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indie-snob>+!#
Poison the well @ the fireside (2-15-04)
With murder by death, the bled, the kinison |
 Photo by Ben Aqua//Aquabiotic.com Maybe you've heard of it, it's called "hardcore" and it's sweeping our nation's underground music scene. Maybe you've been at your local grocer and seen a kid wearing a black hoodie with his hair hanging oddly in his face with jeans that are a little too tight for him. Did he have a bandanna sticking out of his back pocket? Chances are you've had some run-in with such a person. Who knows, maybe you caught the Blood Brothers on tour with Cursive? Were you scared? Yes, that screamy, awkward music is hardcore. Poison the Well, one of the more popular of the scene, may sharply resemble, oh say, Slipknot, but in fact you'll find it's quite different. Why, you ask? Why, hardcore kids are pretty. Yeah, I'll admit it: I thought I'd hate this show. I was planning on going forever just because of Murder by Death, easily one of the more fantastic bands who a) associate with the hardcore scene or b) like to come around Chicago. Of the two shows, both were very close to selling out, and, uncertain if I really wanted to go to such a show, waited until the very last minute to buy tickets (once the venue's site said tickets were sold out) and went out to the Fireside that night on roughly two hours of sleep. It's a strange feeling walking into a venue where you and your friend are the only two people wearing colors. The sea of navy, gray and black muted my green Múm t-shirt. Luckily, my friend prepared me by giving me a bandanna in the cab so I could be hXc hip. (I tied the bandanna around my ankle trying to start a new trend; no such ensued). But, as the Kinison took stage, I felt a little bad making fun of hardcore for so long before. Utilizing a Q and Not U-like sophistication, their sound was more reminiscent of something Dischord or SST would have done rather than today's hardcore sound of t[h]rash metal. There's always a fine line between what I love and hate, and while I can't say that I loved the Kinison, I found myself enjoying their set… a lot. Maybe I was angry about some drama the night before, but more probably, the Kinison is just a good band and at least one that can challenge the tastes of some hardcore listeners. On second thought, maybe I was flattered that the lead singer liked my scarf. Grade: B+ Surprisingly, Murder by Death came out next (one spot before their scheduled time). Singing about death, drinking and even zombies, Murder by Death doesn't stray far from the cello rock of either Rasputina or Cursive. However, dark sexy keyboards that chime like a Western porno and stark guitar create a much more ambient mood than either band could achieve. Murder by Death's set was varied from the new and old albums, the pop songs to the chilling instrumentals. While some songs like "Flamenco's Fucking Easy" and "I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" were fun to hear live, what impressed me more with their set were the instrumentals, "Those Who Stayed" and "Those Who Left. Recently, the band has received a bit more good press, and honestly, I'm quite happy to hear it. There are definitely devoted fans out there for this great band, and they're always on tour (as they are right now with Braid), so I strongly suggest you go out to see them. If nothing else, their cello player is damn hot. Grade: A Like any hardcore band, the Bled screamed and ranted about whatever it is hardcore bands are saying under that gruff exterior. But, they did it well. I don't know what it is I find appealing about these bands for some reason. There's no real quality that I should have enjoyed in the Bled. I think part of it is the atmosphere of the Fireside. The dingy, dirty, stale-cigarette smell blends perfectly with the wild, crazy behavior of bands like these. It's the type of things I can barely stomach to listen to at home or most places, but live, somehow it has a different quality. It's not to say that the Bled isn't a good band on their own, though. Sure, they have songs that merely repeat "so get the fuck away from me", but hey, who doesn't, right? What's important is that they at least try to use experimental keyboards and the like, and that makes it fun, exciting, AND violent. So you go and hardcore dance! Grade: B- For Poison the Well, I didn't feel like battling all the crazy fans, so I just sat in the back of the venue on one of the bowling benches with my friend. The band screamed and raged on, but honestly, I didn't mind it. While others may have found it painful or distracting, I somehow found it soothing as I drifted off to sleep with my hands in my head. Have you heard Poison the Well? Can you imagine falling asleep to that? I totally did. Maybe it was the two hours of sleep, or MAYBE, Poison the Well is just like Ida or Low or other soothing rock bands? Haha, no. They're not. The crowd in front went crazy to the mediocre hardcore. But honestly, the band put on a good show, and had I not been asleep for most of it, maybe I'd have had fun. I mean, who couldn't have fun with lots of screaming men with weird hair? Okay, so I don't really like Poison the Well that much at all, but I don't hate them. It's not like I'd even think of telling you to go out and catch their show, but if they happen to be opening for someone and you have to see them, just expect them to be terrible, and maybe you, too, will be pleasantly surprised. Grade: C- Related reviews: |