Review: Katatonia 11.17.2006

#52
Friday November 17 2006
Moonspell
Katatonia
Daylightdies
effin Jaxx

For some reason this show was super-early for Jaxx (doors at 6pm?), though I couldn't leave until at least 8:15 (and then I had to put on my Moonspell-inspired makeup) so I didn't get there until around 9. My timing actually worked out really well. I got the last parking spot in the strip-mall lot (next to the 7-11 dumpsters) and I got inside Jaxx minutes before North Carolina's Daylightdies started their set. Musically they were pretty much just like Katatonia except way more boring. I did like the last two songs though (really, not just because it was almost over). I can't really tell you why I didn't particularly like it - just that they were pretty boring to watch (they didn't appear to be having fun) and you couldn't hear any of the lyrics. I also noticed that one guy was doing the opposite of the 'metal horns' - that is saluting the band with his middle and ring finger and thumb. I don't know what that's supposed to mean....especially since I thought 'the claw' was the new horns. Sometimes I feel so out of the loop.
After a quick set change, Katatonia was up. Hailing from Sweden, this is their first US tour. The floor was pretty packed during their set. So much so that some fucking guy felt free to just press his whole body against me and then was using my head for a tripod for his camera. I just do not understand why foreigners have absolutely no sense of personal space. It was crowded but nobody else was acting like that. So I had to vacate my second-person-from-the-barricade spot stage right and move over by the bouncer stage left. It was a pretty long set covering material from all their albums. I had checked out their website earlier in the day and thought about maybe picking up some of the older stuff (I only have the newest album) but after hearing it live, I decided against it. Their set was good but the older songs were definitely not as good as the songs from 'The Great Cold Distance'.
After another quick set change (during which a large number of people left) Portugal's favorite band: Moonspell. I hadn't even heard of this band until about 3 weeks ago but since I've never seen an unattractive Portugese man I figured I would stick around for a few songs. Musically they were pretty similar to the other bands but had keyboards and eye makeup (which I guess technically makes them goth? maybe?). It was not really my thing, but I thought it was pretty good. I didn't stay for their whole set because I hadn't eaten in 12 hours and I had to work Saturday morning. I would probably check them out in the future and would enjoy it more if it was less expensive and I was sitting down.