ShowListing.RttP{August 30th Ocean and Kayo Dot in Nashua}

Just got back from this. As of 3am I will have been awake for 24 straight hours...how horrible. But the show was great.

Phoenix Pyre: Odd that they've seemed to completely change styles. Last time I saw them was at Dee Dee's...maybe in April? I don't remember. But they had a pretty serious Ion Dissonance/Dillinger Escape Plan feel to them. Back then they also had a bassist...who was not to be seen tonight. Instead they had keyboards. They had sort of a black metal feel to them with an assload of melodic clean guitar parts. Keyboardist should get a better keyboard or use sounds that don't sound cheesy. That's my #1 gripe with keyboards in metal.

Space Train: Kind of just seemed like they were taking a crack at it. At first glance I would say that they are a young band just learning to play their instruments. Then I noticed that their CD had super nice packaging. I don't know, they just didn't seem organized. They were a 3-piece sort of stoner, improv jam band...I guess. Seems like the bassist runs the show for them. Guitarist was standing around sort of dumbfounded during certain parts. Could have just been a bad gig. It happens.

Devil in the Kitchen: They are just fun. Maybe this wasn't totally the right crowd for folksy violin metal with an extravagant light show built into the violin and bow, but whatever it was upbeat where Ocean and Kayo Dot are a bit more dreary. Good to have balance at shows.

Ocean: Played for about 45 minutes, one song. Minimal parts. But they just dug in and kicked ass on those few parts. The drummer was destroying sticks left and right. He has worked out a semi-efficient system to deal with his stick breaking habit. Just play incredibly slow so that there's time in between stick breaks to grab easily. There were parts that the low end was so insane that it made my teeth hurt. They brought up tons of speakers and one of the guitarists was using a Sunn head. So it was that kind of thing.

Kayo Dot: I was getting nervous after Ocean because Christian (Drifter's) was looking reallys stressed and looked like he just wanted the night to be over. But after a ridiculously long setup time they hit the stage at about 11:45. This band has a flawless sound. If you've heard them on record, they nail everything to a T, though of course it's so much more powerful when it's right in your face. They were only able to play 3 songs, which is a sizeable amount of time because of their songs, but it felt like one more song would have been perfect.

Really good show. And I was right, anonymous. Ocean went on at 10:40. Which was in my gap. Rev was so sure about the way Drifter's does business.

Oh there was only one sick pit, bro. It was for Phoenix Pyre. Seriously, that band has changed a lot.