Post Show Banter >>>>

Wow that was a cold noise show last night… Hey promoters, save the outdoor shows for May and beyond!

The wind was killer! It was still worth it!

hahaha. I wish I was at that show, sounds it was a really cool night!

In his intro, the Windup Space guy mentioned it was too bad there were
two good shows in Baltimore yesterday. Chicago Underground was good,
although with a very small crowd, and no one bothered to ask for an encore.
(short night - 60 min. - no opener). but seated and warm!

It was really fun.  Too bad about the cold - but we survived. 

Vas wrote:
sound is also inferior to ottobar

You guys complain too much.  The Metro Gallery is nicer place for sold-out shows as there are less people per square foot.  Plus it is cleaner. I never had problem seeing anyone there.

But you're also pretty tall so sight lines may not let be as much old an issue.

Their couches were nice. Gotta give credit there.

Vas wrote:
what time did Protomartyr hit the stage?

I wish I would have known about that one!  Would have loved to see them!

For posterity, I just wanted to add something here about the Foo Fighters/Trouble Funk/Bad Brains show. It was easily one of the best concerts I've seen at the 9:30 Club. Not just because it was the Foos…really, the entire evening was about as good as they come. The Bad Brains stuff sounded so tight. Having Grohl on drums didn't hurt. Really, is there any band that Grohl plays drums for that doesn't instantly improve the second he's behind the kit? Trouble Funk was fantastic. Celebratory, fun, funky, and Seth got behind the drums for that. Big Tony seems like the sweetest, nicest guy. Who doesn't love a band that sums up so much of what the history of DC's music scene is about? Then there were the Foo Fighters. Grohl's solo intro was a respectful, heartfelt salute to his heritage, his home, the roots of his being. I get why so many people love the guy. He seems humble and music is his being. Whatever he performs, his soul goes into it. But then when the rest of the band came out they tore the roof clean off the place. No new songs, a healthy amount from "Wasting Light" but a pretty diverse setlist. They played like they were at Wembley. Hell, they probably played better, a powerhouse band pretty much at their peak. 2 solid hours, and they sounded great. I can't say I'd change much about last night other than maybe Cinco de Mayo wasn't the best night to do it. Some folks must have eaten refried beans or something. STINKY.

bearman wrote:
For posterity, I just wanted to add something here about the Foo Fighters/Trouble Funk/Bad Brains show. It was easily one of the best concerts I've seen at the 9:30 Club. Not just because it was the Foos…really, the entire evening was about as good as they come. The Bad Brains stuff sounded so tight. Having Grohl on drums didn't hurt. Really, is there any band that Grohl plays drums for that doesn't instantly improve the second he's behind the kit? Trouble Funk was fantastic. Celebratory, fun, funky, and Seth got behind the drums for that. Big Tony seems like the sweetest, nicest guy. Who doesn't love a band that sums up so much of what the history of DC's music scene is about? Then there were the Foo Fighters. Grohl's solo intro was a respectful, heartfelt salute to his heritage, his home, the roots of his being. I get why so many people love the guy. He seems humble and music is his being. Whatever he performs, his soul goes into it. But then when the rest of the band came out they tore the roof clean off the place. No new songs, a healthy amount from "Wasting Light" but a pretty diverse setlist. They played like they were at Wembley. Hell, they probably played better, a powerhouse band pretty much at their peak. 2 solid hours, and they sounded great. I can't say I'd change much about last night other than maybe Cinco de Mayo wasn't the best night to do it. Some folks must have eaten refried beans or something. STINKY.

Glad you had a good time.  Trouble Funk was the highlight of the 30th anniversary show.  I have never seen Bad Brains. Saw HR in the mid 80's.  Sounds like a very high energy line-up.

Did HR actually put 25% effort in or did he slack off a bit from his baseline and go a full 10%?

bearman wrote:
Really, is there any band that Grohl plays drums for that doesn't instantly improve the second he's behind the kit?

Killing Joke and Nine Inch Nails

Wye Oak were excellent last night; and their new tunes fit in lovely with their old ones.  Jenn played bass and guitar, depending on the song.  Andy did his whole "I can play keyboards and drums at the same time" deal.  And bass on one song that featured a drum machine or backing track.  It was a nice turn out, and I know at least one bus came down from Baltimore for it.  Braids were laid back.  A three-piece featuring a singer/guitarist/synth player, a drummer, and an electronics guy; they had a trip hop throwback vibe to their sound.  The bass was definitely rocking the Club.  I wasn't able to stay for the whole Wye Oak set (I hurt my back and was still pretty bad off yesterday, since Pilates this morning I feel a lot better) but heard they played for around 90 minutes. 

Hexenjagd wrote:
Wye Oak were excellent last night; and their new tunes fit in lovely with their old ones.

i couldn't agree more.  this was my first proper wye oak show; the only other time i saw them was at merriweather opening for the national.  after waiting on a friend who didn't show, i caught braids' last song.  i foolishly gave up a good spot near food food and spent most of the night at the back.  thankfully, the music was wonderful despite the guy who was really into grinding & commenting about how no one else was dancing  :D

glad you're feeling better, hex.

MindCage wrote:

bearman wrote:
Really, is there any band that Grohl plays drums for that doesn't instantly improve the second he's behind the kit?

Killing Joke and Nine Inch Nails

That 2003 s/t KJ album with Grohl was great! I think that album reinvigorated the band. I'm still bummed I didn't get to see them at Fletcher's or Black Cat on that tour.

Jaz was sick as hell that night.  Band was great, as always.

i'm still bitter about that black cat show they cancelled due to visa issues.  saw them the previous time they came through though.

and yeah i thought the s/t kj album with grohl on drums was great

Killing Joke was my first 930 show way back in 91. 

Mogwai was fun, earplugs were mandatory 

Best sound I've seen for a Mogwai show (and first time at 9:30). It was great! although not very different to the last five tours!

Wasn't really sure where to put this, but I was reading this review of QOTSA show from a couple nights ago. The guy says that Josh Homme's refusal to play on a Les Paul, Strat, or even an SG is detrimental to his sound up on stage. What the crap? Has anyone ever thought Josh in particular sounded the worst on stage? If anything I always wondered by Troy's guitar always seemed lower than almost everything else on stage and HE generally is playing on a Telecaster or Les Paul. Weird. Just an interesting take.

http://chicagoist.com/2014/05/07/queens_of_the_stone_age.php

I am not a QOTSA fan but my two cents:
No. The author isnt taking into account (in regards to tone/sound): Amp model, Pedals, mic placement, settings on the sound board (maybe his channel had EQ settings different than the other guitarists) and a myriad of other factors.  I am sure Josh knows what sound he wants (or his techs do) and he uses the guitar(s) best suited for it.  I would never say that the only three guitars with good tones are strats, Les Pauls, and SGs.  No way.  That leaves out like 98% of the guitars out there.  WHat about Jaguars?  Jazzmasters? rickenbackers?  PRS? 

I am looking through a list of his equipment (http://equipboard.com/pros/josh-homme)… Not bad. 

Also LOL at the author mentioning that you can get a different sound mix based on where in the club you are.  Of course.  That is literally every venue on Earth.  It is going to be optimally mixed for the spot the sound guy is at.  Any other spot might have variances because of speaker location, reverberation, etc.

Lastly, this author is pretty bad.  I barely made it through the whole review.  Here is my favorite awkward sentence:

The rhythm section of Jon Theodore on drums and Michael Shuman on bass is particularly impressive as they pound away at the foundation that allows the whole thing to work.

Hexenjagd wrote:
I am not a QOTSA fan but my two cents:
No. The author isnt taking into account (in regards to tone/sound): Amp model, Pedals, mic placement, settings on the sound board (maybe his channel had EQ settings different than the other guitarists) and a myriad of other factors.  I am sure Josh knows what sound he wants (or his techs do) and he uses the guitar(s) best suited for it.  I would never say that the only three guitars with good tones are strats, Les Pauls, and SGs.  No way.  That leaves out like 98% of the guitars out there.  WHat about Jaguars?  Jazzmasters? rickenbackers?  PRS? 

I am looking through a list of his equipment (http://equipboard.com/pros/josh-homme)… Not bad. 

Also LOL at the author mentioning that you can get a different sound mix based on where in the club you are.  Of course.  That is literally every venue on Earth.  It is going to be optimally mixed for the spot the sound guy is at.  Any other spot might have variances because of speaker location, reverberation, etc.

Lastly, this author is pretty bad.  I barely made it through the whole review.  Here is my favorite awkward sentence:

The rhythm section of Jon Theodore on drums and Michael Shuman on bass is particularly impressive as they pound away at the foundation that allows the whole thing to work.

No reviewer can really put into words what a great QOTSA performance is like. Maybe Lester Bangs, and he's dead. I'm still hopeful that they'll announce some more shows, but I'm not holding my breath.