Swans Live @ Terminal West

Like drugs there can be only one first time with Swans, this was my fourth time seeing the band that over the years has evolved from the post-punk precursor to industrial into a more abstract channeling of spiritual vibrations at maximum volume. This did not diminish my experience, but it did give me a different perspective on several components to the proceedings. I went bare back and did not use the earplugs the venue provided, and instead gave them to a friend who was experiencing this for the first time. I figured after the first three shows I had already lost the frequencies that would be destroyed by not wearing them, but I was wrong. The ringing was gone when I woke up.

The line-up, which came together five years ago for “My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky” is still intact. Thor Harris is not just banging along with Phil Puleo, when the spirit moves him Harris plays a xylophone and a trombone at the same time. New kid on the block Bassist David Pravdica builds up the tension appearing volley this frantic energy back and forth with their fearless fearless leader Michael Gira. Gira has held fast to spitting in the face of the" greatest hits " styled tour and continues to challenge his audience and fans alike, yes you did read that right Swans now have an audience that is separate from the actual fans of the band. 

How is this even possible you are asking? Swans are becoming increasingly like the Greatful Dead in that some people appear to be going to the show because it's a good atmosphere to do drugs in, then there are people who actually have Swans in their iPod and listen to them during the course of their daily life. But this is a catch 22...you don't have to be familiar with Swans body of work to enjoy their show since all songs were pulled from last year’s “To Be Kind” along with some public woodshedding of songs they are banging into shape before recording down the road. However Michael holds the term jamming in contempt. They have been pounding out this set on tour for some time, so it's not like these are moments just being pulled from any old breeze that blows up from the bong.  This does fit the definition of a jam band, but if you are reading this I do not need to tell you Swans sound nothing like Phish. Michael Gira holds jamming in contempt. So there is some form of organic chaos energy birthing taking place. The majick comes when they start playing at 9:45 and then you glance down at your phone and another but the noticeable difference in the crowd was the presence of hippies abounding. This puzzled me, so this afternoon I went on Set List FM and began taking notes on what festivals they had played since I last saw them three years ago. At first aside from the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago it seemed most of the festivals they played were in northern Europe, until I got to summer of 2013 and found they played Bonnaroo. The mystery of why if smelled like sewage from where I standing eight feet from the stage and two feet from the dancing teenagers was solved. I am sure Gira notices this shift; he kicked a few children and scolded them about putting their hands in his sacred space.

This was my finance’s first Swans show and she confirmed that they did stop time with their sonic hypnosis and said it lived up to her high expectations, but thought vocals would play a more prominent role. I found when Gira did sing his voice was in fine form and seemed even stronger than when I saw them three years ago.  Things change but from the stage Gira and Company continue to create the cathartic ritual that many bands these days like to bill their shows as but are really just banging out the same old chords. I will continue to go see Swans whenever we are in the same state. The hippies will get arrested or get sober and I'll be standing at my same spot just left of the stage nodding my head ice water in hand. If you have not experienced them live and consider your self a fan of music that goes to extremes then they are a required course.

Live Review : Pinback@Terminal West

The one word to sum up a Pinback show is... fun. The San Diego duo has a passionate fan base, that connects with the live performance in a passionate manner similar to audiences at jam band show. In fact there is some cross over with the Phish crowd. While the main liberties the band take with the songs live tends to be their energy speeds up the more driving songs, rather than extend them into sprawling wanderings to get lost in noodling. Not that they are short on the chops as bassist Zach Smith  has an extremely dexterous style of playing, make him arguably rocks most under rated bass player. Live you are reminded just how much he holds down the ship allowing Rob Crow's weird vocalizations room to play. it would be easy to try to just dismiss the band as math rock, but the angular nature of what they do is balance out by melody that is often more brooding than Minus the Bear.

Speaking of Crow, he was slimmed down and look much healthier than the last time they swung though a little under a year ago.He switched from beer to drinking Jameson, which might factor in and his voice was stronger than when they played Terminal West last November. This set list was much heavier on their newest album "Information Retrieved". The audience seemed much more familiar with the selections from this album as it's had almost a year to sink in , though some of the most frantic response came from the songs from the first three albums. Toward the latter half of the set there was a cluster of songs from "Summer in Abaddon" that took the dancing to a more feverish pace.  

In recent memory the only show I have been to that have illicited such a joyous response , was Morrissey who is notorious for having a worshipful cult of followers, Pinback aren't putting themselves on  the same platform to be adorned. They have a very down to earth stage presence and seem very gracious towards their fans. Crow took his breakdance breakdown earlier in the set, dropping to the floor to perform the worm. He then climbed down from the stage to lead a sing a-long, which had him surrounded in a circle of camera phones.  

Peter Murphy@Terminal West

After seeing Bauhaus in 98 on the reunion tour, the bar was held pretty high as they were beyond stellar that night. So I went into the show with some trepidation after the publicized personal difficulties Murphy encountered a month or so ago which I though might have put the tour in jeopardy, So I was stunned by the performance that ensued. First off Peter was enjoying himself and every minute onstage. Secondly his voice was on point. He had every ounce of power and range , perhaps even more so than in 98. He looked great, The mug shot I had seen of him online obviously was the Smokinggun.com syndrome and catches no one at their best, though you would think the LAPD, would be more prepared given the high influx of celebrities they encounter. This was the subject of a blog I wrote earlier last month and Murphy upheld my rule of I want my rock stars decadent as long as they can bring it live.

I like the Terminal West as a venue even if its location isn't the most preferred for me personally as I am never on the west side of town. I do like the fact it looks like the Bronze inside and with the Peter Murphy crowd I expected it to be more Goth gone wild, which would further the Buffy vibe, but instead it was more like the Buffy episode where they eat the cursed fundraiser chocolate bars that turn adults into kids. There were lots of forty year old women who had once had a goth phase and they have since forsaken their Clairol Blue Black. This however was not a problem for me as i was up against the stage the bulk of the show with the ex-goths behind me.

It was also cool for them to open with "King Volcano" and there are songs like "All We Really Wanted Was Everything" that when I heard it preformed live renewed my appreciation for it. The bassist helped give "Double Dare" and even more metallic stomp. The highlights for me were some of my personal favorites "She's in Parties" , "Silent Hedges" and " In the Flat Field" all of which took away the case of the I wish He would play.... So in that respect I left the show very content. Though now I would like to catch him again to here him play his solo stuff.I was pretty surprised that songs from "Go Away White" were included in the set, I like the album but I'm not sure the general fan considers it to be among their classics.

While the Bauhaus show had the luxury of bigger budget behind its staging,Murphy held the theatrical elements present in his stage presence alone. He did have a hand held l.e.d white light he used to eerie effect he did no rely on it adapting his prescience to fit the tone of the song some times retreating to the back of the stage for more introspective moments. My doubts were laid to rest at this show and the glorious Mr. Murphy has the mythic pedestal I have held him up on in my mind firmly intact. This wasn't just a case of graceful aging gliding through the nostalgia this some one who tool command of both the stage and songs making them every bit as relevant in that moment, if you the Trent Reznor's of the world can be so lucky. Whatever personal drama he has garnered in the press be damned, because if they can rock like that then I agree with Bill Hicks and I want my rock stars on drugs and in the lap of decadence, after whats option b some watered down Coldplay bullshit?

Pinback @Terminal West

Terminal West continues to feel like the Bronze , the club from Buffy the Vampire slayer an it will carry that association for me until more punk or metal shows come through  and add a dirty element. the openers Solos were no Dingoes Ate My Baby, surprising because considering how competitive the touring market in California is you tend to have high expectations, but regardless Pinback repped the west coast well. It was a weird crowd for them either forty year olds or kids who looked like they were in high school with not a big margin in the middle. It seemed like a more Cobb county crowd as well, not a lot in the way of the tattooed and mustached east atlanta crowd .

the thing about Pinback is they cover such a broad landscape of musical feeling that I did not really notice they arranged the set set list In a manner that best allowed themselves to warm up into their set and fire at all cylinders by three songs in. I thought they were just making an interesting choice of opening with a more subdued approach.

I'm not sure why I didn't see the lack of floor monitors and think too myself " Oh they are going to be using in ear monitors and this isn't a metal sow so in this venue the stage volume is going to be more subdued than I'm use to so maybe to get the fuller spectrum of sound I shouldnt just camp out in front  of the stage like I'm in high school" but no I did  and was standing in front of or slightly to the left of Zach Smith so I got a more bass in my face mix and largely could not hear Rob Crow's guitar parts  though he seems to be a rare quiet guitarist and his vocals became more pronounced as the set went on. Though this was not a gig killer Becuase anyone  who has ever considered themselves to be a bass player need to see Zach Smith in action and reassess that. Though in all fairness Smith approaches the instrument in a more chordal fashion as a guitar playing would though he can pull off Geddy Lee like single note accents.Once they really hit their stride past the midway point and Rob Crow had put away a few more New Castles, Smith's playing became  the glue which at one point escalated into Crow busting a move and break dancing his way into a full on  stage bumping worm  amd running out into the crowd , too not really mosh but defiantly engage and the way he was bobbing his head to the Misfits playing over the p.a before they went on I am sure he has a punk rock past. 

Performance wise they were pretty flawless and a lot of fun, But from myvantage point the video screen behind the drums was partially obscured and the Previously mentioned lack of floor monitors made Crow's part lower in the mix than preferred, yet it don't take wha from my enjoy,ent of the performance and they can be filed as highly recommended to fans of math or indie rock,yet I think anyone who enjoys excellent musicianship can appreciate what they do in this setting.