It’s been a little over a week since the Scion Rock Fest flooded our town, and I’ve had time to collect my thoughts I recorded during that time. Not the best grammar or creativity, as most of the notes were recorded under the influence.
We arrived at 10:30 AM, after a delicious breakfast at Ria’s Bluebird. I had the Bionic Breakfast. It was great. What wasn’t great was the line, which was quickly wrapping around the Masquerade, and then some. So we stood in line, stood in line, and stood in line. It didn’t begin moving ‘til around noon. I blame Mastodon.
While in line, Dave Edwardson of Neurosis recognized my best man, Tracy. I guess Tracy had booked one of Neurosis’ first shows in Birmingham and they had history. Pretty soon we, well Tracy, was chatting it up with the entire band and spitting memories. Instantly, I was jealous. I’m sure Tracy could’ve easily talked them into All Access passes, or merch, or something, but didn’t. I respect that. They bounced and it was back to the line.
The line is really moving at noon, and we finally get into the venue. I observe “full liquor bars” upon entering and a couple people already slushed at noon. It bums me out. Mastodon had brought the trash with them. I saw some dude wearing these pants.
I have to piss (had to for the last 2 hours) while Kylessa is setting up. The Port-O-John is closest, so I mozy. I enter, and instantly unleash. Soon, I realize I’m standing in a thick cloud of second-hand marijuana smoke. I’m probably the most-affected, contact-buzz-getting, loather of “weed” on Planet Earth. I finish the piss, and am high, which makes me pissed. I walk over to my boys and complain, then swiftly consume everything I brought with me for the entire day, even though I’m not generally hungry.
Kylessa plays — they are OK. I’ve seen them open countless shows. Stuck around just to get a good spot for Torche, who slayed. Very tight. It was nice to actually “hear them” as the last 2 times I’ve seen them, they were “too loud” for the venue. Someone next to us started smoking marijuana during their set and I got higher.
We trudge through the Masquerade’s bullshit “traffic system” to find somewhere to sit. Everyone playing during this, sucked. We wait 40 minutes on patio seating, which proves worthy. I sit down and send one of my minions for a beer, which I had planned not to drink all day, but couldn’t deal with being involuntarily stoned any longer. While the minion was on his beer mission, some tanked kid sat at our table and started polishing off the backwash from the numerous PBR tall boys left on the table. Tracy and I were gagging.
Some tool from Newnan asks Tracy for a cigarette, and is denied. The scene gets tense, and violent, and I’m about ready to watch someone bleed. Doesn’t happen.
Tracy needed food, and we’d heard there was a Moe’s — which was good, because I was high, and hungry again. Hung out with some sXe vegans I respect. I was “high,” chugging PBR, and could focus on nothing — they probably thought I was from Saturn.
Tracy returns with Moe’s and I consume the most tasteless Tofu & Rice burrito I’ve ever had. It might have tasted if I had tossed salsa all over it but my indisposed brain couldn’t process that. Fuck it.
Some metal dude sits at our table and I try to chat with him about Black Metal. He keeps pimping “Withered” to me, and I tell him I just can’t get into it because of their name. He mentions “Cradle of Filth,” and we bounce.
Went to Hell - no pun intended - to get ready for our two exciting acts of the day. None other than “Withered” was playing. I’ll be nice to “Withered.” “Withered” closes their set, and the I.Q. in the room suddenly rises. We move front row.
Krallice is setting up. Tracy and I have been digging on the self-titled for some time. They didn’t fuck off, and were just ready. Epic. I believe I heard some new material. Mick Barr is probably the “unmetalist” looking guy at Scion and kills it. I’ve almost flown to NY just to see them play — after this it would be justified. They don’t play “Forgiveness in Rot” and I’m not sure the crowd would have got it, anyway. Thanks, Krallice, for such supreme musicianship.
We stay right the fuck where we are. Wolves in the Throne Room is next. If there’s two WitTR fanboys on Earth, it’s us. We’ve been talking about this moment for months.
I got to see WitTR in 2007, when they opened for Jesu, and that’s been my favorite show, period. They played Tracy’s city the next day, and he managed to miss them, but see Jesu — so this is a moment for him. Do your research on the band if you haven’t, as they have an interesting story. They’re everything I admire in Black Metal as a genre.
Nathan, the Hobbit, comes onstage, spreads his legs in a wide stance, and they go into “Queen of Borrowed Light.” A fucking eruption. Walls of blistering, melodic, doomed sound. Skills. I saw none of their act, embarrassingly, because I lost myself in some neck thrusting trance. All I remember was completely enjoying myself. The new bassist added a ton, and they played the show without synths. Fine by me. The close it with “Vastness and Sorrow” and nearly kill everyone. Flawless show.
I would have paid for a $100 ticket to see the last couple bands play back-to-back like that.
Time for Neurosis. We go outside, and it’s dark now. Neurosis is already on and we’re not going to get a decent spot. The spot I’m standing in is now within a cloud of second-hand marijuana smoke. God dammit. Neurosis was tight, of course, until this drunk asshole comes up to us and won’t leave us alone. He is bugging us, doesn’t know any of the bands playing, but has “heard of Mastadon,” and worst of all, has an All Access Pass. He keeps telling us he “loves us” and “respects us.” I realize that this is the same bastard who asked Tracy for a cigarette. Six minutes into it, I text Tracy and ask him for “$20 to uppercut him and steal his pass.” Tracy replied with “Only have $16 … Should I ask him for the rest?” The kid has enough of our power scowls and disappeared, back stage, to a heavenly view for a band we’ve been into well over a decade.
We bounce and hit up Village Pizza (best pizza I’ve ever had from them), being stoned again and all. I’d rather pay to see Neurosis. In fact, I doubt I’ll ever peep a free show again. All in all, I’m stoked I got to see Torche, a bit of Boris (sadly — not the show for Boris at all), a bit of Baroness, Krallice, WitTR, and of course Neurosis. I unfortunately missed A Storm of Light. I’m upset we missed Converge, but whatever — I’ve seen them like 6 times, and would rather see them with their dedicated crowd. Also had hopes of seeing Nachtmystium and 1349 just for fun, but alas, I got stoned.
Thanks, Scion… I have absolutely no idea who the fuck will buy your automobiles that attended that show, but thank you.
Wolves in the Throne Room
Amesoeurs
Sunn O)))
Dälek
Austere
Aidan Baker & Tim Hecker - “Fantasma Parastasie”
AmenRa - “Mass IIII”
Belong - “Colorless Record”
Final - “Fade Away”
Jesu - “Why Are We Not Perfect?”
Krallice - “Krallice”
Lifelover - “Konkurs”
Lull - “Like a Slow River”
Lurker of Chalice - “Lurker of Chalice (Reissue)”
Lustmord - “[Other]”
Nadja - “Desire In Uneasiness”
Nadja - “Thaumoradiance”
Russian Circles - “Station”
Wolves in the Throne Room - “Two Hunters (LP)”
Wrath of the Weak - “Alogon”
Fear Falls Burning - “Frenzy of the Absolute”
Jesu/Envy - “Split”
Leviathan - “A Silhouette in Splinters”
Nordvargr - “Helvete”
Nortt - “Galgenfrist”
Wedard - “Wo die Ewigkeit die Zeit Berührt”
Windy Weber - “I Hate People”
5ive - “Hesperus”
