The Psychedelic Furs & She Wants Revenge

The Psychedelic Furs with special guests She Wants Revenge. Yes! I have been anxiously awaiting this show for months. I saw She Wants Revenge at the House of Blues in 2006 and was lucky enough to see Adam of SWR play a private DJ set, upstairs at Mix; It was one the best nights I’ve ever had! The cherry on top was getting a chance to see the highly influential The Psychedelic Furs.
We arrived just after She Wants Revenge played Red Flags & Long Nights, These Things, and True Romance. They sounded a great as I remember, this time with a drummer, a guitarist, Adam and Justin, with his deep lingering vocals. They played three great new songs, Suck It Up, Maybe She’s Right, and Kiss Me. Justin addressed the audience, “You may remember these two,” and SWR finished strong with Out of Control and Tear You Apart. I was once again so pleased to see She Wants Revenge, only wishing they could have played longer.
After a short break, The Psychedelic Furs opened with Love My Way. I was impressed how many members make up The Psychedelic Furs and how equally voluminous their sound is. The Butler brothers matched the band's lively energy by engaging the audience, dancing about the stage, and singing along.
The Psychedelic Furs transitioned between old and new songs without missing a beat. Songs included Believe, Heartbeat, The Ghost in You, Like a Stranger, So Run Down, President Gas, In My Head, Sister Europe, She Is Mine, Heaven, All of This and Nothing, and wrapped up with their infectious Pretty in Pink. After a few minutes of cheering and clapping, the Furs returned for an encore, playing two new songs which I did not recognize.
Both SWR and The Psychedelic Furs played downbeat new-wave grooves that kept the audience dancing and singing all night. Although the crowd was small, there was much applause between tracks and by the looks of all the smiling faces, you could tell everyone was a fan. Neither one of us knew what to expect from The Psychedelic Furs and were completely taken aback by how great they were. If you are into new-wave, both She Wants Revenge and The Psychedelic Furs are a must see!

Insane Clown Posse with Coolio, Kittie, and Necro

I must say, Insane Clown Posses with Coolio, Kittie, and Necro, was one of the most interesting line-ups I had seen in a while. Due to the Juggalo counter-culture, I had very mixed feelings about attending this show, but pulled through for Necro and Kitty. The Juggalos were out in full force, but must have been disappointed when they arrived, the ticket read, “No face paint. No Exceptions.”
Tried as we might, left work early, made it to the show 20 minutes late and still missed Necro. We weren’t even aware he had been on-stage until after we asked his merch booth. Needless to say, the fact that he was only onstage for 15 minutes and we missed it was pretty weak. For a minute, my guest considered driving to Tempe the next night to see Necro.

Kittie came on-stage and melted faces with their grinding heavy metal. Screaming vocals, a hair swinging bassist, trashing guitars, and heavy double bass rattled the walls. Kittie really tore it up, got me head-banging in no time. Unfortunately, Kittie didn’t receive the praise they deserved. The audience started chanting “I.C.P.” near the end of their set. Before they played their last song, they thanked I.C.P, and she screamed “We love Juggalos.” I was so rocked out, I could have gone home happy after their performance.
Coolio also put on a great high energy performance. Similar to a M.C. Hammer show, Coolio had several musicians, a saxophone player, and some family members with him on stage. Coolio brought the house down, tearing his shirt off and closing with Fantastic Voyage and Ganstar’s Paradise. Coolio exclaimed “I’m 56 years old, from California, but my home is in Las Vegas. I’m a fucking Juggalo!”

By now, the fans were exploding with energy, chants of “Faygo” echoed through the crowd every few minutes. Everyone had noticed the sheets of plastic covering the sound equipment and crammed themselves on the floor, awaiting the shower of Faygo that was soon to come. As @horrorcore_girl informed me, “heck yea faygo is like baptism for us!! whoop whoop”
The curtains opened to an elaborately decorated stage, large ICP flashing letters, two large Juggalo logos, shiny streamers, and five tables fully stocked with Faygo 2 liters. There were even Faygo guns set-up, ready to douse to audience at long range. An ICP version of the circus theme Entry Of The Gladiators was playing, and an ornately dressed ringleader came out and properly introduced Insane Clown Posse.
Insane Clown Posse did not disappoint their sea of fans. Shaggy was shaking up, spraying the crowd, and throwing a bottle of Faygo nearly every minute. There was a clown whose sole job was re-filling the tables with Faygo; it was an endless supply. During the chorus of many of their songs, streamers would pour down from the ceilings, and about eight clowns would come from backstage either spraying Faygo or throwing confetti . It was a total mess and the fans loved it every minute of it, singing, bouncing up and down, and having the time of their lives. I have never seen so many people fill the House of Blues , sing, chant, and unite as one massive fan.
The visuals were bold, watching the audience get doused near GWAR levels was entertaining, ICP sounded good and really put on an over the top show. ICP played Hocus Pocus, My Axe, The Show Must Go On, Murder Rap, Terrible, I Do This, Chicken Pluckin Huntin, Get Ya Wicked On, Guts On The Ceiling, Truly Alone, Fuck The World, Let’s Go All The Way, Assassins, and we made our exit during Miracles. “Fucking magnets, how do they work,” is where we draw the line.
Although we missed Necro, each artist put on a fantastic performance. Kittie, Coolio, and Insane Clown Posse was like going to three different shows, crammed into one evening. I would highly recommend checking out Kittie, Coolio, and Insane Clown Posse, whether you are a fan or not. Insane Clown Posse’s show is one of a kind and I am glad I got the chance to see it.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Friday night’s show at the House of Blues was a real throwback, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Not only was Bone ground-breaking in their unique style, their music was a true reflection of the times. Emerging in the midst of the early 90s East Coast / West Coast battle between rappers, Bone stood apart. When I found out Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was on tour, I flashed back, remembering how their music was attached to so many memories.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony opened with Facts Don’t Lie. Each member came out onstage one-by-one when it was their verse. The audience gave a welcoming applause, and they continued with their new release Rebirth, then Days of Our Lives, First of Tha Month, No Surrender, and Frontline Warrior. However, Bizzy Bone never showed up and was never even mentioned, his verses were skipped, and he was never mentioned during the show.
Bone Thugs took time to show respect for their friends and fellow rappers that have passed on. They played Foe Tha Love Of $ for their mentor, Easy E, part of Biggie’s Hypnotize, then Crew of the Year, written by Tupac. Two of the Bones poured out a Corona on each side of the stage, “for the homies.” Later in the show, they also played tribute to Michael Jackson by singing Rock With You.
After their tribute, Bone paid homage to their favorite past-time, smoking weed. Only green stage lights were left on, DJ Ice set the intro for Sweet Jane, and the House of Blues enjoyed a smoke-out. Bone quickly brought the mood back up and wrapped up their set with some of my favorites; Thuggish Ruggish Bone, Crossroads, East 1999, I’m Gone, and Shots to the Double Glock, dousing the crowd with water as they sang the chorus, “Pop, pop, pop!”
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony thanked their fans and asked all the ladies to come onstage and dance. Within minutes, the stage was filled with ladies, dancing to a beat put on by the DJ. The stage slowly cleared, the house lights brightened, and the show ended slowly with an awkward fizzle.
Bone Thugs had proven true to their style, emanating a relaxed energy, and their harmonies filled the house. Although the show was not the best, we still had a great time. Their music still has as much of an effect on me as it did 15 years ago. I just want to ask Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, “What’s going on? Where’s Bizzy?”

Tech N9ne with the Strange Family

Tonight I was treated to another artist I had always wanted to see live, Tech N9ne! Part of the Strange Days Tour, celebrating a “Decade of Excellence,” Tech N9ne brought his Strange Family, featuring Brotha Lynch Hung, Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Big Scoob, Prozak and Cognito. With this lineup, the show was sure to please.
When we arrived, people were packed in wall to wall, hands in the air, bouncing up and down and the blast of heat and funk from all the bodies was overwhelming. The stage was setup with a large Strange Music record label logo hanging center, large standups for each rapper, from which they entered the stage. Tech N9ne and Brotha Lynch were on stage, spilling the rhymes and working the crowd. Made it just in time for Bout Ta' Bubble and Like I Died, loosened me up and got me dancing in a hurry. The beat came down, Brotha Lynch did D.O.A., then continued into Jay-Z’s Nigga What Nigga Who.
Rappers went on and off stage, rotated through each other’s songs, and all worked together like a well oiled machine. Tech N9ne and the Strange Family killed it, running through Colostomy Bag, I Plotted My Next Murder, Einstein, Sorry N Shit, Let's Get Fucked Up, Salue, and everyone's favorite drink Caribou Lou. Brotha Lynch stated the chorus to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, the whole audience sang along acappella, after which he delivered his long promised This Ring.
Tech N9ne thanked his long time supporters and fans over his 10 year career, making him the most successful independent rapper of all time, stating “This is a blessing.” Near the end of the show, at one point, I counted 9 different rappers on stage. They went out strong with Leave Me Alone, Demons, Freaky, some sick freestyle scratching from DJ Chill, and closed with I'm a Playa. Exhausted, Tech N9ne exclaimed that this was the longest show he had ever performed, just over 2 hours. The whole crowd was in a frenzy, hands in the air, cheering and screaming. Each rapper slowly exited and the fans cleared the room, breaking into an “oh areola” chant on their way out.
Tech N9ne and his Strange Family put on an excellent show. The energy was strong throughout, beats were mixed well, rhymes were ill, and the audience was bumping non-stop. It was a shame I didn’t make it to see Tech N9ne before his 10 year anniversary, but this show was definitely worth the wait!

HIM

Tonight was HIM with We Are The Fallen, Dommin, and Drive A. I had initially reserved tickets to HIM because a friend of mine was a fan, but due to last minute events, could not attend. I had never been a fan of HIM, but I thought I should give them a go and check out the show. With little ambition and still beat from Coachella, I was terribly late to HIM.

I was quite surprised when I walked in to such a quiet House of Blues. Covered in low blue light, Ville Valo was alone onstage, singing melodically, captivating his fans and holding the audience perfectly still. The set, backdrop, and lights were low and mild, nothing flashy or loud; definitely not what I expected. HIM played one more song before going out with a bang, covering Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell. It was rockin’ and the crowd loved it. As the house lights came on, I exclaimed, “I want more of that!”

Although I didn’t give HIM a fair shake, or enough to write a proper review, I will say I was shocked and awed by Rebel Yell. I will give HIM props for showing their roots and respect for Idol by doing such a wicked cover. They are talented musicians, with their own fan base, and although HIM is not my style, I will give them a thumbs up.

Fear Factory

Ah yes, good ol’ Fear Factory. I had been waiting for a face melting metal show to come through the House of Blues, especially after the cancelation of Hammerfall. Fear Factory with special guest Winds of Plague, Dirge Within, and Periphery certainly fit the bill. Unfortunately, again the metal gods were not on my side...

Pre-show we had a few drinks at the usual bar and made it to Mandalay Bay about 8 o’clock. My mind was set on Fear Factory and had forgotten that Muse was also playing at the Mandalay Events Center. It was also a UFC fight night, so getting anywhere in Vegas, let alone Mandalay Bay, would be a challenge. We spent the next 45 minutes, crawling all the way up and back out of the parking garage. Feeling totally defeated, I gave up, parked at the Tropicana Convention Center, walked to Mandalay Bay, and muddled through the sea of Muse fans. By 9:15, I had made it to Fear Factory.

Fear Factory was loud, pit was spinning, heads were banging, and hair was swinging non-stop. Angry metal energy filled the room, backed by shredding guitars and double-bass you could feel rattle your ribs. I was feeling it instantly, head banging and screaming all my frustration out. I fortunate enough to catch some great Fear Factory songs, both old and new: Fear Campaign, Martyr, Christploitation, Demanufacture, Self Bias Resistor, closing with Replica.

This summer, the reformed Fear Factory is on tour promoting their new album, Arkaea. Although I never closely followed Fear Factory, it had been ten years since I last saw them live, and I thought they were better than ever. I will give the album a listen and look forward to a future tour. This time, metal gods, please clear my path to the show.

Bad Religion - 30th Anniversary Tour - March 26th & 27th, 2010

Bad Religion made a two-night stop at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, part of their 30th Anniversary Tour. This short tour is exclusive to the House of Blues in San Diego, Hollywood, Anaheim, and Las Vegas, back-to-back every night between March 17th and April 17th. These punk rock veterans have 14 albums under their belt and are using this tour to record a live CD, expected to drop later this summer. Needless to say, it was a privilege to be able to see both Friday and Saturday nights shows.
Friday night’s opening acts were Off with Their Heads and The Adolescents. Shortly after 6:30, Off with Their Heads came onstage in a rush, noted their bus broke down on the way from L.A. and they had just arrived. He also gave thanks to The Adolescents, who were generous enough to let them play their instruments. Off with Their Heads played a full set, relaxed and got into it about halfway through. They were a classic punk band, similar to Social Distortion.
The Adolescents put on a great show, filled with pure punk energy. Their young guitarist was jumping all over the stage and was such an amazingly clean guitar master, he was impressive to watch. Half through the set, The Adolescents went off into a punk jam session, which finally got the audience to ease up and let loose. The Adolescents were one of the first punk bands I was introduced to, and it was great to finally see them live.

Saturday’s show was opened by Save the Hero and T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty). Mandalay Bay also had John Mayor in the Events Center at the same time, so the whole place was slammed. I managed to get into the House of Blues just after T.S.O.L. took the stage. I was really excited to see T.S.O.L., I remember listening to them in my teenage years and just loving the dirty filthy punk rock they are known for. Their live show was awesome; fast, clean, and angry, speckled with vulgar comments from Jack Grisham (frontman). T.S.O.L. stayed true, kept the pit spinning at all times, and closed with everyone’s favorite, Code Blue.
On Bad Religion’s 30 day House of Blues Tour, The Adolescents, Guttermouth, T.S.O.L., The Vandals , Youth Brigade, and many more, opened at least one show for Bad Religion. Any long time punk fan understands I would give my left arm to see all these bands together in one show. I thought it was quite admirable for Bad Religion to share their stage night after night, with so many of the west-coast punk bands that have also been around for 30 years. While waiting for Bad Religion to take the stage, they displayed a slideshow of all their album covers, getting the crowd revved up. Bad Religion took the stage, kept great energy throughout and sounded amazing. Every song they played was clean and solid. The crowd was having a great time, we recognized, shouted, and fist-pumped to nearly every song.
Lead singer Greg Graffin announced there are two different setlist for each show, but “Friday’s setlist is much better, although I’m sure Saturday’s crowd might say otherwise.” True to his word, the setlist for either night was no disappointment; they played the best of their collection. Songs included Gems of Perfection, Them and Us, Flat Earth Society, Social Suicide, Punk Rock Song, Suffer, Before You Die, No Control, Dearly Beloved, Atheist Peace, We’re Only Gonna Die, Best For You, Fuck Armageddon, Generator, I Want to Conquer the World, and their new song The Resist Stance. They saved their radio classics, 21st Century Digital Boy, Infected, Los Angeles is Burning, and Sorrow, to close the set and for the encore each evening.
I thought Saturday night’s sold out show was better than Friday’s; there was more energy, less technical problems, a better audience and a better pit. Bad Religion really came through for their fans. Greg Graffin had joked about playing 30 songs for 30 years, but after the show was over, I was left wondering if that was really a joke, they played at least 20 tracks. Both were great shows, and many fans left the venue covered in sweat, buzzing about how epic the show was. Good news for anyone that missed the 30th Anniversary Tour, Bad Religion announced they will go on another tour later this year.
My only criticism goes to the bar, for inconsistent drinks; I received both 12oz and 8oz cups, for the same $9.00 price. I’m sorry, but when you are already gouging alcohol prices because it’s a venue, then I buy my second drink and it’s smaller than the first… wtf!