aforementioned albums on my podcast, Gruesome Tunes, this evening from 6 to 8 pm (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  I’ll also be putting it up for download within the next coupla days, so keep your third eye open.”

As Phil Anselmo would say, “Happy fuckin’ New Year, ‘n all that fuckin’ shit.  Now go buy my record!”

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

Anyways, I was looking at Rotate This’ concert tickets page to check if they were selling tix for Deep Purple (negative!), when I saw something interesting.  Apparently, Kyuss Lives! is doing a second show in Toronto this year–on New Year’s Eve, no less–at tiny Queen & Bathurst bar Cherry Cola’s.  Aye, but here’s the rub.  This “once in a lifetime opportunity” will set you back a cool 200 big ones.

To say that I’m tempted would be an understatement, but damn, that’s a pricey ticket.  I’m not usually one for meet-and-greets, and as such, I can’t recall ever spending that much on a single gig.  Then again, had Kyuss not came to town in October, I probably woulda dropped a couple hundred in travel and hotel costs to catch ‘em somewhere close by.  But that’s the thing, I’ve already seen ‘em for less–and I was right up front for their show at the Sound Academy, too.  Is getting to touch John Garcia really worth an extra 150?

As for the venue, I have been there before, and I can say that their stage is tiny.  The place makes the Bovine Sweatbox seem cavernous by comparison.  I first went there when it was the Rok Boutique and they had no stage, and while they’ve spruced the place up a bit, it’s still not the ideal set-up.  Here’s what I had to say about it back in March:

“If I were them, I’d fire their tour manager, especially after he booked his eight-piece outfit onto one of the smallest stages available this weekend at the Fauxvine Sex Club known as Cherry Cola’s.  The place hasn’t gotten any bigger since the owner of the Rok Boutique decided to stick a stage right next to the front door, although they’ve put some red wallpaper up over the pink walls, and added some mirrors and lites that look like candles, but aren’t.  More interestingly, there’s at least one window with a live burlesque dancer in it–possibly more, though I stayed at the front of the venue.  Let me tell ya, the funk music playing beforehand was much more her speed than the East Indian trad metal, though she kept her ass in time for the most part…”

Even with a small crowd, the place is pretty cramped.  With 100 bodies in there, it would be packed to the tits.  But are there that many people in the GTA willing to shell out that kinda cash for this?  I dunno, I might hafta wait till these tickets go up on Groupon…

That said, if you’re wondering what to get your favourite Hellbound blogger for Christmas, you could always buy me a ticket for this gig, or even for that Deep Purple show in February.

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!

All releases are independent unless stated otherwise.

Hotel Wrecking City Traders & Gary Arce 12” LP

A two-song, 12” EP with ten minutes of music on each side, pairing two-man Aussie noise rockers Hotel Wrecking City Traders with Yawning Man/Brant Bjork riffmeister Gary Arce—this has potential, indeed.

A Side “Coventina’s Cascade” starts off in mellow psych territory, some lush, rolling riffs above a hard-hitting backbeat.  The percussive pace picks up, though there still isn’t much urgency in the riffs, the super-clean tones belying a more intense attack.  You know, this kinda reminds me of that OGOD (Over-Gain Optimal Death) band I saw open for Acid Mothers Temple a couple years back—if not a little bit of AMT themselves.

B Side “Traverse of the Oxen” starts off a little like its predecessor—minus the pounding percussion, mind you, which takes a little bit longer to come in.  From there, it kinda goes to a darker place, the riffage thick and chunky, creating a more menacing feel.  This tune sounds like it belongs on A Storm of Light’s latest, of which I’m a pretty big fan.

All in all, it’s a pretty cool post-metal release.

RATING: 7.5

Negative Reaction – Frequencies from Montauk (PsycheDOOMelic)

This NYC “sludge” band has apparently been around for 20+ years, which is news to me, as this is the first I’ve heard of them.  I see that their past releases have come out on such illustrious labels as Game Two Records, This Dark Reign Recordings and Spare Change Records.  Not exactly Earache or Southern Lord…

That said, it quickly becomes apparent that this is not what I’d call sludge metal.  Opening track “Day After Yesterday” is pretty standard stoner rock fare—not bad, mind you—but the high-pitched, toneless, squealing vocals are a comedic nuisance, of the so-bad-it’s-funny variety.

“Dopamine” almost sounds like a grunge song, those muddy, slightly psychedelic guitar riffs and almost-whispered vocals giving way to a big, loud chorus.  Yep, that’s never been done before…

Two instrumentals follow, one being some weird electronica thing.  Was that really necessary?

Other songs range from vaguely Sleep-inspired stoner doom, to slowed-down, tough-guy hardcore, for which Ken “The Screech” Bones (my nickname, not his) sounds best suited.  Overall, I give this a big pile of meh.  As BWBK would’ve said, “Mired in mediocrity, lost in the pack.”

RATING: 6

Mechanics of Things – Twin Electric Death

Cleveland, aside from being the closest stop on most major US-only tours, has also produced such solid sludge bands as Fistula and Keelhaul.  Thus, when a stoner troupe from The Mistake by the Lake drops me a line, I’m all ears…

The title track leads things off, a solid, fuzz-rocking tune with leather-lunged vocals.  If Fu Manchu recorded an album in Eyehategod’s basement, it might sound a little like this.

“Paper Suicide” takes a more laid-back desert rock approach, sorta like Nebula on some mellow pills, with a great heavy chorus, to boot!  “100 Watt” meanwhile has a bit more of a Nashville Pussy feel, if they were to spend a couple days wandering around in the desert.

“Earthmover” shows the band at its sludgiest, while “Gasoline” almost reminds me of the Misfits with its punk-rock chorus.  Overall, this is a pretty decent disc, with nary a dull moment.

RATING: 7

Zebulon Pike – Space is the Corpse of Time

The new album from Minnesota doom dealers Zebulon Pike was released in June to coincide with their appearance at Wisconsin’s Days of the Doomed fest.  However, as I was unable to attend said festival, I’m just getting into it now.  Space is the Corpse of Time features five instrumental tunes lasting just over 50 minutes—hardly unfamiliar territory for these space cadets.

The album opens with “Spectrum Threshold,” a near-12-minute number that recalls Isis with more of a sludgy stomp, a solid chug beneath some interestingly offbeat guitar sounds.  Some of the slower passages recall Neurosis, albeit through some sort of distorted filter, until this one slows to a crawl, some clean, soothing guitar passages the likes of which you’d hear from Pelican, for example, or a local band like Holoscene.  (Are they still around?)

“Echoic Worlds” opens on a similar note as its predecessor, though there is at least one decent doom riff to be found here.  There is also some weird wah-meets-overdrive effect that sounds pretty trippy, until once again we’re plunged into the depths of a lone, gloomy accousticy guitar, albeit only for a minute or two, before this beast roars back as heavy as ever.  At one point they even make use of a xylophone as this tune takes another tune for the weird.  Not your typical “true doom” tune, that’s for sure!

Third track “Powers of the Living – Manifestations of the Dead” opens with a burst of electronic noise, before settling into slow, doomy territory with an otherworldly guitar tone—and are those handbells!?  This remains the best song of the bunch to bang your head to, however…

The title track, coming in just a hair over five minutes, feels like a grindcore song next to all the 10-minute-plus numbers that surround it.  I can’t say it really sounds like grindcore, though, more whacked-out riffing, doomy dirges and sparse, melodic passages—sort of a Cliffnotes version of the album as a whole.

The album ends with “Trigon in Force,” the most badass song title, in a cheesy sci-fi kinda way.  This one gets kinda bogged down for a bit in a static chug, with some guitar noodling overtop, but once it gets out of that funk, it kicks out some solid downtuned doom jams.

Bottom line, if you’re seeking some stock Sabbath worshippers, look elsewhere.  But if you want something that moves the goalposts on NeurIsis-style prog sludge, you’ve come to the right place.

RATING: 8

Rising – To Solemn Ash (Exile on Mainstream)

What’s this, a band from Denmark playing Georgia-style sludge!?  Guess it’s a small world after all.  Rising combines Kylesa’s atmospheric chug with the aggressive attack of Black Tusk and the melodic sensibilities of Baroness to create a sound you’ve heard before—just not from Scandinavia’s least-metal country (with apologies to Mercyful Fate).

If anything, this band reminds me most of Baroness, particularly the Blue Album, but there’s also a touch of trad metal on tunes like “Sea of Basalt” and “Cohorts Rise” that shows these guys were raised on ‘Fate.  Without checking, I’m pretty sure this is a two-guitar band…

Though no song on here exceeds six minutes, there are still some epic-sounding moments like the driving, sludgy buildup of “Hunter’s Crown” while “Under Callous Wings” could almost be lifted from the latest Crowbar record.  It certainly captures that same darkened vibe as Sever the Wicked Hand—one of my top albums of the year, FWIW.

That said, while these guys do what they do quite well, it’s all been done before on these shores.  A solid seven, but no bonus points for originality from me.

RATING: 7

…

The big weiner here is clearly Zebulon Pike.  Check that one out if you can find it…

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!

Mind you, their Diamond: Side Stage Experience tickets for the Massey gig have already sold out.  The package, a $385 USD value (they couldn’t put the prices in Canadian dollars for this tour!?) includes a meet and greet with band members not named Ian Gillan, a seat on the side of the stage for Deep Purple’s performance, a merchandise package featuring such amazing items as a messenger bag, pin, travel mug and key chain, as well as a ticket in the first four rows to watch the opening band, itself a $98.75 value.  Wait, am I reading that right?

Sure enough, the Massey Hall website lists seating options ranging from 65 bucks for a rear/side gallery or post obstructed gallery seat to 95 bucks for a centre-floor ticket, with regular floors costing 85, roughly what I paid to see Judas Priest last month.  But wait–those prices don’t account for service fees, which brings the total price of a centre-floor seat to a whopping $107.50–almost 10 bucks more than the “face value” mentioned by the band.  Dude, that’s more in line with what I paid to see KISS or AC/DC, two of the greatest arena rock bands of all time, play at major sports stadiums.  Is seeing Deep Purple at a concert hall really worth a c-note!?

Well, let’s take a look at the lineup.  Although he won’t meet and greet you, Ian Gillan is back singing with the band, which is definitely a plus.  The Machine Head-era rhythm section of Roger Glover and Ian Paice is also fully intact.  But Richie Blackmore wouldn’t touch this reunion with a 10-foot pole, thus his spot has been filled by Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs since ’94.  And while keyboardist-to-the-stars Don Airey is a solid player in his own right, he’s still no Jon Lord.  That said, I’d take this half of Purple over the 50 per cent of Thin Lizzy that opened for Priest, but I’m not sure I’d pay 100 bucks for 50 per cent of anything–although I guess I did for KISS.  Point taken.  I can’t see Gillian riding a zip line out into the middle of the crowd or Roger Glover breathing fire from the rafters, though.  I’d probably pay to see that, haha.

Something tells me that I won’t be able to get a service-charge-free ticket for this gig at Rotate This (they charge 10 per cent anyways), and I don’t think that scalpers will be selling ‘em for less than face value.  Which begs the question: Just how obstructed is a 77-dollar, post-obstructed view, anyways?

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!

I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed that they pulled a KISS and put assigned seating on the floors, specially since I’m stuck in the 23rd row of said seats.  Every other concert I’ve been to at the ACC has been general admission, KISS excluded.  I guess they figure they’ve got a lotta aging fans who wan’t wanna bounce in the mosh pit.  And they probably do.  Like KISS, their first album came out back in ’74.  But unlike the Knights in Satan’s Service (haha!), when they say this’ll be their last ever tour, I think they actually mean it.  After all, Rob Halford can’t hit all the high notes any more, and it’s not like they can put a couple young guys in Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing wigs–well, they kinda are with Richie Faulkner, but I digress.  It’s better that they break up before reality TV comes calling, put it that way.

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been listening to the full Priest discography in chronological order.  In fact, today I just heard Demolition for the first time in ages.  Worst.  Album.  Ever!  That said, I’m pretty sure we won’t hear Halford drop some rhymes over “Metal Messiah,” but Ripper Owens era aside, they’ve got a pretty solid back catalogue to draw from.  I know I could find the tour setlist if I looked for it online, or even just checked my Facebook feed, but I’m kinda hoping they surprise me.  As long as there’s less of Turbo than they played on Priest… Live! I’m sure I’ll be happy.

Of course, there are some downsides to playing the ACC, a place not known for great live sound, where KISS actually blew the speakers last time I saw ‘em.  (Come to think of it, that was probably the last concert I’ve been to at the good ol’ hockey rink.)  Beers are stupidly overpriced, as is the food, which I’ll be forced to eat due to the venue curfew necessitating a 6 pm start time.  I’m assuming that’s when the doors open, not when the show starts, but 6 o’clock is what’s printed on the ticket, in any case…

There is always the option of showing up late, but it’s nice to see some solid openers, none of this Bullet for my Valentine or Steve Harris’ 19-year-old daughter shit.  Mind you, Richie Faulkner actually cut his teeth touring with Maiden as Lauren Harris’ lead guitar player.  Funny how what comes around, goes around…  Anyways, I do plan on getting there in time for Black Label Society and Thin Lizzy*.

Of course, I can’t type the latter without an asterisk at the end, as it’s not really Thin Liz without Phil, and this glorified cover band only has only kept one-half of the Robertson/Gorham guitar attack intact.  I kinda liken it to the time I saw CJ Ramone and Danny Rey play a buncha Ramones tunes at the Bovine a little while back.  It’s gotta be the closest I can get to seeing the real thing in action, so hey, I’ll take it.  As for BLS, I’m hoping that the shortened timeslot will force Zakk Wylde to reign in his overblown guitar antics, and that his newfound sobriety allows him to realize that no one pays to see him solo for 15 minutes.  And hey, if they play something from The Blessed Hellride, that’s an added bonus.

But really, it’s all about Priest.  Personally, I’d be quite happy if they pulled another KISS by recreating their classic live album, Unleashed in the East–just as long as they throw in “Freewheel Burning,” “The Sentinel” and “The Hellion/Electric Eye” for good measure.  I could really do without the 80′s pop stuff, but I know My Eyes are Gonna Roll when I’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.

Just please, please keep your hands off of “Private Property” and “Parental Guidance,” okay?

(You can also check out my Priest Revisited writeups here.)

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!

Although there weren’t any local openers, the Fu had some solid touring support in the form of Texans Honky and their fellow Californians in The Shrine.  The latter took the stage with a tune that showed they’d spent some time studying at the Fu Manchu School of Stoner Rock, though they provided more up-tempo garage punk fare for the most part.  Still, it’s safe to say they fit right in…

Honky was nothing short of hilarious, a raunchy, rollicking good time.  Picture a stripped-down version of White Cowbell Oklahoma, sans chainsaw, and you’ve sorta got the idea.  Three wise-cracking, tattooed Texas hillbillies complete with ZZ Top beards and cowboy hats, playing tunes with titles like “Snortin’ Whiskey and Drinkin’ Cocaine” and “Smokin’ Weed with Helios Creed.”  These guys would go over like gangbusters in Calgary–and I say this as a native Calgarian.

As for the Fu, well, I gotta say they went over pretty well, too.  The band took a decidedly retro approach to the evening, with Scott Hill still sporting his Kurt Cobain Halloween costume, and exuding more energy than one would expect from such a seminal stoner rock singer.  (Perhaps he was channeling his teenage past in Virulence?)  The other Scott Reeder rocked out with his porn stache behind the kit, with Brad Davis holding down the rhythms and Bob Balch wailing on most of the leads.  (It was interesting to see how little guitar Hill actually played while doing his best Iggy Pop impression…)

After opening with a few solid tunes from the turn of the century (“Hell on Wheels,” “California Crossing,” “Boogie Van”), Hill then announced that they would be playing In Search Of…, which they did, from start to finish.  I gotta say, it was pretty cool to hear tunes like “Regal Beagle,” “Solid Hex” and “The Falcon Has Landed,” which they probably haven’t done live in a little while.  I mean, this record’s so old that it had Ruben Romano and Eddie Glass on it, and a kid born the day it came out would be taking their driver’s license test in a coupla months.  But still, some tunes are timeless, y’know?

Of course, Bob Balch didn’t join till Eddie left, and they’ve been through a couple drummers (read: Brant Bjork) since then, but I’d say the replacements filled in admirably.  If anything, the guitar tones on stage seemed a bit different from the record, and Scott Hill’s voice was more screechy than his laid-back drawl of yore, but what they lacked in picture-perfect perfection, they made up for in energy and intensity.

After the final notes of “Supershooter,” they left the stage, then came back for an encore, where Hill asked for requests, ignoring my cry for “Weird Beard” that actually busted a gut (yes, I am a fat fuck), though they did end with “King of the Road,” so I wasn’t too disappointed.

Man, I dunno how I do it (showing up early helps), but I always seem to find my way right to the front of the stage at the Horseshoe while all hell breaks loose behind me.  This time, I actually brought my camera.  You can check out most of my pics on Gruesome Views, but here are a coupla bonus shots for ya…

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: Like what you read?  Follow me on Twitter and check out my blog!

P.P.S.: My new radio show, Gruesome Tunes, airs Sunday nites from 6 till 8 (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  Tune in and drop out!