"Sell the house. Sell the car. Sell the kids. Find someone else. Forget it. I'm never coming back." - Captain Colby, "Apocalypse Now"
HOLY FUCK!
Is that a descriptive adjective?
What great rock n roll does is converts all who witness it into believers. It's like watching Jesus rise from the dead only he's tattooed, horns coming out of his fucking head, and a guitar hanging around the neck. Somehow I feel I understand how cults form. Certainly the show on Thursday night at Cosmic Cafe and hosted by Popscene was a convening of a tribe.
For a moment, imagine bodies sailing over a sea of arms and heads, bottles crushed underfoot, a couple in the throes of a passion, exhausted beings lean against walls to catch air. It was as if the entire world shrunk into the size of your fingertip – 400 sweaty bodies in a small club at RCA.
I see Mike, a fellow drummer – he spots me from across the room – we've met only once but drummers are much the same – we like beer and smashing things. I don't know what the fuck he is saying but he's happy – I lean in so he can shout in my ear – it's like an air horn pounding my eardrums... this happens more than once with friends I see – you just nod a lot and feel happy there are others to share this communal experience with. A great show is not simply a band of ragtag bangers on stage – the audience is as much a part of the show as the band. It's not simply about music – it's the crowd whipped into a frenzy. It's sweat, devil horns, Dionysian revelry - it's the embodiment of the institution of rock n roll. This isn't just music, it's a movement, a consciousness and sensibility. A great show is a wave washing over your body filling every atom. It's irrational, it's personal. This was no ordinary show and no ordinary band – it was a tribal ritual – Thee Oh Sees summoned animal spirits and they descended on us and tore their way into out souls.
The supporting bands, The Standards, TSOS and Class A Cigarettes were fantastic, perfectly displaying the diversity of the underground music scene. It was an outstanding night, legendary in my mind because rarely do I feel the urge to tell everyone how awesome a show was. I think the bar has been set. I recorded 20 minutes of Thee Oh Sees set. Enjoy. DC