1 post tagged “poison idea”
Amebix, Poison Idea, Nux Vomica, and Lebanon at The Hawthorne Theater, Portland, Oregon, 5/24/09
It took a bit longer than usual to drive to this show, but I felt that it was worth the extra traveling time. So did Devon, who came along for the ride. We stayed with Howard, who lives walking distance from the Theater, and who decided to come along to the show as well. Good thing for him it wasn't quite sold out when we arrived. Having friends like Howard in Portland provided the needed extra impetus needed to go through with the trip, so it was nice that he managed to make it into the show with us.
We got there late, missing Lebanon's set and the beginning of Nux Vomica. The Hawthorne is interesting in that the main floor area is divided into an all ages section (near the stage) and a 21 and over section (at the back). Bouncers monitored the flow of traffic between the sections.
Nux Vomica were ripping through some high speed crust punk when we entered, with heavy guitars and shrieking vocals. The singer was also pounding on a floor tom (I think - it was kind of hard to see from our vantage point) and the dual drum attack added a little extra oomph to the music. The songs were dynamic, sometimes shifting gears to include quieter passages, but usually steamrolling along angrily. Their set ended with some half-heard thank yous from the singer, and was followed by a short wait while Poison Idea got situated.
The last time I saw Poison Idea was in the mid eighties, at The Farm in San Francisco. Since then, they've broken up and reformed a few times, their guitarist, Pig Champion, has died, and their drummer, Thee Slayer Hippy, was arrested for a series of pharmacy break-ins. I never really followed the band, and have always been sort of ambivalent about them. Still, I was curious to see them again. Their set, as it turned out, did nothing to change my original opinion. They played competently, although their singer, Jerry A., seemed kind of out of it. Devon opined that he seemed to be on medication, and had perhaps been drinking before the show. I'd have to agree with his assessment of the situation. During the set, he often pointed the microphone at the audience, and to my ears the audience members were doing a better job of singing than he was. Towards the end, a torch appeared in his hands and a large burst of flame momentarily lit the whole venue. I'm not sure if he was fire breathing or what, but it sure got the audience's attention for a moment. Oh well.
We moved forward for Amebix. What followed was every bit as stunning as their set in San Francisco a few months ago. They played nearly all the same songs, with the addition of Nobodys Driving (I don't think they did that one in S.F...). They just seem to have so much more depth than the majority of the bands in this genre. It might be because Amebix has a variety of influences outside the genre, and that their message, if they could be said to have a message, is one of hope. Sure, their songs wear the trappings of apocalypse, and their music conveys an almost palpable anger at times (and an exquisite sense of doom), but I find myself inspired and uplifted when it's all over. The conviction behind the words, and the unwillingness to compromise, makes all the difference.
I noticed more people singing along in Portland than I had in San Francisco. I was one of them, of course, and there was an incredible sense of cameraderie there in front of the stage. People were damn happy to be there.
After the gig, people milled around outside the venue. Some (no doubt the ones who got thrown out for being unmanageably drunk) were cursing the Hawthorne. Others just sat and enthused about the show. One guy, with his clothes falling off and a big smile on his face, talked about what a great week he'd had. "I saw the Meatmen, and (damn, I forget the second band he'd mentioned), and Amebix. And I just huffed a bunch of ether!"
By this time, the local police were getting grumpy and using their loudspeakers to encourage people to move along.
"Because you're loitering, that's why!"
We got the hint and went to the donut shop.
