A simple Facebook status just wasn't enough for all the letters and words to say about this show, so I'm going to vent more in here. I feel bad for close friends of mine who don't really get into music like I do, because I would not shut up about this show for days after. We made the two hour and a half hour drive out to Detroit from Cleveland on a Sunday afternoon. It was an easy drive with my new car and best friends. Lots of farting, music sharing, and farting.
It was just so fucking smart. I think it really helps that Ken comes from a strong production background, so from everything from miking techniques to stage visuals, it was fucking spot on. I noticed Kelli's kick drum was miked both inside as well as outside, which most live venues simply ignore. It's usually done so quickly that everything gets thrown together before a 25 second "sound check" without realizing that people will forever remember that band to sound like shit live. That very well have been a reason they didn't have an opener.
They showed a short film before the show, showing movies that had inspired them throughout the years. They showed clips from Solaris, Ren & Stimpy, and several other amazing movies. I could easily write an entire entry on the films they previewed, but I'll stick with the music. They played a wide range of material off all three albums. Ken and Greg switched with guitar and bass throughout the set. You can see in the photos on here that the visuals weren't extreme, but definitely gave it a vibe. I'm a big fan of bands playing with their own lighting. There's nothing worse than going to see a great band with lousy sound or visuals.
The only "disappoint" I had was the intermission. If you're going to break up the set, that's fine, but don't leave us just standing there. They could have shown more of the film teasers they had arranged for the beginning for a nice filler if anything. I heard a lot of people say they didn't mind, that they can take a piss or buy another beer. You're a show! I found it a bit distracting. You're not going to have an intermission in the middle of a movie, why should there be one when going to see a band? That's definitely nitpicking, because the rest of the show was FLAWLESS.
There are all kinds of reunions and revisits to previous projects both in film and music, but these guys are nailing it. All the movie remakes of comic book movies, 90's bands reunions.. they don't compare. This is the real deal and I'm so happy to have witnessed it!!
-Novak
