Although I understand the concept of a promotional tour, I am extremely annoyed by them. I’m a fan, and as much as I want to hear a few new joints from a band’s forthcoming record I don’t want to hear the whole thing. This is my opinion, as whiny as it is, but for some reason I just enjoy being teased with a few new ones and being able to sing along the rest of time to stuff I already know, instead of the reverse, I know this is a very obtuse an elementary way to look at it but, oh well.
Unfortunately I was unable to catch but only the last few fluttering notes of the set by Killfix, due to me slaving my ass away in the service industry for a buck. Next up was Denver’s own Nightingale. They staggered about the stage, luring the crowd slowly in with their brand of psychedelic, metal tinged rock. With creepy guitar squeals, choppy down-strokes, and soaring vocal melodies one minute, and long drawn out layers of foggy reverb and noise the next, they kept you fixated on the stage. There were even times to shake what my mother gave me. They played with a wide range of styles and tempos, but never strayed too far from their sound keeping me up near the stage for almost the entire set.
Just as the boys in Longwave took the stage you could feel that pre-show magnetic buzz in the air, regardless of venue or popularity, for a music lover, it’s always there, you can almost set your clock to it. Thankfully they’re not to ones to banter you to death before playing, launching right into their set with two new songs from their forthcoming disc entitled, There’s a Fire right from the start.
Next, they flamed into “Tidal Wave,” the first single from their second record, 2002’s Strangest Things, warranting a heavy sing-a-long. After “Tidal Wave” vocalist/guitarist Steve Schlitz and guitarist Shannon Ferguson (guitar) basically flipped a coin for “it’ the rest of the away, mixing the occasional older track such as fan favorite, “Wake Me When It’s Over,” with two and three song bursts of new material from There’s a Fire.
Aside from their melancholic break-beat, post sound, some new tracks were refreshingly upbeat, punkish and even twangy at times. The crowd seemed to be predominately post-college age rockers, so instead of rocking, they were timid and shy, incapable of dancing and having an appropriate amount of fun that was truly justified by Longwave’s performance.
It was another great night at the Lounge, and although the house PA’s been a little suspect lately, the sound was delightful, even if it was due in large part to the fact that Longwave made that possible.
-Michael Davis – July 1, 2005
Michael Davis – Michael is merely a specter of his former self; General Pat Clarkson of the 801st airborne. Pat was obsessed with becoming a cyborg, with over 150 working mechanical parts functioning in his anatomy. Pat loved Russian cuisine and enjoyed tap, ballet, and jazz dance movements, he thought they were inspirational and organic. Pat was a skilled bow-hunter, and could hit a 2000 pound bull elk from 500 yards, eyes closed. Killed a zebra once too!
