Live Surprise

Around a decade ago John Cale was touring with Red House Painters opening for him. I liked the Painters' albums, but I wasn't expecting much from them live - figured they would be just some slow motion mopers that I'd have to endure to get to Cale and I even considered skipping their set. I was glad I didn't - they were absolutely mesmerizing and they brought a completely different energy to their songs that wasn't there in the recorded versions. They closed with "Katy Song" which is pretty epic in its recorded version with its extended "la la la" coda, but live they cranked up the intensity and when Mark Kozelek's voice gave out after about 10 minutes of la la las, a long guitar duel broke out that rivalled the re-formed Television's version of "Marquee Moon" I'd witnessed a couple of years earlier. Truthfully, Cale was boring and uninspired compared to what the Red House Painters had done in their opening set.

Who are some other bands that were great revelations on stage?

rockfour

feelies.

A couple of friends and I wandered down to Satyricon in Portland on a hot summer night in the early '90's, kind of late, because we were bored and thinking we were going to see a local band called The Whirlees.

Turns out The Fleshtones are playing who I know nothing about other than the name. The band takes the stage by marching through the crowd singing, immediately dives into the most energetic, one-song-after-another-without-pause garage-rock blow out complete with choreography that I have ever had the pleasure to witness and then marches out again only to hang out in the bar. They absolutely dropped a bomb that night, I have never been so impressed with a band that I knew nothing about.

The funny thing is, I have tried to listen to some of their records since then and have been completely underwhelmed.

i have witnessed many a fantastic fleshtones gig and could use one asap.

Los Straitjackets snuck up on me like a fever, and guitarist Eddie Angel still tears my face off every time.

Good call on the Fleshtones. I saw them in college (mid-80s) and was completely blown away.

One of the biggest live surprises I ever had was Crowded House. I saw them twice -- once because Richard Thompson was opening, and once on a big festival in Holland -- and they were absolutely superb both times. I only knew one song (their big hit) but was completely mesmerized by their great pop.

I rediscovered Cheap Trick in the latter half of the 90's when they were having a renaissance of sorts with the excellent Cheap Trick '97 album, the Steve Albini produced Sub Pop single, the fabulous Budokan II recording, box set, etc. and was anxious to see them live.

I have seen Cheap Trick at County Fairs, in Las Vegas and in clubs and they are always a fun show to catch but there was one night in 2001 that was nearly life changing.

They were playing a sold out show at a midsize club in Portland called The Roseland. It was August and the room was packed, sweaty and about a million degrees. I think the excessive heat fueled extra beer, gin and tonic, etc. consumption and the crowd was very revved up. I think the band was really taken aback by the crowd going absolutely nuts and it fired them up. They played a stunning show, much longer than usual (this was the tour when Bun E Carlos was out having back surgery and his son was sitting in on drums for him and thus the band was free to play longer because Bun's bad back was not an issue). They pulled out favorites that were not normally in their set list and just generally went for broke.

The energy and intensity was literally on 11 and this after having seen them turn in a respectable 5 at a county fair show the week before.

I will never forget it. On the way out after the show, my buddy said to me, "How can I ever go see another show after that, they just ruined everything else for me".

I got to see Cheap Trick on the tour after that -- the "Music for Hangovers" tour -- and it was one of the best shows I've seen in years. Carlos' back problems evidently were behind him (no pun intended -- oh, okay, I admit it, pun intended), Robin was in great voice, and the band was in top-notch playing trim, from beginning to end. And watching Rick poke fun at the security muscle-boys in front of the stage, getting them to crack up and laugh, was worth the price of the ticket.

They were even good at the Civic Center during 'Taste' a few years back. Just the crowd that was off.

Yeah, that was my feeling too when I saw them a couple of years ago: the crowd wanted them to play all the hits and they damn sure did. Even the real crap like "The Flame" (complete with tons of raised lighters from the crowd). I'd been under the impression that they pretty much only did early stuff live anymore, but it really was more like a "Greatest Hits Live" show. Still pretty great though.

Ditto for Cheap Trick doing three nights in a row (on one of their tours in the 90s) and playing their 1st LP start to finish the 1st night, the 2nd on the 2nd, etc.

It was literally on 11? Not figuratively but in physical actuality? Mathematic rules have changed!

zen guerrillas
nyro (solo)

I saw a Buffalo Tom show with Luna that was positively shocking in its surprise. I'm not a particularly huge fan of either band on record (although Let Me Come Over by Buffalo Tom has a place in my heart for its cliched indie rock charms), but they were tremendous live, at least this night. I practically had to be dragged to the show and then wouldn't shut up about it for weeks.

The Jesus & Mary Chain. I had expected them to be as dry and dulled out as most of their then-recent output ... but they surprised me by rocking out! They could've used a little less dry-ice fog, though.

When the Kilgours (The Clean/David Kilgour) opened for Yo La Tengo, the entire show was a timespace alteration.
Went to see Jesus & Mary Chain when an unknown band was opening named Nine Inch Nails.
Wedding Present opening for The Fluid.
Sonic Youth opening for Neil Young - haven't been interested in him since.
Versus - a mostly unknown NYC band that put out good material but was a revelation on stage; transporting.
Buffalo Tom - forgot who they opened for but it seemed like they were bound to be the biggest trustafarian/jam band on the planet. What happened?
Butthole Surfers - In their prime who would have agreed to follow that multi-media mindwarp? I had to spend the night talking a guy down after one of their shows.
Camper van Beethoven - Opening act. Unnannounced, everybody in the crowd just wondering 'Who is this!'. My friend leans over and I thought he yelled "Copper Man Bedouin".
Christmas - Opening for Husker Du. Another band that was once promising; evolved towards Yo La Tengo one of the best acts ever.
Spiritualized - opening for Sonic Youth. Familiar with Spaceman 3; beyond any expectations.
Flaming Lips - opening for Lush. During 'Priest Driven Ambulance' (still their best). Went on to make more great LPs but live show less interesting after lineup changes.
Poster Children - lollapalooza 2nd stage; yet I didn't find the LP good.
Grateful Dead - somebody talked you into going. You were skeptical. You're life seemed like it never be the same. The essence of the basic power of music. Take a minute to remember yourself at that first show.
Jesus Lizard - opening for (I forget). Knew they were ex-Scratch Acid. 3 minutes in I was agape. 5 minutes in you just had to go with Yow on the ride.
Anybody opening for REM or U2.
Leatherface - Short opening set; who for?-not important. If you have let 'Mush' grow on you, you understand.
Minutemen - opening for Black Flag. A blistering party followed by a depression.
Nirvana - opening for Sonic Youth before the hype. Debaucher; performance over music; entertaining.
Pavement - opening for Mudhoney. The little band that could, but chose not to and therefore succeeded.
Pixies - i think it was for Bob Mould.
Beta Band - for Radiohead.
Rancid - for Bad Religion.
Social Distortion - This band was amazing circa Mommy's Little Monster. Becoming slickly professional later lessened the impact.
Let's Active - weren't they supposed to be a studio band?
Ween - This was supposed to just be a joke, not a tight band.
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Surely the amps would ignite
X - Later to find they were one of the most consistent bands on the planet.
Young Gods - On their home turf. Psychedelic.
New Order - Who knew they could rock?
Echo Bunnymen - Low expectations from previous appearance were shattered.
Cocteau Twins - Surely Liz and the band can't recreate that sound?...!
Damned - Still an occasional show reveals the spirit of the class of 77. God Bless Them.



Post Edited (07-11-05 12:16)

cheap trick/Bowie/old Alice/Ramones/Frank Zappa