A review from one of my concert partners last night:
Big thought going through my mind at the end of the show was that this is a GREAT ROCK BAND in the truest sense of the word, the likes of which might not be seen again for some time. This isn't just a band that came out with a good album, or has actually put together 2 good albums in a row (heaven help us), these are guys who've put out seven (mostly extraordinary) studio albums in eleven years. In addition, this isn't a band with a leader and three guys backing him up- this is a band of four equal parts: they all sang lead at some point, and three of them switched instruments and then, here's the catch, ROCKED OUT even harder than when playing on their original instruments!
Plus, for the rock geek section of the audience, they were sporting both a Vox and a Hiwatt amp up on stage, with Jay Ferguson, who I now place as the best rhythm guitarist in rock today (Janet Weiss, of Sleater-Kinney, being the best drummer in rock today) sporting a phenomenally tasty selection of Rickenbackers. As someone learning guitar, standing a few feet away from Jay and watching what he was doing was debilitatingly intimidating. More geek action: at one point last night, both guitarists were playing with capos on their axes. But I digress.
On a stage too small for bassist Chris Murphy to perform his patented aerial leg kick maneuvers, Sloan managed to come up with a simple yet astoudingly effective and original light show that that just left me stunned, and partially blind. I can think of no greater indictment of today's music industry than the fact that the Black Cat (which can't hold more than, what, 500 people?) wasn't sold out, or even that crowded.
Given that Sloan got its name from the company that manufactures the flushing mechanism on urinals, after four beers last night I was treated to a jarring moment of cognitive dissonance when I could see the band's name etched in metal two feet from my face while hearing them play. Now that's a rock and roll moment.
They're playing the Raleigh area tonight. Those in NC should cancel other plans and treat themselves to something they will truly regret missing. Seriously.
