Welcome to Raving Reviews, a new series wherein Eric, of the Heavy Metal 101 podcast (https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heavymetal101podcast), periodically reviews fun-filled concerts:
Wow. Some concerts are really good. You know…just a wonderful collection of songs fantastically played with a verve and energy that simply can’t be captured anywhere other than via a live stage in a room full of jubilant maniacs. The Converge show was not that. The Converge show was a fucking experience. And that experience was a whole lot like what I imagine being shot out of a cannon might be like, assuming, of course, that being shot out of a cannon is utterly fricking awesome.
First off, the opening acts: Frail Body was cool. The sound was maybe a bit murky, but the crowd was polite, the band played with a lot of piss and vinegar, and generally a good time was had by all. Brutus absolutely blew me away (and, so far as I could tell, everybody else in the crowd as well). I had checked out their recordings in the weeks prior to the show, and was already pretty excited, as I’d been quite impressed by what I’d heard. The live set absolutely slayed, and this must be among the best opening bands that I’ve ever seen. Everyone should keep an eye out for Brutus, who may well be on the cusp of becoming justifiably HUGE. Great stuff.
And then: Converge. Holy shit. Holy. Shit. First off, Jacob Bannon, aside from being pretty well the most viscerally intense vocalist on planet Earth (and, as it turns out, capable of perfectly replicating that intensity live!), is also a damn charismatic front man. This was refreshing, after a punk-ish reluctance to banter from both opening bands. Bannon wasn’t terribly chatty, but he was warm, likeable, and has a really extraordinary stage presence. He seemed genuinely thrilled to be there. Next: The. Band. Is there a tighter band on the planet than Converge? Is there a more creative guitarist anywhere than Kurt Ballou? From the opening raging fury of “Eagles Become Vultures” through the closing…raging fury of “Concubine”, the crowd was going utterly mad, screaming at the top of their lungs (often directly into the microphone, which Bannon generously shared with those in the front row), stage diving, moshing (I was nearly killed multiple times…it was fucking great), and everyone both on and offstage appeared to be having the time of their lives. What an extraordinary thing this was. Wow.
For more fun-filled heavy metal chat, please do check out the Heavy Metal 101 podcast, available everywhere you like to listen! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heavymetal101podcast