Just Needed to Share vol. 1

saw Oxbow last night. this makes me happier than any of the happiest days you've ever had. you should be worried.

27 opened up. pretty decent shoegaze/dream pop stuff. soft but strong vocals, some good riffs (don't know if they are called "riffs" when the music is this gentle...curse my puerile metalloidisms).

Oxbow came up next. if you pay any real sort of attention to me, you know how fag-crazy i am for this band. every album...every song....every thought and impulse. this was perhaps the most cathartic show i've ever witnessed. every nasty naughty near violent desire i've ever entertained put into words, sound, and movement. a claustrophobic opium den of a set, a tight taunt 40 minutes of post-hardcore blues malevolence invoking the Birthday Party, Laughing Hyenas, "Screaming" Jay, and Kachina Dancing Mental Patients. Eugene Robinson is the most intimidating frontman on the planet. somewhere between 1980s Rollins and Simon Adebisi from Oz. some obnoxious bubblehead in the crowd was screaming at him to take his clothes off (as if he needed the encouragement of some loud scene-rat bitch to strip down to his skimpys), and he glared at her with rape-eyes brighter than a skinned sun. the set was heavy on Narcotic Story stuff, which was even more devestating and heavy live than it is on disc ("Down a Stair Backward" and "She's a Find" being the songs of the night), but they snuck it one or two from an Evil Heat and one from Serenade in Red. and to make the night all the more awesome, Deadly Little Mia of the amazing Kayo Dot was standing next to me for much of the duration.

menacing post-hardcore AND beautiful violinists a few inches from my person. that right there beats the balls off any good day you've ever had.

just needed to share.