Between the Buried & Me - Live @ Blender Theater w/ HORSE the Band, Animosity, Giant [10/31/07]

Halloween in New York City is quite an experience, and a show on Halloween is no exception.

The first band up was Giant from North Carolina. Giant is serious business; no costumes here, just a powerful, epic, crushing wall of sound in the vein of Isis or Pelican. I was enjoying it, but after a few songs, the crowd began to get antsy (maybe their costumes were already getting itchy?).

They started shouting, "Next!" and "You suck!" Giant certainly didn't suck nor did they hog the stage. I think the two tough guys in the crowd dressed like gigantic boobs were getting impatient and started the heckling (you can't please that kind of guy unless you're a girl with huge boobs).


Next, Animosity "Bobble Head Edition 2008" almost tore the room in half. Intense and pummeling, there were no complaints from the crowd here. They started chanting "one more set" at the end, and that's pretty impressive for an opening band.



[HORSE the Band]

Whatever your feelings are on HORSE the Band (that keyboard can really get up my ass), they should be commended for showmanship. Dressing like Disney characters and decorating the stage with a giant inflatable turkey and horse and carriage, the singer-- in a revealing "Little Mermaid" outfit-- danced the Hukilau to their songs. And more amusing than the keyboardist's typically violent head-banging was his violent head-banging while tripping over the flowing evening gown he was wearing.


[Between the Buried & Me]

Then the headliners. I've seen Between the Buried & Me a number of times now and I have never been disappointed. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see them headlining a tour since they're impressively skilled musicians. I was looking forward to them having the freedom of a headlining slot where they could play what they felt like (or hopefully what I felt like: a half hour version of "Selkies: The Endless Obsession" from their 2005 release Alaska.

They played their entire new album Colors and I got my "Selkies" as an encore. Honestly I probably could have sat there for another hour just listening. Fantastic! Those hillbillies sure can rock.

- Jesse Angelo

[MP3] Animosity "You Can't Win"
[MP3] HORSE the Band "Sex Raptor"
[MP3]* Between the Buried & Me "Song"

* No BTBAM MP3's were available, quite possibly because Tony Brummel is an asshole (or so we've heard).