Clutch, Saviours & Lionize @ First Avenue
[Saviours]
Back in 1995 you’d have been hard pressed to convince a fan of Clutch’s quirky blues-metal that it would be another decade and a half before the band truly hit their stride. Hell, it would’ve been hard to convince fans that Clutch would even still be a band in another 15 years. Well, 15 years really have passed and from the sound of the band at First Avenue, these guys are locked into a tighter, tougher, more confident groove than ever. Giving special attention to their post-Blast Tyrant output, the (now) four piece steamrolled through a no-frills set—led by their maniacal ring-leader Neil Fallon on vocals—that had the mob going wild despite its emphasis on the band’s latter days blues-rock over the heavier jams of their earlier days.
[Saviours]
To be frank, I was extremely bummed when Baroness canceled their performance at this show only a week prior to the event. Ever since that band unveiled The Red Album in 2007—one of the freshest sounding metal albums that came out that year—I have kept the release in constant rotation in my playlist, and even now I find myself devoting time to give it a listen at least every other week. It’s an epic album which found Baroness playing with distinct dualities, marrying pretty melodic passages with modern psychedelic doom metal thunder. With a new album on the way in only a few weeks, I was eagerly anticipating the chance to get to preview some of the new songs from Blue Record in the live setting and was highly skeptical that any replacement Clutch chose would even begin to compensate for the show I was missing.
[Saviours]
Entering the venue, I found out that the highly-regarded stoned-out thrashers Saviours had been lined up as a replacement for Baroness on the remaining dates for the tour, and while most of my fears were put to rest, I was doubtful that the band’s bluntly heavy riffage would go over just as well with the other stoners in attendance.
From the get-go all bets were off as the band dove headfirst into a gnarly, unrelenting set that showcased the band’s newest album Into Abbadon. Saviours sound is equal parts thrash, punk, stoner, and garage rock, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the thunderous intro that the dudes provided, I’m willing to guess that they might have been a bit extreme for the rest of the relatively low-key audience.
[Saviours]
[Saviours]
[Lionize]
After Saviours, Lionize did an excellent job getting a stellar groove going that completely changed the mood in the room and set the tone for the rest of the evening. These days reggae is not typically my thing, but Lionize play a heavier, dirtier style that owes as much to jam-band-esque psychedelia, 1970′s funk, and conventional hard rock as it does to father Bob. For open minded fans, their set was a great chance to do some actual hip-shaking, but the thick bass lines still provided plenty of comfort for those who were content to just bob their heads.
[Lionize]
[Lionize]
Alongside the excellent atmospheric work on the keys by Chris Books, the intricate work from guitarist Tim Sult (who was pulling double duty at this show, playing lead guitar for both Lionize and Clutch) during the Lionize’s set was mesmerizing to say the least. It was unclear where the choruses, verses, or bridges began and ended, but none of that mattered as Sult’s relaxed picking carried the audience from one passage to the next.
[Lionize]
[Lionize]
Whether or not you enjoyed the openers, it was clear that the excitement had reached a fever pitch by the time Clutch was ready to take the stage. Though only half full throughout the first two performances, the venue began to pack to capacity as Lionize left the stage and both longtime and virgin fans of the band pushed for a good location from which to enjoy the show.
[Clutch]
[Clutch]
In yet another age of extravagance and excess in hard rock music, the fact that Clutch’s fanbase only seems to be getting stronger as the years pass is a true testament to just how good their unpretentious, booty shakin’ rock ‘n’ roll really is. Taking the stage in the duds of the American everyman (jeans, t-shirts, baseballs caps), the band was nearly indistinguishable from the roadies who brought their gear to the stage; if it weren’t for the massive beard that Neil the preacher wears proudly these days, he may have blended in with the audience well enough to go unnoticed while grabbing a beer or using the bathroom.
[Clutch]
[Clutch]
In a crowd consisting of a complete mish-mash of ages, shapes, and musical preferences, the energy was palpable by the time Clutch plucked out the first notes of their new single “50,000 Unstoppable Watts” to start the show. Utilizing Fallon’s curious lyrics as the centerpiece, the jagged riffage and boogie-ready rhythms maintained a high level of excitement from beginning to end, and even when the band slowed down for a whiskey-soaked solo and a breather the friendly most pit never subsided.
[Clutch]
[Clutch]
Against the wishes of many veteran listeners, the early albums from Clutch’s career were largely ignored with only two or three songs coming from the pre-2004 era. However, as someone who finds myself apreciating the band’s newest incarnation the most of any so far, I was very satisfied to get a healthy portions from Blast Tyrant, Robot Hive/Exodus, From Beale Street to Oblivion, and Strange Cousins as the main course.
[Clutch]
[Clutch]
As reserved as their appearances were, Clutch’s sound and storytelling abilities are incomparably larger than life. When Fallon’s barks, the crowd responds. As the chorus of “The Mob Goes Wild” was chanted in unison, you could almost imagine pitchforks and torches being thrust in the air to the rhythm. It was ultimately a supremely entertaining concert, and although I may have missed the performance from Baroness, right now Clutch is still so on top of their game it isn’t even funny.
[Clutch]
[Clutch]
Setlist:
50,000 Unstoppable Watts
Struck Down
The Devil and Me
Gravel Road
The Incomparable Mr. Flannery
Burning Beard
Abe Lincoln
Profits of Doom
The Mob Goes Wild
The Amazing Kreskin
One Eye Dollar
Electric Worry
Let A Poor Man Be
Slow Hole to China
Promoter (of Earthbound Causes)
Cypress Grove
(Notes From The Trial Of) La Curandera
Big News (encore)
The Elephant Riders (encore)
Damn man, I missed one hell of a fucking show.