Concert Review: Kelly Clarkson Arizona State Fair

The Kelly Clarkson concert at the Arizona State Fair was packed on Saturday November 7^th.  It was a mission to get to the concert, which included the daunting challenge to find parking at the Arizona State Fair and a hike through the packed fair to get to the stadium.  

 

Kelly Clarkson began the night with her album titled song “All I Ever Wanted” the crowd was pumped and ready to go. Keeping the energy going she sang “Miss Independent”. The stage production of the show was blinking fun colorful arrays of violet-blue, red, yellow, blue, and pink lights. The lights were slightly blinding but simple enough to just focus on Kelly’s pure talent.

 

Clarkson dazzled the crowd, when she performed an acoustic cover song called “Lies by the Black Keys” followed up by a country song by Patsy Cline “After Midnight.” Clarkson’s vocals were amazing as the filled the venue! The crowd loved the country vibe and went wild for the trumpet solo in the song and had the whole crowd clapping to the beat. After the song ended they cut all stage production and did an acoustic version of “Hazel Eyes” with the audience, where Clarkson had the crowd singing parts of the chorus as the lights switched from the stage to the crowd, cuing them to belt it out.

 

To close out the end of her set, Clarkson sang her hits “Because of You”, “Walk away”, and “Since You Been Gone”. By this point in the show the majority of the crowd was on their feet jumping up and down, hands high in the air, and belting out Clarkson’s lyrics with her. Clarkson rejoiced at how great the crowd was and thanked them for being so great. The last song of the set was “My Life Would Suck” and the crowd was still dancing by the end of the concert. The show ended around an hour and half long and the crowd seem to love Kelly Clarkson by the end.

 

The show was mode chic and focused on the music. Audience members from little kids to mid-twenties men and old ladies seemed to walk away from the concert satisfied if not wanting more. Clarkson didn’t need dramatic effects or a theme behind her tour because her talent in itself will blow you away! 

 

The mission was well worth it and after seeing her performance you have a complete understanding of why she was the American Idol winner. 

Concert Review: Chevelle Out of this World Performance

By D. Marcher, www.FromTheCrowd.com
Chevelle, the Chicago trio consisting of Pete Loeffler (vocals, guitars), Sam Loeffler (drums) and Dean Bernardini (bass, live backing vocals) performed at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on October 27 in support of their new album Sci-Fi Crimes.

It was an evening full of music with three opening bands, The Asylum, New Medicine and After Midnight Project. While The Asylum seemed to be heavier metal rock, then one would expect for a Chevelle concert, New Medicine seemed to bridge the musical gap and After Midnight Projects’ performance completed the transition and was able to draw the majority of the crowd that had been waiting on the patio into the theatre, proving they are an excellent tour companion.

Chevelle took the stage around 10:15, providing an entertaining and interactive experience to the crowd. Accompanied by dence fog, green and deep blue lighting the stage defiantly set to provide a Sci –Fi feeling and allow the audience to be abducted by the trio.

It was immediately down to business as the intricate rifts of the first song began as the crowd exploded. Pete travelled across the stage ensuring to not neglect anyone from the audience. Vocals were right on point as the Marquee filled with energy from the performance. The crowd loved the musical journey they were on. The venue was not filled to capacity, however, this was an advantage as it allowed concertgoers to move freely to the music and not just stand there listening to it.

Clips from various movies would play providing transitions between songs and at times Pete would interacting to the crowd, at one point stating the obvious “As you can see know we’re sort of into the whole alien thing now.” But then followed by a surprising request, “ Oh and if anyone’s had any alien encounters we’d love to talk to you after the show” some members of the audience laughed others seemed very excited by the opportunity.

Chevelle set list was dominated by their latest effort, Sci-Fi Crimes featuring “Sleep Apnea”, “Jars”, “Letter From A Thief”, “Roswell Spell” and others. The Trio also played fan favorites such as “The Red” “Send the Pain Below” from Wonder What’s Next, and “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)” from This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In during their 90 minute set.

Overall, it was a dynamic night of music. As I drove past the tour busses shortly after midnight, I couldn’t help but wonder about the small crowd that remained patiently waiting. Were they just dedicated fans or did they have they had alien abduction stories for Chevelle?  Your guess is as good as mine!

Concert Review: Blink-182 - Big Heart, Big Show, Big Kids

Blink-182, Tom DeLonge (vocals, guitar), Mark Hoppus (vocals, bass) and Travis Barker (drums) took the stage shortly before 10:30pm to close out Saturday nights Arizona Fall Frenzy. The enormous crowd, which seemed to fill Tempe Beach Park to compacity, exploaded and screamed in unison as Blink-182 began their performance.

It was obvious that the crowd felt this reunion tour was well overdue and was immediately satisfied as their set featured their most popular songs, ‘Down’, ‘Dumpweed’, ‘What’s my Age Again?’, just to name a few.

Shortly after beginning their set, Hoppus stopped to recognize the significance of the day. Mark explained to the crowd that today, was the one year anniversary of the tragic plane crash that took the lives of their dear friend Chris, as well as the pilots and Barkers security guard. He continued to recognize Barkers injuries and shared that Blink-182 was going to donate $100,000 for tonight performance to burn centers in Georgia and Los Angeles.

The beginning cords of ‘I Miss You’ began to be play as Hoppus dedicated the song to Chris. While this could have easily mellowed the spirits of the crowd, the opposite effect held true as the concertgoers enthusiastically supported the band in singing the song, with many in the crowd remarking as to how impressed they were with Barkers performance.

It seemed at that moment that the boys of Blink-182 who were the heroes of teen angst in the late 90’s had matured… well… until immediately after the next song,  ‘Stay Together For The Kids’.  DeLonge asked Hoppus, if he remember about their early trips to Arizona and how with the extream desert heat, their ball sacks would just get bigger and bigger.  Hoppus agreed and DeLonge continued stating ‘The he could t-bag your mother from stilts’…

With each new song came an anecdote or dedication, with both Hoppus and DeLonge taking time to address each other and the audience. At times they were obvious, such as dedicating ‘First Date’ to all those on a first date to Hoppus calling out DeLonge for totally blowing a song and then erupting into ‘All the Small Things’.

In addition to taking advantage of any moment to joke one another about each other’s playing the sexual references and lyric changes were plentiful the remainder of the concert . Boys will be boys… in some cases… forever.

This was undeniably a Blink-182 show, and although this tour is their first in nearly five years, the bands chemistry was obvious. Their musical performance met or exceeded everyone expectations and their on stage banter throughout the performance kept the evening entertaining and provided an intimate experience for the crowd.  For many attending this concert, this was a flashback to a differnt era and if the vibe from this concerts hold true, Blink-182 should have a great future in store for us.

Incubus Rocks Hard and Soft

See all of the pictures from tonights concert

Incubus, currently on tour supporting their greatest hits album “Monuments and Melodies” came to the Valley of the Sun on August 25 at the Jobbing.com Arena.

The concert kicked off with a sultry performance by the, A Duke Spirit, a British band formed in 2003 that is relatively unknown in the US. The lead singer, Liela Moss, strutted her stuff, as the band performed their pop/blues melodies for the crowd eager for Incubus. While it seemed on odd pairing for a supporting artist, the audience seemed to enjoy their performance.

The first 30-45 minutes of the concert rocked hard, as Incubus set list was loaded with majority of their top radio hits during the first half of the show. Midway through the performance, thy slowed things down and Boyd pulled out a rhythm guitar for the song,”Oil in Water” which sent the crowd into a frenzy. The acoustic set continued for 3-4 songs providing a totally different feel to the venue and allowed to truly appreciate Incubuses musical talent and Boyd’s’ vocals. An obvious fan favorite was the acoustic version of “Dig” in which Boyd played the bongos.

The pace of the show then picked up again and allowed the crowd to take in the bands high energy. As the night progressed, the concert truly became something for ‘real’ fans. For the last half if their set, Incubus performed a great deal of their, still popular, but lesser known songs.

Overall, the performance was dynamic and it almost felt as though the audience had just attended two different concerts, and it was fantastic to see both sides of Incubus live.

Concert Review: Green Day earns a 21 Gun Salute

Review and Photos by Stephanie Baldwin
View the Concert Gallery Here: http://fromthecrowd.com/984/concert-photos-green-day-august-22-2009/

Green Day, the punk rock trio, consisting of Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass guitar, vocals), and Tré Cool (drums, percussion), brought their latest dynamic, and literally explosive concert experience to US Airways Center on August 22.

The superb set list provided a mix of songs from their latest release “21 century Breakdown”, their 2005 “American Idiot” as well as songs from their previous releases and a few covers that were masterfully arranged.

Impressive stage production combined: fire, fireworks, spectacular lighting, video backdrops and more. It was visually hypnotizing and while it could have been considered over the top or distracting for any other artist, Green Day was able to command the stage and remain the center of attention, with their powerful vocals, lyrics and musical expertise. Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool shined on stage and it was brilliant to see Billie Joe Armstrong play riffs with skill that would rival any other guitar great.

The trio was able to change the tempo of the performance without missing a beat. It didn’t matter if the band participated in various onstage shenanigans (which included water guns, toilet paper blowers, various costumes and a full mooning of the audience) or if there was a single spotlight on stage for an acoustic solo, the crowds’ energy was invested for the entire set.

Green Day delivers musically, instrumentally and provides an eye catching stage show, however this is not what makes their concert, quite possibly, the best touring today. The bands uncanny ability to get the audience deeply involved in their performance, is what sets them apart. Armstrong, not only yells, motivates and speaks to the crowd, he goes one step further and gains active participation. He is very aware of the crowd and seems to have a gift for plucking the most entertaining concertgoers out of the audience. At a Green Day concert the crowd is just another instrument that the band utilizes during their performance.

Often, these crowd interactions generate some of the most memorable moments of the show, as was the case at this evenings concert. Tonight, Armstrong selected a handful of crowd members to

join him on stage at different points of the performance. Perhaps the most memorable, was a female concertgoer that laid a big fat kiss on Armstrong immediately after joining him on stage as he performed, “East Jesus Nowhere”. After recovering from the shock, he then proceeded to convince her to leap of the front of the stage to crowd surf among the other fans who were eager to participate. (You can see her leap in the concert gallery)

 

Kissing wasn’t the only talent Phoenix fans had to offer. Two concertgoers made their vocal debuts singing “Longview”, the female chosen was obviously nervous but quickly navigated her way through the first few versus. It was then her male counterpart’s opportunity and he rocked the stage. I think everyone’s jaw dropped a bit, including Armstrong’s as this guy knew how to sing and had stage presence to boot. At the end of the song Armstrong announced that the two had been the best they’d seen on tour so far!

The final audience participant joined in on playing guitar for “Jesus of Suburbia” which was one of the four songs performed as an encore. Armstrong raised the bar and required it t0 be someone that actually knew how to play the song, and even challenged a few of those eager to participate to name the key it was in. The guy finally selected, proved his worth and performed as if he belonged with the band and did not miss a beat.

The concert ended appropriately with Armstrong singing “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”, which everyone in attendance could agree that they had. Overall the performance was epic and the best concert to come to the Valley this year and for that, Green Day deserves the highest honor of a 21 gun salute.

Green Day August 22 Set List:

“Know Your Enemy”
“East Jesus Nowhere”
“Holiday”
“The Static Age”
“Before the Lobotomy”
“Are We The Waiting”
“St. Jimmy”
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
“Hitchin a Ride” Foxboro Hot Tubs aka Green Day (check out the review on this side project)
“Brain Stew”
“Jaded”
“Longview”
“Basketcase”
“She”
“King for a Day” (which included excerpts covers of “Shout”, “Break on Through (to the Other Side)”, “Suspicious Minds” and “I’ll Be There.”)
“21 Guns”
“American Eulogy”
“21 Guns.”

Encore
“American Idiot”
“Jesus of Suburbia”
“Minority”
“Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)”

If you attended this concert; feel free to share your experience and comment below or send us your review! contribute(at)FromTheCrowd.com

Concert Review: Aerosmith and ZZ Top 07.27.09

You can rock at any age by D. Marcher

 

Check out the Concert Pictures here: ZZ Top, Aerosmith

 

I have to admit, even though Aerosmith and ZZ Top are from my parents’ era… their performances are timeless.  In fact, these two bands performance outshined some of the recent shows I have been to!

 

Perhaps it is the years, well, decades of tour experience.  Or just the fact they really are that good, this concert is not one to be missed.

 

ZZ Top, the trio of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, started off the night with the no frills performance, letting their music take center stage.  Don’t get me wrong they were very entertaining, but what is just how good their music is, no frills needed. 

 

Their fans were not disappointed as they played their classics “Legs”,”Cheap Sunglasses,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Tush.”

 

As the night progressed, the Cricket Pavilion Lawn tripled in capacity as Fans prepared for Aerosmith.  I had to admit, I was slightly concerned about their performance, due to all the recent injuries the band had sustained.

 

I was not disappointed as Tyler and the rest of Aerosmith kicked off the night with “Eat the Rich”.  As a complete side note, I had to admit I was slightly taken back by Tylers’ appearance and it slightly resembled that of Janice

 Dickerson.  Regardless of the outfit, which did improve during the evening as he lost the hat, glasses and coat and became the Rock God we all know so well.

 

Aerosmith kept the night rocking performing their hits “Sweet Emotion,” “Walk This Way,” “Dream On” and “Train Kept a Rollin’.

 

As I looked around, I realized I had never seen such a diverse crowd.  I was sitting next to a 20 something on one side and I am guessing a 70 something (no I didn’t ask) on the other, and they were both screaming their heads off, often conversing about the performance as the night progressed.  Where else would you see that?

 

Both agreed that the highlight of the night was when ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons joined Aerosmith for “Rattlesnake Shake”.

 

It just proves, you can rock at any age!

Has Warped Tour hit the awkward stage?

by Cassie Roberts, FromTheCrowd.com contributor

Warped Tour 15 was something I thought was going to be amazing. I was prepared and had been warned. It was going to be hot, hot, hot. Bring in water, be ready for those tweens and be ready for great bands and people watching.

I was ready, maybe too ready. As Warped Tour 15 was not everything it could have been. We all know that Warped Tour isnt the hard core show that it used to be. it has evolved to survive and has changed with the times and the music. Some people are stuck in the past and are angry that the hard core rock scene is gone and emo has taken over. But… look at the crowd. Who else is going to turn out at 12pm when it is 110?

Even with all of the change, and being accepting of it, I do have to say that Warped Tour seemed awkward. Perhaps it was just frustration that the bands I wanted to see were playing at the same time, or within 10 minutes of each other on opposite ends of the parking lot. It could also have been that the headliners seemed to phone in their performance.

Its not to say it was bad, just awkward. Hopefully, like most teenagers, Warped Tour will blooosom out of these stage.

Phoenix Concert Review: Nine Inch Nails Owns the Cricket Pavilion Stage May 15 2009

by Cassie Roberts, www.FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

Some shows, have a lot of hype, from fans, from the media and well from just a lot of great PR, however, after the show begins, you realize its all just hype. Occasionally, this is due in no part to the actual band performing, but in some cases, the crowd itself, or some other outside factor like the weather. In some cases the bar, has simply been set too high.

Here in Arizona, we already have two things going against us, the weather (anytime after March) and the crowds (which aren’t exactly known for being the most supportive, in the I’m going to stand the entire show type of way). Even the most seasoned performer can fail to deliver with these two roadblocks, you just never know until the set has begun.

There was a lot of hype with the NIN|JA tour, after all it is the first tour in 9 years with them sharing a stage… so I have to admit I was concerned, but with my ticket in hand, with faith in Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction, I had a good feeling about tonight and I was right!

I do have to give props to Street Sweeper Social Club. I had read and heard some great things and they provided a set that was unlike anything I was expecting. I feel privilege to be there on the ground floor with them on this tour. Sure, I’m talking about Tom Morello and Boots Riley, two legendary performers in their own genre, but would they mix? The answer to that is an overwhelming YES!

Jane’s Addiction also delivered a strong set and was able to get the crowd motivated and on their feet, however, the night belonged to Nine Inch Nails.

All of the elements were in place for one of those once in a life time performances. Sure it was hot, but there was an amazing energy in the crowd, that was matched by NIN on stage. The sounds, the lighting, the crowd and the music all collided to create the perfect enviorment for NIN as to deliver, perhaps the one of the best performances I have ever witnessed. The set was moving, the stage and lighting were unprecedented and the crowd was eating out of the palm of their hands.

To steal a tweet from Tom Morello (http://twitter.com/tmorello) @tmorello shared: “It is near impossible to make a musical moment in a 15,000 seat venue “haunting” but NIN “Hurt” is that and more. Just stunning. Unreal.” Keep in mind who this statement is coming from.

If you missed this show, you may never forgive yourself, however, you still have time to catch them on tour for the rest of the summer near by. It’s time for a road trip!

Drink Up Buttercups Concert Review at Santos Party House - New York, NY

Buttercups and Horseshit

By Nathaniel Dobson, www.FromTheCrowd.com Contributor

Stage set. Wires have formed a medusa like choke hold of the stage, as at least four maracas are strewn about the floor. A Yamaha synthesizer rests calmly atop a perfect silver trashcan, which remains aware that by the end of the show, his brother will remain a rape victim to sound. A fog machine has lined the roof with a thick pot like haze and masks a heart shaped disco ball which eventually would bathe the crowd in green sprinkles of light. The chatter of the audience can be heard over the DJs spins of what would normally be heard at a candy kid rave. My hopes are up.

                Reading other reviews of Drink Up Buttercup, a Philly band that’s barely even a year old, one would think that Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, and Jesus H. Christ himself had formed some sort of super group to tour the indie circuit. Well, they’re pretty damn close. Having celebrated the release of their new vinyl single “Mr.. Pie Eyes,” available digitally on iTunes, the night before, vocalist and guitarist James Harvey had gotten little to no sleep in the past 48 hours. However, from watching their performance tonight, no one could tell the difference.

                Any trained musician can perfectly play out a finely tuned musical number on stage, and a good chunk of them could write music that people could tag as “New” and “Daring”, but what separates Drink Up from the masses of avant-garde, E major 7 chord slamming, indie bands out there is their energy. To say these boys don’t make good music would be a balls out lie, but when music as catchy and bizarre as theirs is topped by their live performance, it truly says something of their live performance. The noise, the sound, the yelling and slamming that occurred onstage, it was extremely reminiscent of At the Drive-In during its hay day, had Omar Rodriguez not been so stoned he didn’t know his guitar was out of tune. This erratic foursome maintain a destructive force for thirty minutes straight that keeps you on your toes and begging for more, all the while churning out great music. And in a time where everybody seems to think simply making music louder and faster is better, this is a much needed change.

                Honestly, this band is not for everyone. Their eclectic blend of Beatles-esque pop and gypsy avant-garde takes a few listenings to appreciate the eccentricities, at least in its recorded form. The boys of Drink Up have no urge to end up on the same charts as Fall Out Boy and Christina Aguilera, and God bless them for it. As long as they keep up what they’re doing, you will want to keep an eye on them, even if you’re not anywhere near the east coast. Drink up is going places, having already played at SXSW this year, and could very easily end up manhandling the upcoming festival season. If you’re looking for a band to say, “I knew them before they got big,” here’s your chance. To end this off, I would like to state how priceless it was to see drummer Mike Cammarata nearly have to walk off the stage to end the last song of the set. I hope you understand, we in the audience would’ve gladly waited for you to go on as long as you pleased.

                As a post script note, Psychedelic Horseshit, (yes, that was the following bands name) just because we expect a five minute noise solo from shoe gazing, please for the love of God try to add something new every bit. Nobody wants to hear the same guitar chord on delay and extreme distortion for two minutes. And to the headlining acts, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, I greatly apologize for not being able to show my support, my sorry ass got stuck with an 8 o clock class in the morning.

Remianing tour Dates:

4/28 - Chameleon Club - Lancaster, PA  (w/ Dr Dog)

4/29 - Mr Smalls - Pittsburgh, PA (w/ Dr Dog)

5/8 - Cameo - Brooklyn, NY

5/13 - Pianos - New York, NY (w/ Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers)

5/15 - Southpaw - Brooklyn, NY (w/ Skeletonbreath)

5/16 - Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel - Washington, DC

Drink Up Buttercup Instrumentation:

Farzad Houshiarnejad: keys, wolf-howler, melodica, bass, vox, smashcan
Ben Money: bass, keys, melodica, mannequin head, percussion, vox, smashcan
Mike Cammarata: drums with water, lemon, and sugar packets
James Harvey: vox, guitar, sawed-off-seagull, walki, opera sounds

Mastodon Concert Review 04.16.2009

By Melanie Nelson, www.FromTheCrowd.com Concert Columnist

 

After a venue change from Martini Ranch to the Marquee Theatre, Mastodon was set to headline an evening of progressive/experimental metal with Kylesa and Intronaut opening. This genre was definitely a new one for me, but I was heading in with several preconceived notions of what I would be facing.

We did arrive and walk into an exclusively black-shirt clad, male dominated room. Every individual somehow arranged themselves to stand perfectly still in two foot intervals - all respectively listening to Via Vengeance. Via Vengeance was loud, exceptionally loud when you consider that he’s a band of one. This individual remarkably covered drums, guitar and vocals all on his own.

During the set change, I took the opportunity to peruse the crowd. There was a surprising range of ages and types: many parents were attending to stand guard over their high schooler and friends, there was the expected beer drinking twenty-something crowd and a large portion of thirty to forty year olds. I suspect (this is supported by many logo t-shirts) that several of the latter began as Pink Floyd fans and simply updated their genre.

Chatting with the crowd, it was clearly a night for Mastodon fans. Rick and Cindy W. have been Mastodon fans for 5 years. Leviathon easily stuck out as their favorite album, but Rick was also well informed on their latest album, Crack the Skye.  To ensure the vision/story/message of this album was relayed, Rick forewarned me to expect the entire album played cover to cover. The band would then return for a second set of some of their older hits. Mastodon’s new album appears to have some mixed reviews with their departure from a usual style; Rick mentioned having to listen to it a few times to fully appreciate it. This wouldn’t be the first time I heard this from the crowd.

Mixed in the fanbase of such Mastodon knowledgeable people as Rick were people like Gary S. and his friend Mero K., who had simply been dragged to the concert by a friend and were only hoping for a good show.

Intronaut began their set checks and the drummer and guitarist had some truly impressive practice riffs, demonstrating promise for a great show. In fact, drummer Danny received a large deal of applause before the show had even started. Once Intronaut did get underway, their music had the expected hoarse howling vocals of a metal band but their skilled ability with their instruments was well demonstrated and included some interesting lyrical moments. The more I considered their one particular song, the more I realized that the musical interlude woven into it really did resemble the soundtrack from the movie Labyrinth. I can’t imagine David Bowie’s thoughts on that one.

One of my main thoughts during Intronaut’s set was that for a supposed metal concert, this was a remarkably still crowd. Where was the head banging, the mosh pit, the crowd surfing?  Did my toes really have nothing to fear?

When Kylese took the stage next, their vocalists were determined to add to the metal atmosphere with the head banging and swinging hair, which made for a much more active band to watch compared to Intronaut’s interesting but physically stiff performance. 
The challenge with Kylese is that it really was just ear bleeding noise. While the drummers (two!) were perfectly synchronized and had a rhythm, it was just methodical noise with timed yowling from vocalists Phillip and Laura. Overall I really did prefer Intronaut’s instrumental intricasies.
While I can’t say that I enjoyed the music at this point, it did offer me an opportunity to watch the formation of a mosh pit. With honorable mention of Intronaut’s single Australopithicus, I give you:

 

The Evolution of Mosh

·         A large crowd begins creepily head bobbing in unison

·         Participating group inches forward together

·         Shoulders are added into head bobbing motion

·         Hand and arm slowly raise with “rock on” symbol

·         Legs begin to shake in time with head bob

·         A small hop is added

 

Now this hop appeared to be the signal to the surrounding crowd to clear out a large circle to make room for the beginnings of the mosh pit. Sadly, I lacked the ability to interpret this signal. The perils of shortness almost continued, but thankfully this mosh area only numbered three. Everyone seemed hopeful for future crowd participation though.

 

Mastodon fans were everywhere at the end of Kylese’s performance.  Folks such as Matt G. had smartly decided to wait outside or arrive late in the evening to save their ears.  Again, Matt was a longterm Mastodon fan who still listed Leviathon as his favorite album.  He had no particular expections out of the set beyond wanting to hear some “crazy ass” drumming and guitar riffs. 

 

It was a very different crowd when you reentered the stage area.  Twice as many people had come out of the woodwork and were much more energised, chanting the band’s name and randomly cheering for Mastodon’s perforance to begin.  Even with the huge crowd, the Marquis’s sloping floor ensured a great view for everyone, including those of us guarding their toes at the back.

 

For all the Leviathon fans, they were indeed going to have to wait.  The first set was the entire Crack the Skye album played cover to cover.  A huge screen was onhand to help illustrate the band’s story of an out of body celestial journey with images of the cosmos intersperced with movie clips and stills.  

 

Mastodon fans should have absolutely no complaints over getting their full ticket value because Brent, Bill, Troy and Brann played for two hours.  This wasn’t a lazy, ballad ridden two hours either.  These four men were getting full body workouts with the crazy ass drumming and guitar riffs I was told to expect.  The crowd’s energy stayed with them the entire time through until their ending set of three songs from previous albums.  It was a great performance - compared to Kylese’s noise, this was music.  It was loud, it made the whole floor and room vibrate, but these men knew how to play and perform.  And if your skin wasn’t numb from all the vibrations and your ears weren’t ringing even with your earplugs as you left after that long evening of performances, you were probably one of the very few.

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