Lynn's Concert Review: Precious Metal, Blood on the Wall, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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Precious Metal, Blood on the Wall, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Sokol Auditorium, Omaha Nebraska
04.18.06

Crowded onto the main floor of the ever-charming Sokol Auditorium, I found myself pondering the logistics of the maximum capacity rule and if it were really being enforced on this particular evening. Personal space had become a rare commodity. Nonetheless, I was enjoying my surroundings. When you are in a smaller venue, everything seems more alive and more intimate. Unfortunately, the duo next to me proved that a lack of appropriate social behavior can make things too intimate. As their face licking, over the clothes fondling, make out session progressed; I prayed for the music to start. I needed something to take my attention off of the car wreck happening next to me. Stage show, take me away!

First up was Precious Metal, a local one-member death metal project. I admit that death metal is something that I don’t listen to on a regular basis. It isn’t because I’m opposed to the sound, but rather because it possesses a relentless and intense energy that can be rather taxing to hear on a constant basis. Having never had the opportunity to see this act before, I was a little bit leery of what Precious Metal could potentially present. I didn’t want to sit through a set of generic and mindless noise that only fueled the happenings next to me. Thanks to an exceptional performance I didn’t have to.

Dapose, the sole member of this project unleashed a phenomenal performance, playing guitar over a mix of prerecorded drum and keyboard tracks. Watching Dapose play was almost as fun as listening to what he was creating. His music kept with the traditional hardcore and aggressive characteristics of death metal, still there seemed to be an additional undercurrent of something else going on. There wasn’t such an overwhelming nihilistic vibe, but rather almost some sort of positive energy. It’s kind of hard to explain. Maybe it was just the fact you could tell this guy loves to play music, but for me this performance was more about the creation of the sound than it was the message. Dapose has a blend of talent and thought to his music that made for a very entertaining show.

* Note: Dapose is also a member of The Faint, whose music is featured in this weeks show. (Episode #53) Learn about this band and the Nebraska music scene in this Wikipedia article.

After Precious Metal finished his set, Brooklyn trio Blood on the Wall took the stage. Initially I thought this group presented more of a classic rock feel. Part of me thinks I call upon that comparison because there were moments during their set in which I could have sworn I was watching a reincarnated Janis Joplin shout words into the microphone.

Courtney Shank, the only woman in the group, has a very gritty, raw quality to her vocals. Such characteristics only add to their sound. This group is not focused on being a well-polished, mass produced entity. Rather they turn focus to the source of raw emotion where their music stems from. They have a distinct alternative rock sound that is well amplified. They keep a strong presence and understand what they are trying to convey. They aren’t searching for a sound or an identity; rather they are providing a voice.

Last up was the act everyone had been waiting for, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This alt. rock band, initially from NYC, released their debut album Fever to Tell, in 2003. That album had a tremendous amount of energy, angst, vulnerability and emotion packed into 11 tracks. With the release of their new album, Show Your Bones, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs proved they could create a sophomore album in keeping with the nuance of the first, while taking on a more refined sound.

Backed by Nick Zinner on guitar and Brian Chase on drums, front woman Karen O gave a remarkable performance. Watching her perform is like watching a little suppressed part of yourself jump around on stage. Somehow Karen is able to embody the non-conformist in all of us. She embodies the secret urges we all have to wear circa 1980 haircuts and set the Gap on fire. She is the poster girl subculture, a non-conformist that can memorize people of every status through her performance. She has such a precision to her movements and vocals, you feel as though you are witnessing something quite bigger than it appears to be.

Their music is right on par with their performance. A newfound clarity seems to accompany the recent release from this band. Their first album had a defiant sound capable of making you question elements in your life. The sound of the second album is cleaner and more defined, possibly because they seem to have expelled the uncertainty and doubt. This stronger sense of confidence helps the second album generate more statements about life rather than questions. Having the opportunity to hear their new material preformed live confirmed my opinions. In combination with their previous material, it made for a truly great show.