The Dillinger Escape Plan 06.11.2009

#31
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Number 12 Looks Like You
Rock & Roll Hotel

I only caught the last song of The Number 12 Looks Like You and it was great. Wish I'd seen more.

It was so hot and extremely humid in the club, I didn't think I was going to last long. My bar stamp melted off my hand before DEP even came on stage. I managed to make it through half the set. Crowd was super-lame - not a looker in the bunch. Sad.

Did meet a very nice Necrophagist fan at Wonderland though, so my night ended OK.

Dillinger Escape Plan 12.13.2007

#37
Thursday December 13 2007
The Dillinger Escape Plan
A Life Once Lost
Ottobar

So this show started really late. I got to Baltimore around 9:00 and almost everyone was waiting in the upstairs bar (totally packed). It was probably around 9:30 before it finally started but I just chilled out upstairs until after 11, since I can't handle standing through more than two bands anymore (I'm old! and lazy!). A Life Once Lost was pretty good. They had some problems with their lights and other electrical equipment but finished out strong.
Then finally, to a non-sold-out Ottobar crowd, The Dillinger Escape Plan. This was the first time I've heard any of their new songs. They're pretty much like a mix of the last two albums. There was much less destruction than in the past - probably because TDEP actually likes the Ottobar. But just to finish out the year - FIRE SPITTING!

OH the INsanity Aug 3 - 4, 2006

OK so I came up with the title before I went, but it's still clever...

#35
Thursday August 3 2006
Coheed and Cambria
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Chiodos
3
Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, Columbus OH

Since we were still in the midst of the hottest temps in about 5 years, I left my house before 5am to avoid driving at the hottest part of the day (and the traffic). I had a car overheat on me once and I didn't want it to happen to my Scion Ara. I took a different route than I ever have and drove up through the mountains of Maryland, through Morgantown WV, and connected with interstate 70 in Washington PA. It was a nice drive but driving a 4-cylinder up those steep grades was not the most fun task, particularly since my right foot/ankle is still hurting from when I fell in the parking garage more than a week ago. I did however stop at that gas station in Quaker, OH with the best Italian sandwiches evah! The venue is right on the edge of downtown Columbus and wasn't too tough to find. Especially since there was already a line outside at 2pm when I drove by the first time. Crazy kids. I couldn't convince anyone to come with me, but it really didn't matter because I had my 3 boys (w/Max, yay!), Gentleman Jim and friend, and my beloved roadcrew (minus Kwame and Gabe *sigh*). I never got the full story on the Mic/Josh issue but I think that my suspicions are pretty much correct.
By the time I met up with Billy it was too late to get anything to eat before the show (and the venue only had White Castle). I have to say that the security people worked pretty fast - the line that stretched around the building and down the street under a bridge was almost completely gone by 6:45. The place was pretty big - with two levels in the main part and a balcony that has fancy 'box seats' near the railing. Of course those were the only seats in the place (which is another part of the reason my foot/ankle is still bothering me) and the floors were concrete. I was quite surprised that this show was not sold out. I don't know if it was just the time of year or something else (the Indy show was also not sold out).
3 played a brief set of songs from the Metal Blade 'Wake Pig' plus 'D Ripper' - by the end they were definintely crowd pleasers. Jerry Eppard Rocks!
Chiodos (chee-o-dos) I had heard before since they're an Equal Vision band. I thought they were good but I stand by my previous statements regarding those keyboard bands.
Ah, The Dilliner Escape Plan. Love them. They always put on a good show, all destruction and flames aside. Found out from talking to Greg that he a) lives in Baltimore (which explains why I've seen him around various times) and b) Dillinger got fined and banned from KC's. There wasn't much destruction on the stage (Greg threw one cymbal and the light box) but apparently there was some backstage drama and their guitar player quit and flew home. Their bass player has a serious beard going on. Damn fine. I should have bought that Avenged Sevenfold lunchbox...
I don't know if this show represents a new era of Coheed or the end of an era or what. I obviously had to be there since they were playing with 3 and as moral support for MP. It was a fairly short set, but it was tight. With the fog machine going you couldn't even see who was the drummer until well into the 3rd song. Apparently those without internet were quite upset by the subs, though Claudio tried to smooth things over with a non-explanation about 'dealing with the situation that we were forced to deal with.' Long-time fans (such as Gentleman Jim and the 3 guys) thought it was the best 'Final Cut' evah!
After the show I checked out Dave's new tattoo, chatted with everybody, and took my 3 boys out for breakfast.

*free hotel stay in Columbus followed by 3 hour drive to Indianapolis*

#36
Friday August 4 2006
Coheed and Cambria
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Murat Center, Indianapolis IN

I got there late because I left Bloomington a little later than planned and spent at least 40 minutes back-tracking and looking for the correct exit. Once I found the I-70 westbound only exit for Michigan Street, the Murat Center was easy to find. I parked for free because I guess they stop taking your money after a certain time, which was nice. The venue was gorgeous - it's a restored Masonic Shrine that's almost 100 years old. The Egyptian room delivers what it promises - there's a tile mosaic of Egyptian scenes around the top of the room with large (false fabric) columns on two sides. Half the room was carpet and there were chairs (thank god!) so it was easier on my injured leg.
I was very sad that I missed 3, though I heard they played the same songs. Cheetos I didn't miss in the longing sense, only in the non-viewing sense.
Due to the previous night's drama, The Dillinger Escape Plan was down to just the guitar tech on guitar. It still sounded great, but the sound wasn't quite as full. Liam's beard was still fine.
OK, I'm not just saying this: this was a Top 10 Coheed show. Seriously. Set was tight, crowd was rockin out. Fucking amazing. I would say it was my favorite live 'Suffering' ever.
After the show I got to hang out backstage like the groupie I am, so that was awesome too. I was thinking I should get someone to take my picture sitting on the couch between Travis and Claudio, but I think it was just too fangirl.

I had a fun weekend with Miss L, whom I haven't seen since she threw off the shackels of non-profit life for the down-and-out lifestyle of a graduate student. The drive back wasn't too bad. I stopped several times, including a stop in Columbus for dinner with my aunt, which was nice. Yet another sign that I'm getting old: I like Mallo Cups now.

Miles driven: ~1,300
Best gas mileage achived: ~41 mpg
Merch acquired: new 3 sticker and unicorned DEP shirt
Revenge of the Nerds songs sung by Billy that Travis wants to make into Fire Deuce songs: 1

Review: Dillinger Escape Plan 6/10/2006

#27
Saturday June 10, 2006
Dillinger Escape Plan
Haste the Day
Necrophagist
KC's, Fredericksburg VA

So this was originally to be one of my 4-shows-in-3-days HORSE viewings, but of course they dropped off of everything in June, so fuck 'em. I decided to just work all day (I really need money) so I didn't even leave for Fredericksburg until 8pm. I would have liked to have seen some of the earlier bands (Cattle Decapitation, Full Blown Chaos, etc.) but I was happy with what I did see. In the future I need to check out Dillingeresque From a Second Story Window and The Number 12 Looks Like You. Also, I really thought I would never go back to KC's though it was well worth it.

First up for me, Turko-German speed metal monsters Necrophagist. They had a pretty small crowd, but everyone up front was really into them. Their drummer is so fast! It was crazy! This is the second German band I've seen recently...weird.

I had looked up both the directions and the lineup and left both right here next to the computer at home. D'oh! So I went to drink a ($1.75!) PBR and wait for whoever was next. It turned out that it was Haste the Day, whom I haven't seen with their new frontman. OK, so in spite of my complaints about Christian singing drummer bands, I do really like Haste the Day. I like the Underoathesque sung parts and the fully metal breakdown parts. And several of them are really cute (mostly the brothers). I almost didn't recognize their bass player without that horse shirt he wore every other time I saw them. I also liked their new frontman better than the old one - he was also a better 'singer' than Jimmy and he didn't talk as much (not that there was time in a 25 minute set.

I thought people would come streaming in from all over for Dillinger, especially as they're apparently trendy now. Oh and you know who I did see? That guy from Baltimore that I HATE! The fat beady-eyed one who gets in the pit and just stumbles around like a drunk bull running into people. I hate that guy! So anyway, the first time I saw TDEP it was crazy and the last time I saw them there was fire-spitting, so I wasn't sure what to expect this time. I think the set list was pretty much the same as last time - mostly from Miss Machine with golden oldies '43% Burnt' (my favorite), 'Jim Fear' and a couple others from Calculating Infinity. I decided to stand in the back for this set because I couldn't find any earplugs and I really didn't want to be kicked in the head. I didn't see what happened, but not even 30 seconds into the opening song, one of the ceiling tiles (with duct attached) came down (which you can kinda sorta make out in the cameraphone photo above). So of course, Greg grabbed it and threw the tile into the crowd. And the rest of the band is just playing away like the always do. Then someone in the crowd got hold of the duct and started yanking on it pulling off some of the plastic stuff and spewing whatever the insulation stuff was (asbestos? fiberglass?). During a song break an attempt was made to push it back up into the ceiling but once Greg climbed up on a stack of speakers and hung upside down from the ceiling, even more duct fell out and another ceiling tile came down. They couldn't get the ducts to stay in the ceiling so it got ripped all to hell and during one of the later songs, Greg was wearing a big silver piece of flexible duct materials like a scarf. Too bad there's already a band called Total Fucking Destruction... I expected a good show from Dillinger, but I didn't expect them to literally bring the house down. Look out for a benefit show to help the poor show organizers whom I'm sure will have to pay for that. One can only hope that the video will show up on YouTube. (edit: YES!)(another)(43% Burnt footage)

Review: HORSE the band + Dillinger Escape Plan 12/10/2005

#50
December 10, 2005
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Between the Buried and Me
HORSE the band
Sonar

Fire spitting!!!

OK, now that that's out of the way: HORSE the band. Unfreakinbelievable again. I think they won over most of the audience (annoying high school girls excepted) with their crazy stage show and complex songs. The guy in front of me was headbanging like crazy. I took about a dozen terrible pictures before one of the bouncers told me I couldn't take any photos (this one is the best one, so it's just as well). The only other bad thing was that they didn't get to play very long. Oh, and the sound at Sonar is rather craptacular, but that's not their fault. I await their glorious return to the east coast. In the mean time, pick up their album 'The Mechanical Hand' - at the very least you can complete your vulture-themed mixtape.

Between the Buried and Me is fortunately not who I was thinking they were. Whew! And they're super cute. I knew several of their songs from listening to LAMetal on Live 365 all day, several days per week (when I'm not listening to Warrior Radio). I would describe them as emo (using the 1995 definition of emo, which was basically hardcore and sometimes had keyboards and singing) mixed with death metal.

Finally, headliners The Dillinger Escape Plan. I'd only seen them once before (#3) but it was so crazy! Recently they've been even more crazy! There was no heckling (good or bad) that I heard, just clanging guitars and screaming, followed by applause. I like their new stuff because it has more understandable vocals (I can only take so much sonic dissonance on its own). For me, DEP is more spectacle than musical enjoyment (although I have three of their cds). Their set was mostly from 2004's 'Miss Machine' (which I missed the cd release shows for because I was in Russia). They did play several songs off of 'Calculating Infinity' - of which '43% Burnt' is my very favorite. In addition to destroying cymbals, jumping into the audience, hanging upside down from a pipe, and throwing around equipment cases and the light box, Greg actually spit fire! It was crazy as hell! Pandemonium 2005!

I did finally pick up both 'The Mechanical Hand' (which came out the same day as GAIBSIV:VIFFTTEOM, so you can see the conflict there) and 'Miss Machine'. If I had known that DEP had totebags, maybe I wouldn't have purchased my new Rocawear bag...nah, I still would have because it's awesome (silver with all kinds of studs, a sequined heart, small zippered pockets on the front, and an inexplicable chain).

I was thinking about coming up with some kind of blog awards (either the Golden Raisin Roundies or the Geodes) - I think two of the winners are in this post....