 Return to Lonely Goat Features ArchivesOYSTERHEAD - 11.17.01 - ASHEVILLE CIVIC CENTER - ASHEVILLE, NC Reviewed by Larry James (December, 2001) Set: Owner Of The World, Polka Dot Rose, Oz Is Ever Floating, Shadow Of A Man*^, Army's On Ecstasy*, Wield The Spade, Birthday Boys, Pseudo Suicide#, Little Faces##, Rubberneck Lions###, Mr. Oysterhead Enc: Immigrant Song İİİ* Trey on
Matterhorn Going into any event with no expectations can be the most rewarding experience or sometimes the most frightening one. I can't tell you how many movies I've been to not knowing anything about it but the actors and the title and have been totally thrilled and dismally disappointed. With Oysterhead, I felt the same. I knew the actors but nothing of the plot. I had listened to a copy of the first show in New Orleans but after listening to parts of the album, the two didn't match and I couldn't draw any conclusions on what I was going to hear. A beautiful Fall Saturday afternoon in Asheville welcomed us to the metropolis in the mountains. As Clemson was being defeated by the Gamecocks in football on TV, most people's attention was on the small holiday parade that afternoon (which Trey was spotted on his roller-blades rolling along with the parade!). That evening the mood switched as the Civic Center was overcome with hoards of fans, mostly of the Phish persuasion. Chaos at best, parking was a nightmare as many locals were trying to leave as fans were parading around vending, hanging out and definitely having a good time. Some locals had ventured down for an evening at the auditorium next door for the festive event of the Nutcracker Suite. As for our main event, tons of tickets were being sold in the lot, many I'm sure got to see Oysterhead for under ten bucks or even free. The show started with a bang, with the opening notes to 'Owner of the World.' I somewhat knew this tune from the New Orleans show but wow, what a different reworked version had this tune become. Trey was going ballistic in the long jam, tearing it up with distortion from his guitar, desperately trying to match the crazy bass beat whose competition was the thunder, coming from Copeland's drums. The next song, 'Polka Dot Rose,' was just as impressive as the opener, with Les responding to the wild audience, "we're here, we're here!!" Trey's guitar seemed explosive with each solo and Les' bass playing was outstanding, as well as his entertaining distorted voice which to me sounded like a whacked out nasal accent from a Monty Python movie. 'Oz is Ever Floating' got a huge response from the rowdy crowd. A tune that's best compared to a 1970's monsters of rock anthem, many were impressed again by Trey's ability to rip into the mix with his powerful battle axe guitar, which was always accompanied by the smiling huge grin on his face. The first few songs were extremely creative in their mold and contained some of the most electrifying energy that I've witness from a band since seeing Metallica in concert. Each band member added there talent to the offsetting confusion performed with each song. I can't tell you in any other way that this madness was like seeing crazy art or a collage of solo artists belting out the best and hardest solo you've every experienced. The weirdest tune of the night, 'Shadow of A Man,' came from the dark side, featuring Les in flashlight goggles and a dayglo-star helmet. Its creepy mellow sound was distorted by Trey's new guitar, which displayed an antler attached to the bottom which acted as a Theremin, causing weird sound vibrations when played. As far as the song's structure goes, I was not overly impressed. 'Army's on Ecstasy' introduced the bands more lyrically talents, exploring the theme of the media, drugs and today's military presence. The crowd was entertained by on-stage antics and just overall incredible playing. After some more distorted sounds, the band slowed it down for Stewart Copeland, who stole the spot light as he commenced reciting a poem of immense proportions. Screaming "Wield the Spade!" like a man possessed, many were confused but interested. Anyway, the mood was set for Trey to grab his acoustic to which he began playing 'Birthday Boys.' A melody I was familiar with during the Trey Tour last winter, this version was played in half Trey alone and in half with the rest of the band. Adding some funky banjo style bass licks and a fast bluegrass-country beat, the band were all smiles and hoots as the beat grew faster and faster making this pretty melody an upbeat number. The crowds burst into applaud after Les offered some positive criticism about Trey's amazing ability to "rock like the God of Sodom and tickle you pretty". After laughing about this, Trey rips into the heavy opening riffs of 'Pseudo Suicide' which blew the roof off. A more Primus sounding tune and definitely one of the highlights of the evening, each member tried their hardest to out play the other, creating an incredible gargantuan sound from each instrument. At the end of the song, Trey begins on a huge 'Moby Dick' tease as the rest of the band gives it a whirl but it was quickly abandoned. 'Little Faces' kept the heavy beat going as did the funky 'Rubber Neck Lions,' which had outstanding solos from each band member. During Les' escapade of bass thumping solo, he showed his roots by playing and singing a small part of the Primus tune, 'Tommy the Cat.' A quick repeat of the opening riffs ended the longest tune of the night, leaving just enough time to bring the most welcomed song, 'Mr. Oysterhead.' This closing song debuted in New Orleans but has been drastically reworked into a different form that rocked everyone in the coliseum. After a brief pause, the band return for the encore and totally rocked a cover of Led Zepplin's 'Immigrant Song,' a perfect cover to end a rewarding powerful show. |