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It's only the second time I've seen The Twinemen. The first time (also opening for Concrete Blonde, oddly enough), I was (understandably, I think) somewhat focused on the ways in which they are and aren't like Morphine. Now I can just let them be The Twinemen. They're awesome musicians, with the standout parts for me being Dana Colley's mighty sax work and Laurie Sargent's gorgeous voice and jazzy singing. Their songs have a great, smokey groove, the kind that grabs you by the pelvis and pulls. It's all pretty down-tempo, so that late in the set I'm starting to wish for something to shake me up a bit. But then Dana plays some fiercely awesome harmonica on the last song--possibly the best I've ever heard--and I'm suitably shaken.
Johnette Napolitano is mad as hell, and she's not going to take it any more! Concrete Blonde's entire set is laced with angry political rants, both between songs and within them. She periodically chastises herself to shut up and play music, but then she bursts out ranting again, and we're right there with her. As how could we not be? That raw, take-no-prisoners passion is what makes a Concrete Blonde show the incredible experience that it is. She goes for broke on every god-damned song, wailing and screaming and clawing at the sky. The rest of the band is really good, too--drums solid and competent, and guitar sort of quietly excellent--and I try to make a point of paying attention to what the guitar is doing, because it really is very interesting, but when Johnette is singing there's just no attention left for anything else. Tonight's set mixes rarities, songs from the new album, and a few more familiar ones. I only just notice tonight that a lot of these songs don't really have advanced or intricate melodies. Maybe that's why I've always found them inconsistent on record. But it's really all about the delivery. She's so consistently fierce and fiery, with her rich, low growl; her pretty, delicate top end; and that incredible belted wail in between. And she never, ever, ever takes anything easy. Even when they leave the stage looking wrung out and spent, they come back for an encore of "Joey" that kicks every ass in the place.
