Babes in Toyland with Ageist and Kitten Forever at First Avenue on 01.30.16
Well the new year started off on a shaky start for live music with the homecoming show of Babes in Toyland at First Avenue. More on my personal thoughts later. The line up for last night's show featured local act Kitten Forever and Brooklyn band Ageist. Here are the few photos I got from the show from my android phone.
Ageist put on a pretty fast, loud set. Audience members seemed to enjoy their set a lot. They seemed to be a good fit for the show as well as the current tour they are on with Babes in Toyland. To be honest I was more excited to be seeing Kitten Forever and Babes in Toyland last night.
The first and last time I had seen Kitten Forever was at the second Girl Germs concert event at The Turf Club. I really loved the fact that the women takes turn singing and playing drums and bass guitar. I think that is pretty innovating in music today. I have never seen that happen in my years of covering concerts and the local music scene. I also dig the fact that their music bass guitar driven. Well last night proved to me that I need to make an effort to go see Kitten Forever play. They were fantastic with their high energy brand of feminist punk rock. Their music made me think this band could have been from the '90s riot grrrl movement with their raw intensity they put into their music and live performances. The audience (which was a good mix of younger and older generations of music fans) ate up their set. Being in the front row, I had to deal with lots of bodies and elbows from the moshing going on in their sets (which was tame in comparison to Babes in Toyland's set). Watching Kitten Forever was truly a joy.
Finally was the mighty Babes in Toyland. I first saw them over the summer at Rock the Garden when Maureen was still in the band. As time went on and I have read more into the whole split between the band and Maureen, my opinion of the sudden change has definitely changed for the better. Clara Salyer (ex-Prissy Clerks) is a great fit for the band. My general impression of the trio last night was that they really enjoyed each other's company on stage as well as performing live as a band. After all these years, nothing has changed for the founding members Kat Bjelland and Lori Barbero. Kat can still wail as a vocalist and Lori can pound the drums like a beast (she remains one of my top 5 favorite drummers of all time). Their set was ferocious to say the least. I was left very satisfied with their performance.
Now on to my whole concert experience. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. As a short person, there is nothing worse than having to look over other people's shoulders so for me, there was no doubt I had to get a spot right up in front of the stage. Big mistake on my part. I was surrounded by dicks and assholes who moshed right through Babes' set. I was constantly hammered against the barrier. Had I been not near the barrier I would have been on the ground no doubt about it. I'm sorry but moshing is for assholes. Not everyone digs it and wants to actually enjoy a concert without a bunch of dicks pushing and shoving each other around. Towards the end of the show some stupid ass bitch who was wearing a tacky leopard print shirt and reminded me of a young Tammy Faye Baker pushed her way through the crowd and was practically on top of me. The constant screaming, pinching and her annoying waving made for a much unpleasant ending towards the evening. I honestly wanted to punch her in the face but at the same time I did not want to be kicked out of the club. As much as I loved Kitten Forever and Babes in Toyland's sets, last night left a foul taste in my mouth for live music. I am so over being short and trying to secure myself a good spot so I can actually see. At least when I saw Nightwish last year in Chicago, I did not have to deal with asshole moshers and drunken morons. Yes I could hardly see the band but the audience members were not total dicks. My next two major concerts are Florence and The Machine w/Grimes in June and Lush in Chicago in September. At least with Florence, I am sitting down. With Lush, it is GA. I better not have a miserable time that night like I did last night. I am so over going to concerts. The older I get, the less tolerant I am towards immature assholes who can't handle alcohol. I am now going to be super picky about what shows I am going to now. I can't deal with this crap anymore. I am 41 years old and not even five feet tall. This shit is not fun anymore.
Ageist put on a pretty fast, loud set. Audience members seemed to enjoy their set a lot. They seemed to be a good fit for the show as well as the current tour they are on with Babes in Toyland. To be honest I was more excited to be seeing Kitten Forever and Babes in Toyland last night.
The first and last time I had seen Kitten Forever was at the second Girl Germs concert event at The Turf Club. I really loved the fact that the women takes turn singing and playing drums and bass guitar. I think that is pretty innovating in music today. I have never seen that happen in my years of covering concerts and the local music scene. I also dig the fact that their music bass guitar driven. Well last night proved to me that I need to make an effort to go see Kitten Forever play. They were fantastic with their high energy brand of feminist punk rock. Their music made me think this band could have been from the '90s riot grrrl movement with their raw intensity they put into their music and live performances. The audience (which was a good mix of younger and older generations of music fans) ate up their set. Being in the front row, I had to deal with lots of bodies and elbows from the moshing going on in their sets (which was tame in comparison to Babes in Toyland's set). Watching Kitten Forever was truly a joy.
Finally was the mighty Babes in Toyland. I first saw them over the summer at Rock the Garden when Maureen was still in the band. As time went on and I have read more into the whole split between the band and Maureen, my opinion of the sudden change has definitely changed for the better. Clara Salyer (ex-Prissy Clerks) is a great fit for the band. My general impression of the trio last night was that they really enjoyed each other's company on stage as well as performing live as a band. After all these years, nothing has changed for the founding members Kat Bjelland and Lori Barbero. Kat can still wail as a vocalist and Lori can pound the drums like a beast (she remains one of my top 5 favorite drummers of all time). Their set was ferocious to say the least. I was left very satisfied with their performance.
Now on to my whole concert experience. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. As a short person, there is nothing worse than having to look over other people's shoulders so for me, there was no doubt I had to get a spot right up in front of the stage. Big mistake on my part. I was surrounded by dicks and assholes who moshed right through Babes' set. I was constantly hammered against the barrier. Had I been not near the barrier I would have been on the ground no doubt about it. I'm sorry but moshing is for assholes. Not everyone digs it and wants to actually enjoy a concert without a bunch of dicks pushing and shoving each other around. Towards the end of the show some stupid ass bitch who was wearing a tacky leopard print shirt and reminded me of a young Tammy Faye Baker pushed her way through the crowd and was practically on top of me. The constant screaming, pinching and her annoying waving made for a much unpleasant ending towards the evening. I honestly wanted to punch her in the face but at the same time I did not want to be kicked out of the club. As much as I loved Kitten Forever and Babes in Toyland's sets, last night left a foul taste in my mouth for live music. I am so over being short and trying to secure myself a good spot so I can actually see. At least when I saw Nightwish last year in Chicago, I did not have to deal with asshole moshers and drunken morons. Yes I could hardly see the band but the audience members were not total dicks. My next two major concerts are Florence and The Machine w/Grimes in June and Lush in Chicago in September. At least with Florence, I am sitting down. With Lush, it is GA. I better not have a miserable time that night like I did last night. I am so over going to concerts. The older I get, the less tolerant I am towards immature assholes who can't handle alcohol. I am now going to be super picky about what shows I am going to now. I can't deal with this crap anymore. I am 41 years old and not even five feet tall. This shit is not fun anymore.
Comments
Post a Comment