one last night

I was looking for some action a couple weeks ago and I didn't think my skin could take more tanning or my hair another perm, so I decided to check out the Ticketmaster website to see if there were any interesting concerts coming up. This turned out to be quite fortuitous, as two of my favorite metal bands were coming to town. I bought a ticket (I rarely go to concerts with anyone else, as I don't know anyone that shares my taste in music). I later learned that the concert had sold out, so my timing turned out to be even better than I originally thought.

My timing in getting to the concert, however, was not that great. I always try to be early everywhere I go, and at concerts, that's never a good thing (unless you're going to the orchestra, which always seems to start right on time). I got to Station 4 right when the concert was supposed to start, at 8pm. Right away, I noticed that something was off. For a show that had sold out, the place (the smallest venue I've ever been in, by far) was surprisingly empty. Two drum kits had been set up on the stage, but nothing else was being prepared. I ended up having to stand there (there were no seats, except for at the bar) for an hour. I had thought about bringing my iPod just in case something like that happened, but ended up not doing so. Big mistake.

Being early to a general admission show does have its advantages, though. I was pretty close to the stage, and since I always like watching the musicians carefully, that was a good thing. The first band to go on, The Faceless, had an amazing lead guitarist and drummer, so I got a kick out of seeing them up close. I'd never heard of them before that night, but I'll be picking up one of their CDs soon.

Once The Faceless finished their brief set, it was another 30 minutes until the next band came on. I've been listening to that band, Cynic, since they released their first album in the early 90's. They broke up not long after its release, and only recently reformed and released their second album--15 years later. So, seeing them was something of a childhood dream for me, and they didn't disappoint. Their music is an odd mix of death metal, jazz and new age chants, and all three were present during their set--blast beats, Hindu-esque prayers, and commentary by Paramahansa Yogananda in between songs. Cynic has developed quite the cult following over the years, and that was apparent by the reception they received.


The main act, and the primary reason I was at the show, was Meshuggah (weird name, I know--it's Yiddish). They didn't take the stage until 11:15--more than three hours after the show was supposed to start, and I was really tired by then. Meshuggah is truly legendary--few bands are more original--and the crowd went crazy. I've never seen a wilder crowd in any concert I've been to. I've never moshed, but I had to push people off me (I had wisely chosen a position against the wall) many times during their set.

Unfortunately, Station 4 doesn't have very good ventilation. All the moshing and sweating people quickly raised the temperature in the room. I started to feel nauseated, and by the fifth song or so, I had to leave--I felt too tired and too ill to stay. They probably played for another 60-90 minutes after I left, so it's unfortunate that I couldn't take it. I'm such a wimp. Anyway, it was cold outside--temperatures were in the teens--and I felt a little better after walking a couple blocks, so I drove home, half falling asleep the entire way.

At least I got a t-shirt with my favorite Meshuggah album cover on it:



That was probably the last metal concert I'll ever attend. I just can't focus on one thing for that long, even when I love the music and the bands and own everything they've ever recorded, as was the case for two of the three bands playing. In fact, that might be the last concert I ever attend. If so, then it was definitely a good way to go out.