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CONCERT SCRAPBOOK Roseland, New York, NY 7/19/96 |
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CONCERT SCRAPBOOK Roseland, New York, NY 7/19/96 |
picture from Atlantic Records' Digital Arena
I entered Roseland at 7:15 p.m. and the Refreshments came on stage. I was surprised because the band was pretty good. After them, Poe came on stage, and everyone gave the lead singer the look. She's pretty beautiful, and I recommend that she abandon music for a permanent modeling job.
Roseland was about 85% full by my count -- not a sell-out, but well stocked. It was nothing like the night at South Street Seaport (the free concert) according to a few loyal followers. I believe that this show [April 11] was stopped due to a rowdy fan base. Most of the fans at Roseland were around my age (18), although I saw plenty of fans who were middle-aged. Of course, most of these fans had tattoos, beer bellies, etc. . . you get the idea.
Suddenly, the glaring white spot lights illuminated to the sound of My My. Yes! I predicted that the band would open to this song, and a few people actually heard me. A cool disco ball effect was added when Ross entered the "it spins . . ." part. I thought it was a nice touch. I was surprised by the power of Ross' vocals. His voice is concert-ready -- not strictly a studio sound. The band immediately followed this song with Water's Edge. For the most part, I would say that the real fans stayed home, after seeing the band at Irving Plaza and the South Street Seaport. The average fan at Roseland only knew the songs Cumbersome and Water's Edge. I am upset with this trend in music, which allows groupies to ruin everything. They just come to shows to mosh uncontrollably and cause havoc.
Next up, was Roderigo. Ross commented that he knew a boy that always jumped from trees when he was a kid. I guess we had to be there to understand. I liked the slow down technique though, since I was crushed during Water's Edge. The 4th track was a song from the upcoming Crow movie. The 7M3 track sounds ok, but it's not a knock out. Next up was Devil Boy, a track which is easy to sing along to. Ross was especially powerful during the "it's only been 2000 years" part. This version would be interesting to listen to. The 6th track was a new song, and the set list remains a blur from this point on. I do know that the band played every song from the debut album, so I'll comment on each song.
Cumbersome - Second to last song before the break (band left for 5 minutes and re-appeared to play some new material). Obviously, this song caused pure chaos in the crowd. I knew Ross was about to play this riff, because he made a signal to the band. It was a sort of cross-pick with him stifling the sound (fingers on the strings, but not pressing down on the frets). A huge mosh pit broke out during this song and Water's Edge. It made it impossible to crowd surf without falling down. I passed on crowed surfing at the show, since most of the people were not paying attention to what was behind them.
Lame - Best performance of the evening. Ross said that the song brought him back to his high school days, and everyone silently nodded. This is perhaps my favorite song on American Standard. The sound wasn't as clean as it is on the album, but Pollock still did a great job on the acoustic guitar. Ross improvised on an electric guitar, playing part of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight," and the entire band joined in at the end in an all-out attack. A very captivating version of the song, which has always struck a tender note in me.
Headstrong - Performed after Lame, just like the album. Second-best performance of the evening. I must emphasize Ross' great live voice, which can transcend a powerful guitar. His shriek during "don't think, a thing of me" is eerie.
Margaret - Nothing to complain about. Just like the album in sound, which is all I can ask for.
Punch In Punch Out - Just Ross and Giti on drums. Another sing-along song for the crowd, to my surprise. I guess the song is repetitive, so it's easy to catch the riff.
Favorite Dog - Last song before the break. It seemed extremely long, but it was ok.
As I said before, the band emerged after the break and played some new material. One song in particular caught my ear -- "The Excuse of the Night." The new songs were very meaningful. Ross spoke of the strength of youth in one song, and how it can repel the harshest onslaught. It was a teen rebellion type theme, where a kid doesn't listen to his parents. After every new riff, Ross would ask the crowd for an evaluation -- "Is that a keeper?" We would shout back, "Yeah, keep playing." At about 10:50, the band closed up shop and I left. It was a nice show, but it would have been more interesting with more material to choose from. Still, the band has only released one album, so I shouldn't have expected a wider selection. I highly recommend the group, but Ross and co. are not in the class of Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, the Foo Fighters, or Metallica . . . that is, not yet.
Jeff
