Girlbandgeek Blog

Show date: Friday, October 4, 2019

I’ll be honest, this is not the kind of music I would put on for myself. But I’ve been spending a lot of time driving with my older son and I typically let him pick the music. So I’ve been getting introduced to bands like Diablo Swing Orchestra, Kamelot, Battle Beast and others on tonight’s bill. It didn’t take any arm twisting on my son’s part to convince me to join him for an evening of metal. The Palace of Fine Arts is such an iconic venue, and I had a feeling the bands would put on a really good show – I was not wrong.

My son drove us all the way from Boulder Creek to San Francisco on his learner’s permit. I wasn’t sure he was going to be game, but he ended up driving us all the way to the City for his first time. We parked down by Crissy Field, so we were right there by the Bay in the late afternoon. We soaked in the view for a few minutes, and then headed to the Marina district to find something to eat. A little while later, bellies full, we made our way to the Palace of Fine Arts.

It was twilight, and there were folks scattered about the great semi-circular colonnade of the Palace, with its statues and lush vegetation. There were the inevitable couples getting their engagement photos, and a few groups of obvious metal fans looking for the entrance.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I found the event to be very inviting. There were a lot of young, kind of nerdy guys like my son, many sporting band shirts and jeans. But there were folks of all ages, and likewise there was a fair number of women as well. There were only a small number of folks in what I would call “metal” attire – long coats and leather with studs and klunky black boots – and these were mostly older (on up from 40-ish) couples. There were a few groups of younger women that had some pretty cute metal outfits as well. In general, there was a feeling of camaraderie, of being inside a smallish subculture, with limited opportunities to gather.

The show got started pretty directly. It is an elegant theater on the inside, and everybody was sitting in their comfy seat when Battle Beast took the stage. Lead singer Noora Louhimo was decked out in Viking themed battle dress, and topped with a helmet with horns. Louhimo declared “This is a metal show! What are you all doing sitting down?” Naturally we all stood up and pretty much stayed standing for the rest of the night. Battle Beast was maybe my favorite act of the evening, because of the strong stage presence and vocal performance by Louhimo. As would be the case with most of tonight’s bands, there were several anthemic numbers (Eden, Straight to the Heart) that had the crowd pumping their fists.

I think Louhimo was being a little tongue-in-cheek when she claimed that Battle Beast is Finland’s number 1 “satanic melodic death metal” band. A little bit later she joked that they used to be a viking metal band, and then launched into Bastard Son of Odin from the 2017 Bringer of Pain album. Battle Beast played a solid set, took their bows for the appreciative crowd, and then they were gone.

Next on the bill was Sonata Arctica from Sweden. I enjoyed this band a lot, too. Lead singer Tony Kakko was really very sweet and down-to-earth. He thanked us all for supporting the artists, and showing up for live performance. Kakko mentioned that he was a parent, and directly referenced the climate crisis, so kudos for that. I noted that one of the songs related to suicide? He said “Life is better alive” which I certainly can’t argue with! They also did a vodka chant which was amusing. I noticed that the audience knows the songs and is singing alone which is great.

Finally it’s time for the main act, Kamelot. There are blinding lights, and the drummer is up on the big riser. My notes say “relentless from the first note” and “emoting and thrumming 110%”. Surprised to find just now that Kamelot is actually from Tampa, Florida. Lead singer Tommy Karevik is from Sweden, though. Karevik has an excellent voice. Joining Karevik on several numbers is Lauren Hart which added a nice counterpoint. Pretty much every song was a barn burner – drums pounding relentlessly, veins bulging on the bassist’s forehead, guitar player shredding and stalking the stage. We really got our money’s worth from this show!

I discovered Kristin Hersh in the mid 90s. The first time I saw her perform was a solo performance in San Francisco. Hersh had just released her first solo album, Hips and Makers. That first Kristin Hersh concert was unforgettable – just Hersh on a stool with an acoustic guitar, swaying and singing those brilliant tunes.

I retroactively became a fan of Throwing Muses, too, and mentally kicked myself for missing their explosive, early period. But I’ve been a fan of Hersh’s music for 25 years, and have followed her steady output of solo albums, Throwing Muses releases as well as 50 Foot Wave, her punk band. Hersh is a stunning author as well. I highly recommend her memoir Rat Girl, which I just spent the last hour skimming to find this quote:

Some music is healthy, anyway. I know a lot of bands who’re candy. Or beer. Fun and bad for you in a way that makes you feel good. For a minute. My band is … spinach, I guess. We’re ragged and bitter. But I swear to god, we’re good for you.

Her last few records have kind of blended together for me, though I can appreciate that each one was created by a remarkable artist who’s songwriting, musicianship and production are in peak form. Her most recent album, Possible Dust Clouds, is full of compelling songwriting, from the driving LAX to the folksy Lady Godiva.

The recent performance by the Kristin Hersh electric trio at Bottom of the Hill falls into the spinach category. It was not a “fun” show, but it was good to be there. Hersh was accompanied by longtime Throwing Muses bassist Fred Abong and drummer Rob Ahlers of 50 Foot Wave. Hersh and band laid into the songs with a fierce intensity.

I was blown away by Hersh’s guitar playing which was technically on point, muscular and emotional. Hersh moved effortlessly between rhythm and lead, and her solos were searing, psychedelic, wah-drenched romps. Memorable songs included a rocking Mississippi Kite from the Crooked album, and a crisp, god-like Cuckoo from her first album.

The warmup bands were Dizzy Twin and Fred Abong (also the bassist in Kristin’s band). About Dizzy Twin I can say I loved the rhythm section. However I found the singer to be massively annoying, to be honest, which kind of blemished the experience. The style of music was kind of metallic, operatic, steampunk. The singer had on a metallic vest, and bowler hat. I focused on the guitarist on right of stage, who was very good, and mining a sort of of Led Zep/Ozzy groove.

Fred Abong played next. Just Fred on vocals and guitar. Looks like Kristin loaned him one of her fancy thin, hollow body electrics which sounded gorgeous. Abong had a nice clear voice with effective, hoarse edge to it. Abong’s themes were stark and his sound was spare.

Thursday, August 8, 2019 – Elvis Costello & Blondie at Concord Pavillion.

Today’s review is Elvis Costello and Blondie at the Concord Pavillion. The occasion was my cousin Terry’s birthday. I probably wouldn’t have made the trek up to Concord for an arena-type show if Terry hadn’t invited me, but I was definitely down for it.

I guess I’m thinking about nostalgia and how we relate to music as we get older. I mean, you’re not hoping to be surprised when you see a couple of artists you listened to in high school or college – and now you’re in your 60’s. At the same time, if I see an act that’s been around for decades, I don’t want a tired performance of their greatest hits – I want to feel like they’re having fun, maybe they have a new album out, and do a few interesting covers or whatever. I am pleased to report that this performance hit all those bases.

Terry and I got to the venue around 5:30pm, before things got too crowded. Parking and getting in were easy. We got burgers and fries at the concession stand and went to find our seats. We were in the semicircular zone behind the orchestra. We were pretty close to the stage, but we had a little elevation which afforded a decent view.

I was pretty stoked about seeing Blondie. I was a big fan of their music back in the day but never saw them live. I was also a little nervous that they might be over the hill, but I could have put my worries aside.

Debbie Harry was very cute, warm and real. Chris Stein was seated, but great. Newer guitarist Tommy Kessler was also great. I was always a huge fan of drummer Clem Burke. Burke’s solid and tasteful drumming was always a big component of Blondie’s sound. And tonight’s performance was god-like. Besides, um, playing the drums he did all kinds of flashy moves, gesturing with arms extended like Poseidon, tossing his sticks into the air and catching em, and so forth. Bass player Leigh Foxx has been with the band for 20 the last 20 years and is still killing it. Keyboard player Matt Katz-Bohen was also great. Katz-Bohen did a couple of amazing solos on keytar which was fun.

Blondie did not play any of my favorite early, early songs like Look Good in Blue or X Offender. But they played so many great tunes like Sunday Girl, Dreaming, Heart of Glass, Rapture, Call Me, Hanging on the Telephone, a couple new ones – maybe Doom or Destiny, The Tide is High, and Atomic. They covered “Groove Is In the Heart” by Dee Lite. They did a sly political thing which I greatly appreciated – they segued into From Russia with Love while the Presidential seal was projected on the giant screens above.

I had less energy around the headliner, Elvis Costello. I mean, I had a couple of his early albums, but I was not as much of an Elvis fan as I was a Blondie fan. Nevertheless Costello and band delivered a fun and completely satisfying set. The lineup consisted of Costello on guitar (of course), bass, keyboards and drums. They had a really big sound for just 4 players. There were also two backup singers, Kitten Kuroi and Briana Lee.

Guess it should not have been a surprise, but Elvis is a fantastic guitar player. I really enjoyed watching his mastery of the instrument. Costello’s set pretty much covered the bases from chronologically as well as stylistically. There were plenty of rocking numbers, as well as ballads. Some of the songs included Pump It Up, Watching the Detectives, Alison, Peace, Love & Understanding, Everyday I Write the Book.

Terry and I both had a great time, which was the main thing, right? Terry, who was more excited about Elvis coming in to the evening, was really impressed with Debby Harry and Blondie. Especially when she Googled Harry and discovered that she’s 73 years old, and still sounds great and full of energy.

See you next time!