[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ot too long ago I made a claim that in 2013, no band on the touring scene delivered a better live show than that of The Dillinger Escape Plan. So before I go into the nitty gritty of their stop in Pontiac, MI this past Thursday, allow me to be clear and succinct in explaining why I made such a bold claim.
It comes down to one simple concept: Aggression.
When it comes to my concert going experience, I want to see a band that brings out the raw, primal energy that can overwhelm all other senses. It’s a quality that’s very unique to music and the guys in Dillinger have unquestionably tapped into the darker side of it.
So what is there to be said of their current tour that came to rock The Crofoot last week?
Opening up this show was the one and only Shining. Now, many of you may not have heard of Shining before. It’s ok, I was once like you too. So allow me to bestow upon you what I’ve learned.
Shining is a Norwegian black jazz group that have been around since the turn of the new millennium. And yes, you read that right, ‘black jazz’ is a thing and it’s spectacular. Imagine your traditional hardcore band and then through in a more classical style of keyboard tones, effects, and a vocalist that likes to play freaking saxophone, flute and clarinet in a jazzy fashion to compliment those tasty breakdowns, and maybe you’ll have a small glimpse into what I unknowing signed up for. At first it’s a very perplexing sight and your brain is trying to decide whether or not it likes it.
But the sound and sight of this band is just so immense, how could you not? If you’re dying for something different out of your heavy music experience, Shining will not disappoint.
Next up is the prodigal punk outfit Retox. Now I’m no expert when it comes punk rock, but if what little I know of it’s stylings and spirit holds true, then Retox is a band that takes their affiliation with the genre very seriously. This is a band that plays messy, fast and angry tunes and they don’t really care if you like it or not.
In fact, vocalist Justin Pearson made it clear that there’s really only two ways to react to Retox’s live show, saying, “There are two options right now. A. You enjoy the music we’re playing for you tonight, or B., which is my preference, you don’t enjoy it. Either way, thank you for having us.”
And that’s what Retox offered in both sound and speech for the crowd to accept or reject; malcontent. And moreover, a bitter, relentless sound with which to deliver it. If nothing else, it was a performance from a band that knows where they stand and have no attention of doing things differently.
The night of punk was not yet complete though, as the stage was soon host to Sacramento hardcore punk denizens Trash Talk. A different brand of punk than Retox, Trash Talk saw a noticeably different reaction from the crowd.
Where the former wanted to succinctly burn the image of a middle finger into your brain, the latter strived to generate chaos and uproar … which, if you didn’t know, is a very popular thing to do at a concert. It was the kind of loud, in your face, unruly performance that fans crave right before a headlining set, for if no other reason than to get their blood rushing and intentions violent.
The thoroughly road seasoned Trash Talk offered a brash, energized and wonderfully vulgar experience for a crowd that was ready for all of the above.
Now we’ve come to the headliners of the night, The Dillinger Escape Plan. As they’ve been known to do, Dillinger always takes their time with stage setup before their set begins. And when I say take their their time, I mean that it’s usually a 45+ minute wait after the previous band’s set.
During this prolonged wait you can see fans begin to feel anxious and hear random chants shouting “Dillinger! Dillinger!” echo throughout the venue. And then, finally, the sound of a droning bass tone and synchronized strobe lights serve to warn everyone that the storm has at long last arrived. Now I want you to imagine something.
Imagine the feeling of being at the beach, standing with your back against the tide, and a large wave is just about to come crashing in your direction. Then you hear these words…
‘HOW COULD IT ALL BE?!?!?!’
Congratulation. That wave just came crashing directly into you. But it wasn’t the waters on the beach; it was the bodies of the hot, shouting, enthused fans that are ready to let it all out for one the most intense live acts in modern metal.
And guess what, you’re one of them. Neither the most charismatic or endearing of live performers, The Dillinger Escape Plan continues to do what they best; own the stage and invoke the deepest sense of ire and delight that one can feel at a show. Their set starts up with the opening tracks of their two most recent albums, ‘Prancer’ and ‘Farewell, Mona Lisa’, respectively.
Touring on the strength of their most recent album, ‘One of Us is the Killer’, Dillinger saved many of the songs off said album for later in the set. Early tracks include older favorites like ‘Milk Lizard’, ‘43% Burnt’, and ‘Panasonic Youth’, but buried among some of the band’s beloved classics was a brand new song called ‘Happiness Is A Smile’.
Dillinger frontman Greg Puciato made a rare comment during the set to announce the track, saying, “Hey, do you guys want to hear a brand new song? It’s a brand new song. We just wrote it today.”
That was a lie…kinda. But one that Dillinger has told before. At least this time, it truly was for a new song that offered something notably different than the band’s traditional sound. After closing out their set with a slew of tunes from ‘One of Us…’ and ‘Option Paralysis’, the band returned for a rather unique encore that included their long retired tune ‘The Mullet Burden’ as well as a cover of Aphex Twin’s ‘Come To Daddy’.
Ultimately, the night came to an end with The Dillinger Escape Plan playing their well established closer ‘Sunshine The Werewolf’. A fantastic night for music that makes you look like you shouldn’t be openly accepted in society for enjoying it. But hey, isn’t that what concerts are for anyway?
