October 2019 – Page 3 – 7th Level Music

Review: Weeping Icon (self-titled)

Noise rock is a weird genre. The name itself is appropriate for some, oxymoronic for others. There are plenty of bands out there blending distortion and noise with unintelligible vocals, but few that do it in a way that intrigues the listener and doesn’t make them think, “What is that racket?”

Brooklyn’s Weeping Icon is such a band. Their self-titled debut is a fascinating mix of noise rock, punk, shoegaze, synthwave, and other things I can’t define. The cover image is a wild piece of art showing waves of…something (Sound? Images? Psychic projections? All three?) emanating from two skulls to form things that resemble cityscapes, forests, cemeteries, nuclear explosion test footage, and dust clouds in the hearts of galaxies.

The songs on the album sway back and forth between short, dystopian future instrumentals and full-length tracks with vocals. “Ankles” bursts at the seams with pounding riffs, drums from Lani Combier-Kapel that sound like they’re falling down a flight of stairs at one point (and I mean that in the best possible way – How does she produce those wild, weird fills?), and vocals on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The pedal-to-the-metal groove of “Be Anti” has singer / guitarist Sara Fantry wondering how to stand up against the establishment and whom to blame for her troubles (instead of looking in the mirror). The whole album explores concepts like this – lives lived online, addiction to technology, the fake self we project to hundreds (if not millions) of people we’ve never met.

“Ripe for Consumption” is a fine example of this, too. We make ourselves easy prey for Madison Avenue. Fantry’s guitar launches like a drag strip car and never stops through the whole track, an effect that really flows through the entire album with the instrumentals linking each track. “Natural Selection” is near goth perfection with its haunted house synths from Sarah Lutkenhaus, Bauhaus guitars, and often hissed vocals from Fantry about a corporate goon discussing how it’s not up to him to fix problems he didn’t create. “Power Trip” brings back punk anger and guitars that hit like hammers on anvils.

Sarah Reinhold‘s crispy yet creepy bass opens “Like Envy” – a witty song about a social media addict who learns too late that she’s lost her sense of self by giving away bits of herself every day at 11am and 3pm. The song builds to an eye-watering speed as Fantry chants, “Do you like my content?” The opening fuzz of “Control” sounds like some sort of rock crushing machinery that’s been set on fire. Fantry’s guitar comes in with stoner metal riffs to keep the fire at bay, however, and Combier-Kapel hits her cymbals so hard that I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke them and at least two sticks doing it.

Weeping Icon have become a must-see band for me thanks to this record. It’s a powerhouse of an album and a kidney punch to the expectations (self-imposed and from others) of modern social life.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Föllakzoid – I

I’m not sure if anyone but Föllakzoid would have the guts to make an album like I. Every track on the album – guitar, synths, drums, vocals, and bass – was recorded in isolation. This is the first time the band haven’t recorded an album all together and in one take for each track. They then gave all of these elements to their producer, Atom TM, who hadn’t heard any of them before, and told him to arrange the elements in whatever order or time length he wanted. As a result, the album is a wild experiment that is a collaborative effort and yet order brought out of chaos.

The album is just four tracks, “I,” “II,” “III,” and “IIII.” They alternate between seventeen and thirteen minutes in length. The first is like a synth wave dreamscape that includes a neon-lit highway and roadside ramen bars. It blends so seamlessly in to “II” that you’ve taken an offramp from that synth wave highway into an industrial park that builds androids before you’ve realized it.

There’s a slight break before “III,” which is not unlike pulling over at one of those ramen bars and getting out of your hover-car to stretch, double check the power source on your laser gun, and scan the horizon for bounty hunter drones before heading inside to order a bowl of soup and a green tea. As the track grows over the next few minutes, you look up at the mirror behind the bar and see the reflection of hunter drone lights in the far distance approaching your location. You might have time to finish the soup and tea, but not much. The ramen is far better than you expected, and might be the last meal you have for a day. Is it worth the risk of being caught, or killed?

In “IIII,” the hunter drones are scanning the ramen bar for traces of your DNA and heat signature while you’re driving, but not too quickly, through an industrial area to camouflage your hover car’s thermal image among all the heat put out by the plants churning out recycled metal. The drones follow your trail to the factories, soon setting up a wide perimeter around it. You ditch the hover car and head out on foot, immediately gaining the notice of unsavory characters in faux-leather coats (Real leather is a luxury only afforded by the elite.) who wonder if you’re the cause of the drone perimeter around their neighborhood. Some wonder if there’s a hefty price on your head. Some look ready to collect. You know someone at the protein mill who might be able to hide you, but…is that an Ultra Corporation helicopter landing nearby? They’re the ones who hired you to find her, but why are they unloading corporate gunmen? The situation has gone from bad to worse. Action is imminent.

I is a stunning record, both in its sound and how it was made. The way it melds so many solo elements into a creepy, trippy, hypnotic landscape is nothing short of astounding.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: IDLES – Joy As an Act of Resistance (2018)

I’ll admit I arrived late to the IDLES party, but theirs is a party you want to attend. Their newest record, Joy As an Act of Resistance, has possibly the best name of any album released in 2018 and is certainly one of the most furious, powerful records of last year. It mixes anger with the current political landscape (on both sides of the pond) with calls to embrace one’s inner power and to express compassion and love as the ultimate pushback against hate culture.

The opening track, “Colossus,” is aptly named because it grows into a monstrous behemoth that explores lead singer Joe Talbot‘s turbulent youth and his efforts to change from living a weekend that lasted two decades. Watch out for the breakdown in this one. It’s downright dangerous. “Never Fight a Man with a Perm” is a tale from Talbot’s past in which he brawls with a man he severely underestimates.

“I’m Scum” has Talbot singing about how he can’t / doesn’t / won’t fit in with popular anger culture. “This snowflake’s an avalanche,” he warns as a heavy bass line thuds behind him. “Danny Nedelko” is a salute to one of Talbot’s best friends (and the lead singer of Heavy Lungs to boot) and immigrants everywhere amid Brexit fears in IDLES’ homeland. “Fear leads to panic, panic leads to pain, pain leads to anger, anger leads to hate,” Talbot sings. That’s some truth right there.

“Love Song” brings along some heavy Public Image Ltd. vibes with its squealing guitars and Talbot’s wild John Lydon-like vocals about the banality of modern love (“Look at the car I bought! It says, ‘I love you.'”). “June” just touches on psychedelia and “Samaritans” chugs along with a relentless beat that gets your blood pumping as Talbot sings about toxic masculinity.

“Television” tears apart beauty standards set upon us by media. “If someone talked to you, the way you do to you, I’d put their teeth through,” Talbot sings, “Love yourself.” “Great” pounds away at you with a fury that almost knocks you over, and “Gram Rock” brings in snarky punk attitude with the first line, “I’m sorry your grandad’s dead.”

“Cry to Me” has a 1960’s swagger to it that mixes in Joy Division menace. The album ends with “Rottweiler” – a fast garage rocker that sends the album out like the final bell of a boxing match.

It’s an angry yet joyful record. Joy, compassion, and love are the new counterculture, and this album is a soundtrack for the mixed emotions everyone has as they realize this. This would’ve been in my top 20 of 2018 had I not found it so late.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: Shonen Knife, Bev Rage and the Drinks, and Clickbait – Subterranean – Chicago, IL – October 01, 2019

This was a fun lineup that combined post-punk, queer core punk, and pop-punk in one show in a small venue in downtown Chicago. When I saw that Japan’s now-legendary Shonen Knife were playing alongside Chicago’s Bev Rage and the Drinks, I knew this would be a show to see.

Opening the show was another Chicago band – Clickbait. I hadn’t heard them before, but they put on a fun set of no wave post-punk that combined slick bass lines, precision drumming, and quirky guitar riffs with plenty of snarky attitude (in the best possible sense). They were intriguing and are definitely a band to watch. I have a feeling they could be going places soon.

Following them were fellow Chicagoans Bev Rage and the Drinks, who I’ve wanted to catch since hearing their first full-length album, Cockeyed, last year. It was a fun set, complete with free snacks, that tore through a lot of material. The guitarist mentioned they were too old to play songs longer than two minutes, but I suspect the truth is that Ms. Rage and her band are having so much fun and bringing so much fury that they don’t care if the audience can’t keep up with them. They also put out a lot of sound – there were three guitars, bass, and drums all going at once on multiple tunes while Ms. Rage raged about her dating life. They’re a must-see band if they’re near you.

I hadn’t seen Shonen Knife since I happened to be in Tucson the same night they were playing at 191 Toole. It was a blast to see them again. They came out shredding with “Konnichiwa” and then tore through new and classic material that covered some of their favorite subjects – candy, ice cream, furry animals, classic rock.

Shonen Knife were having a good time, as was the crowd. I’ve mentioned this many times to many people, but I believe it’s physically impossible to be blue when hearing a Shonen Knife song, and that’s certainly the case when seeing them live. They played at least four tracks from their new album, Sweet Candy Power (review coming soon), and all of them are good – especially the title track. Oh yeah, they played a Hardee’s in Springfield, Illinois the previous night and packed the parking lot and even scored free milkshakes after the show.

Sisters Atsuko (bass) and Naoko (guitar) always put out a stunning amount of power while singing songs about banana chips and capybaras, and their drummer Rosa is a powerhouse. It’s easy to get caught up in her adorable nature while she’s singing songs about cookie ice cream sandwiches, but she is a beast behind the kit.

They haven’t lost a step after so many tours and albums. Don’t miss them.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: CHAI – Punk

Creating their own niche and their own definition of “cute,” Japan’s CHAI are making great music to go with their aesthetic of “Everyone is adorable / beautiful / great in their own way, no matter what society and Madison Avenue may tell you.”

Their newest album, Punk, is a fun mix of post-punk, electro, J-pop, and other things that are difficult to define. Opener “Choose Go!” encourages all of us to embrace our inner power (and that phat bass line). “Get power fresh feeling!” they chant on “Great Job” – a salute to the power of housework and simultaneously a slap in the face to its drudgery. “I’m Me” sums up CHAI‘s philosophy as they sing, “Everybody’s wonderful.” amid bright synths and and lovely pop hooks.

“Wintime” is another lovely pop tune and “This Is CHAI” combines what sounds like anime music themes with Devo-like drumming and fuzzed vocals to produce one of your new favorite rave tracks. “Fashionista” is their rocking push-back against fashion culture and the burdens it puts on many of us who fall into its trap. It’s one of my favorite singles of the year. “Family Member” is another tune that lifts your spirits immediately upon hearing it. The handclaps encourage you to move along with them and the “wave your hands in the air” nature of it is unavoidable.

The cymbals on “Curly Adventure” seem to come at you from every direction, but never to the point where they overwhelm you or the song. “Feel the Beat” is good for both lazy bike rides and a spin bike workout, your choice. The build-up of its bright synths and lifting vocals is a pretty combination. “Future” starts off with Gary Numan-like beats and synths and CHAI singing about following dreams for a brighter future.

It’s a good goal for all of us. Following dreams, even ones we had as children, can be enriching. Enriching the self increases our ability to enrich others. In this day and age, there’s not much more punk than that.

Keep your mind open.

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Jacques Greene does it all “For Love” on his new single.

Jacques Greene has released his new single, “For Love,” from his forthcoming album, Dawn Chorus, out October 18th via LuckyMe. “For Love” follows the “spacious and breakbeat-heavy” (SPIN) lead single “Do It Without You” and it’s accompanying video, as well as early single “Night Service” (Feat. Cadence Weapon).

Watch Video For “For Love” – https://youtu.be/GzdMcHhM7tQ

Greene approached the making of Dawn Chorus as if he were a band. He lived in the studio for five months this past winter – half the time at home in Toronto, the other half in Hudson Mohawke’s studio in L.A. – and wrote these songs in a sprint to capture this chapter in his life. While samples played a big part in his early output, his creative process for Dawn Chorus revolved around recording a stellar cast of musicians, arranging new parts. As a result, it’s his most collaborative project to date, featuring additional production and instrumentation from film composer Brian Reitzell (Lost In Translation), cello by London’s Oliver Coates, additional production from Clams Casino and original vocal contributions from ambient artist Julianna Barwick, rapper Cadence Weapon and singers Ebhoni and Rochelle Jordan, all sampled, processed and stitched back into the album.

To craft the sound of the record, he thought about the artists he held dear and researched the gear they used as a means of being in dialogue with their emotional tenor. Some of the gear he sourced included the delay that My Bloody Valentine was renowned for, as well as a compressor used by French Touch producers Alan Braxe and Fred Falke. Working with mix engineer Joel Ford (of Ford & Lopatin), he created a rule book for the album’s sonics that saw each part, from the drums to the pads, be processed in a specific way, through guitar pedals and outboard equipment.

Surrounding the release of Dawn Chorus, Greene will play select shows in Europe and the UK before returning to North America. All dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.

Jacques Greene tour dates: Thu. Oct. 17 – Berlin, DE @ Burg Schnabel Fri. Oct. 18 – London, UK @ St. Pancras Old Church – SOLD OUT Fri. Oct. 18 – Manchester, UK @ Warehouse Project (DJ set) (late show) Sat. Oct. 19 – London, UK @ Five Miles (DJ set) Wed. Oct. 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust Fri. Oct. 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo Sat. Oct. 26 – Montreal, QC @ Ausgang

Pre-order Dawn Chorus – https://jacquesgreene.com/

Watch/Listen/Share: “Do It Without You” video – https://youtu.be/ftBguTzzVYI

“Do It Without You” stream – https://bit.ly/2mRYy8n

“Night Service” b/w “Silencio” (Feat. Cadence Weapon) – https://youtu.be/S1JaoIYJ-PE

“Night Service” (Whatever/Whatever Night Version) – https://youtu.be/_x3Ysk3po4k

“Night Service” (Whatever/Whatever Day Version) – https://youtu.be/iltM5sg-f8g

Keep your mind open.

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BODEGA leaves us a “Knife on the Platter” to go with their upcoming EP.

Brooklyn-based BODEGA releases a new single, “Knife On The Platter,” from their forthcoming EP, Shiny New Model, out October 11th on What’s Your Rupture?. Following the “pirouetting guitar line and an intimate bass groove” (Paste) of the title track, “Knife on the Platter” charges forward with resounding bass and sharp, nearly-shouted vocals.

“‘Knife On the Platter’ is a narrative song. I was imagining a top notch Gena Rowlands-esque actress who is cast in a mediocre gothic who nonetheless elevates the script’s schlocky material through her absolute commitment to authentically live each moment of the play,” says Ben Hozie. “She performs as if the gods are watching – she ‘acts’ as if each gesture will be set in stone for the future to see. That’s a show business trick – when performing imagine your heroes are in the room. You will no longer mess around. Twice in the song Zeus responds via the lightning striking from Madison’s guitar. That’s the thing: even when you are totally alone and lost – someone is (or will always be) watching your actions. Choose wisely.”

Following Endless Scroll, their “debut full of danceable, pop-smooth punk” (The AV Club), the Shiny New Model EP marks a lush new sonic direction for the group – widescreen multi-tracked guitars and a giant sounding rhythm section complement sharp songwriting and yearning vocal melodies. With wild minimalism and laughing wit, they revitalize the rock and roll vocabulary under the influence of post punk, hip-hop, kraut rock, and folk-derived narrative songwriting.

BODEGA is comprised of Ben Hozie (conductor, vocals, guitar), Nikki Belfiglio (art director, vocals, samples, hi hat), Heather Elle (bass), Madison Velding Vandam (lead guitar, producer), and the new addition of Tai Lee (stand-up percussionist). The EP is the band’s first recording done with Tai Lee, its first session at a proper studio, and the first BODEGA release produced within the group (production was handled by Vandam).

The band will tour across North America, kicking off next week at O+ Festival in New York. All dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.

Listen to “Knife on the Platter” – https://youtu.be/cR9AlXgvNSc

Watch the “Shiny New Model” video – https://youtu.be/h7_A8fqHNBQ

Pre-order Shiny New Model – https://bodegabk.bandcamp.com/

BODEGA Tour Dates: Fri. Oct. 11 – Kingston, NY @ O+ Festival Wed. Oct. 23 – Somerville, MA @ Once Ballroom * Thu. Oct. 24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Sat. Oct. 26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle * Sun. Oct. 27 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop * Mon. Oct. 28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe * Fri. Nov. 1 – Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5 * Sat. Nov. 2 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa * Tue. Nov. 5 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda * Fri. Nov. 8 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar * Sat. Nov. 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre * Mon. Dec. 2 – Toronto, ON @ Adelaide Hall & Tue. Dec. 3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere & Thu. Dec. 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie & *= w/ Starcrawler &= w/ Yummy Fur

Keep your mind open.

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Dry Cleaning release “Viking Hair” from upcoming new EP.

UK quartet Dry Cleaning share the second single off their forthcoming EP Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks (their second EP in just over 4 months), entitled “Viking Hair.”

Trademark repetitive, melodic guitar motifs ring out over an energized rhythm section that builds to a gradual crescendo. The result is invigorating and driven yet thoughtful and emotive.

Lyrically, Viking Hair is inspired by romantic ideas about someone you’re attracted to but don’t know well, and distracting things seen in the street. The ‘oooohs’ are intended to sit somewhere between a heart monitor flat-lining and feedback from a microphone.

The song is accompanied by a video shot and edited by the band and Pedro Pina. The band provides the following context:

“Cactus Club is a weekly LGBT line dancing class and club where everyone is welcome. Based in Clapham, South London, it was established in 1993 and is run by Michael, Anne and Peter. Whilst recording ‘Viking Hair,’ we noticed the mood and rhythm of the song brought line dancing to mind. We found Cactus Club online and approached them to see if they would be interested in helping us to make a video. Dry Cleaning wish to thank the Cactus Club organizers and all the dancers who took part for sharing the fantastic atmosphere at their club with us, and for their enthusiasm and expertise.”

WATCH “VIKING HAIR” VIDEO https://youtu.be/d5MNSuhiIGM

LISTEN TO “SIT DOWN MEAL” https://youtu.be/2zd2K4_UykQ

Both EP’s, July’s Sweet Princess and October’s Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks, will be compiled together for a 12″ vinyl release on October 25th and can be pre-ordered HERE.

DRY CLEANING TOUR DATES: Oct. 17th – Dublin, IE @ Workman’s Club Oct. 19th – Bristol @ Simple Things Festival Oct. 20th – Cardiff, UK @ SWN Festival Oct. 23rd – London, UK @ The Lexington Nov. 23rd – Glasgow, UK @ Great Western Festival Nov. 24th – Sheffield, UK @ Picture House Social Wed. Feb. 12 – Manchester, UK @ Gulliver’s Thu. Feb. 13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s Fri. Feb. 14 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint Sat. Feb. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club Thu. Feb. 20 – Cambridge, UK @ Portland Arms Fri. Feb. 21 – Liverpool, UK @ The Shipping Forecast Sat. Feb. 22 – Birmingham, UK @ The Sunflower Lounge Fri. Feb. 28 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store Sat. Feb. 29 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana Sun. March 1 – Southampton, UK @ Heartbreakers Tue. March 3 – London, UK @ Village Underground

Dry Cleaning online: https://drycleaning.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/drycleaningband/ https://www.facebook.com/drycleaningband/ https://pitchperfectpr.com/dry-cleaning/

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Moon Duo – Stars Are the Light

I might have given you an odd look in the last year or so if you’d told me that the psychedelic rock pairing of Moon Duo were making a new record that was going to include a lot of stuff that you could easily slip into a house music set.

Sure enough though, and in keeping with their nature to explore any kind of music they like, Moon Duo (Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada) made Stars Are the Light, a fine record of grooves influenced by 1970’s disco, krautrock, synth wave, and, naturally, psychedelia.

The opening track, “Flying,” immediately makes you feel like you’re floating not only off the ground, but through the roof of your house. The vocals never outweigh the trippy instrumentals, they only enhance them. The title track continues our drift around the Earth with bubbly synths and Moon Duo’s lyrics reflecting how all of us are unique stars in this universe.

“Fall (in Your Love)” brings in spaghetti western guitars to the slippery electronic beats. “The World and Sun” is one of the funkiest cuts on the record, mixing spaced-out synths with South American hand percussion and reverb-laced vocals to produce a sweet sound. “Lost Heads” is psychedelic bliss taking you out of orbit and floating toward the star cluster of your choice.

“Eternal Shore” boosts the krautrock influences a bit with the beats, but keeps the vocals firmly in psychedelic territory. The touch of steel drum-like synth stabs is a nice one and reflects the image of a never-ending beach on an idyllic planet. “Eye 2 Eye” brings in fuzzy guitar to race alongside EDM beats for a fast track that belongs on your next favorite anime action film. “Fever Night” slows down the album for the close, but it’s nothing maudlin. It’s a perfect end to a groovy time, almost like slipping into a hot tub after you’ve had great sex.

Stars are indeed the light, and so are we. Each of us are divine beings connected on this small orb in the middle of space. We are connected with each other and what lies beyond our senses. Moon Duo seek to remind us of this cosmic connection and acceptance that is there for us to embrace. Stars Are the Light is like a singing bowl, providing us the tones to remember who we are and who we are to each other.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: The Black Keys and Modest Mouse – United Center – Chicago, IL – September 27, 2019

I had loaded three CD’s by the Black Keys into my car’s CD player (Remember those?) for the rainy trip to Chicago on September 27, 2019 to catch them live at the United Center. I had many other albums and EP’s of theirs in mp3 format that I didn’t bother to upload to my phone before the trip because I knew I couldn’t listen to all of them in the two and a half-hour drive to the Windy City. As I listened to Magic Potion, Thickfreakness, and Turn Blue, I couldn’t help but think, “Why has it taken me so long to see these guys live?”

They’d been on my “must-see” list since at least 2011, but I could never make it to any of their tour dates. Lead singer / guitarist Dan Auerbach‘s psychedelic side projects, the Arcs, was scheduled to play at the cancelled 2016 Levitation Austin festival, so I wasn’t even able to catch that band just three years ago.

The stars finally aligned and I was able to get a decent price ticket for a seat at this level of the United Center.

That seat cost just a little more than this bad ass show poster, which most people didn’t seem to be noticing at the merch table I visited.

Signed and numbered by the artist to boot!

I didn’t catch the opening band, or even find out who they were, because I was famished by the time I got into the United Center. I munched on a small stuffed pizza (only $8.75, compared to ten bucks for a bag of gourmet popcorn smaller than an average beer stein) while they played. They didn’t sound half-bad.

The second opener was indie rock fan-favorites Modest Mouse. I had no idea what to expect from them, and was surprised to learn they were an eight-person band that included two drummers and a violinist.

They had a lot of fans at the show. I only knew one song they played in their mix of Americana and quirky rock with interesting time signatures. It wasn’t my thing, but their fans loved their set and I saw many people dancing throughout it.

The Black Keys, Mr. Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, came out with two backing guitarists and a bass player. The bass player and one of the backing guitarists (who also sang backing vocals) were brothers Andrew and Zachary Gabbard, and the other backing guitarist was, much to my surprise and delight, Delicate Steve – whose album Till I Burn Up is one of my favorite discoveries of the year.

Opening with an oldie but goodie, “I Got Mine,” they put on a great show mixing stuff from their new record with plenty of cuts from their large back catalogue, like “Gold on the Ceiling” (a crowd favorite) and “Fever.”

“Next Girl” followed, which sounds much heavier live than it does on an album. I have to give a lot of respect to the Black Keys’ touring sound engineers. Dan Auerbach’s guitar tones were crisp and yet had all the right fuzz (and volume!). It sounded great in a large arena, almost like they were playing in a small club. I also love how Auerbach’s guitar is plugged directly into onstage amps instead of using a wireless rig.

“Howlin’ for You” was another crowd favorite, and I was happy to hear “Ten Cent Pistol.” They closed the set with another crowd-pleaser, “Lonely Boy” before heading off stage so their stage crew could set up a giant inflatable electric chair.

This was the set for most of their encore, which included “Lo / Hi,” new single “Go,” and ended with the loud, dirty “She’s Gone.

It was a fun show, and worth the wait. It’s also good to see these two goofy guys filling an arena with people who love rock and blues. They’re calling this the “Let’s Rock” tour. I’m glad. All of us need to rock more.

Keep your mind open.

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