May Day

Mastodon / Gojira / Kvelertak
The Fox Theater, Oakland, California
May 1, 2014

This was one of those rare all killer, no filler bills featuring 3 bands that fall into Umlaut's favorite category.  Attending shows at The Fox was made infinitely more surgical when Rudy's Can't Fail opened next door; pre-gig food and libations was never easier.  I don't know if it's merely a coincidence but it seems like guest lists always arrive late at The Fox.  I'm not saying this to slam anybody.. but it's odd.. but in the end everything usually works out fine.  If only all shows were this easy:

According to the Umlaut Archives this was the 3rd time I've seen Kvelertak.  Due to the slight Will Call drama and the early set time,  I missed the first song or two of Kvelertak's short 30 minute set... which was a bummer because I've come to be a huge fan of these Norwegians.  I always enjoy when an opening band takes over a stage and makes it their own and that's what Kvelertak did.  There was a decent crowd on the main floor to urge them on, but our pre-show meal was longer than their set.  Given the circumstances, I was just happy to have seen these warriors from the North again.  However, I did miss the owl mask which left me feeling empty.

According to the Umlaut Archives this was the 5th time I've seen Gojira.  The Frenchmen were as brutal as always and had more stage production than the headliner which was interesting. The set's 2nd song 'The Heaviest Matter of the Universe' was quintessential and the best I've ever seen the band lay it down.  Yes, their songs all tend to sound blast-beaty samey, but I admire how they can generate pit action that is as frothy as a café au lait at a Parisian cafe in the Spring.  Croissant 'N Roll!

According to the Umlaut Archives this was the 16th time I've seen Mastodon, which is hard to believe.  It's weird how trivia like that pops up after you've been following a band for 10 years.  They opened with the vintage 'Hearts Alive' and it reminded me there was a time when I was annoyed that Mastodon basically "borrowed" so much from Neurosis (song structures.. vocal stylings..).  I stopped short of calling it plagiarism because Scott and Steve of Neurosis both played on Mastodon albums.  If they didn't have a problem then neither did I and once I got past that I became a Mastodon fan.  Compared to past tours the staging was stripped down simple with no video screeens... but they did break out the lasers mid-set.  Tonight also featured a nicely compelling setlist that pretty much spanned the band's entire discography but did not include 'Blood And Thunder'... but did debut the great new song 'High Road'.  Speaking of "high".. there was alot of pot smoke being generated by the crowd.  Contact.  High.

If you bought one of every Mastodon merch item you would have paid around $350.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags.  As I was typing this I realized just how much I've been around Mastodon over the past 10 years and I had not really thought about it until now.  It's interesting how 16 shows in 10 years fly by just.. like... that.

 

[From the Umlaut Archives]

Norwegian Wood

Kvelertak
Slim's, San Francisco
May 7, 2013

Prior to the show I met some old friends for dinner on Valencia Street in The Mission.  It was a good time where the meal conversation started with cannibalism and went on from there.   I guess a few people looked at us funny because one of my dinner companions sings those songs they play on Rock radio all the time.  After dinner we few, we happy few, jumped into an SUV and headed to Slim's.  Unfortunately our meal ran late and we missed the opening bands... which was a bit of a bummer because I dig Black Tusk.  Sorry, guys.

Since all Norwegians look and sound the same to me sometimes, I kind of thought of Kverlertak as Turbonegro with better album art.  I now know that I was wrong.   We walked in the back door of Slim's to stand at stage left in the usual "guest" area.   However, in a surreal turn of events we were soon joined by a film crew and at least 3 normal looking press photographers.  We were soon informed that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess of Norway were attending the show.  I shit you not.   We were told this at least 3 times and I got the drift that we were to keep the aisle clear for their arrival.  Then not long before Kvelertak's onstage time the backstage door opened and in breezed the royal couple from Norway!  WTF..

Kvelertak meets the Norwegian Royal Couple at Slim's

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Bizarre... but it must be kind of cool to live in a country with legitimate royalty that can be traced back hundreds of years... and that royalty will come to see your Metal band.   Also, to the royal couple's credit, they stayed for Kvelertak's entire set and watched from the crowd.  Impressive.

(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Pretty cool royalty if you ask me... but they stole the thunder from the local Metal royalty who were also in the house.. namely the guy who sings 'Master Of Puppets' and that other guy who is also known as The General.

Call me a poser but I haven't gotten the new Kvelertak album yet, but enough material was played off of their debut album so my head was in the game.  Kvelertak seemed to step things up several notches and they put on one of the best sets I've seen in awhile.  I'm a sucker for the band's Punk Metal hybrid and having 3 guitarists is not overkill at all; it allows the band to be more frenetic onstage than a lesser band.   As the band flies around the stage there are 2 guitarists covering the sound if the 3rd axe dude messes up.   Combine that with awesome caveman vocalist Erlend Hjelvik leading the charge and Kvelertak are the type of band that makes me want to follow them around... because with that kind of energy no two shows can be alike.  Such a great live band, man... and another weird part of the night was that the band's temporary drummer on this tour is the son of Max Weinberg (Yes... Bruce Springsteen's drummer).. and the kid is great.  Crazy, man.

Umlaut is laughing with The Prince not at him..

I didn't do a merch audit and the merch line after the show was not moving fast enough so I gave up.  I had tried to beat the crowd and buy merch mid-set... but there was no one working the merch stand!  Oh well... I tried to give the Norwegians some American dollars.  On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag  As great as Scandinavia is for creating Metal bands have you ever had their salty licorice?  It's disgusting...  Anyway, cue this song of course:

Click HERE to read the official news report from Norway Today.