Portland, Oregon- When Neurosis announced two shows at the Hawthorne Theater that would take place during the Thanksgiving break, it was a no-brainer for me to book a flight and skip town.
In December, 1985, as a 16 year old, I was told of an upcoming gig featuring CLOWN ALLEY and pre-Neurosis outfit VIOLENT COERCION at a shithole in San Francisco called Club Foot. At the time, I had to ask myself if I had the $3.00 for BART? (Hop the gate getting to the city, but had to pay full fare on the return.) Did I have the $3.00 for the show? Yes. Did I have $3.00 for the Violent Coercion demo? No. My friend and I split it, chipping in $1.50 each.
Fast forward 31 years later, and I am asking myself similar questions: Do I have the $300 for the flight? Do I have $300 for the hotel? Do I have X Amount for Neurosis merch? Yes.
I researched Portland's Hawthorne Theater via Yelp beforehand, just to see what I was getting into. The reviews had me frozen- The bouncers are dicks, the sound sucks, there's no ventilation. As usual, the online whining turned out to be entirely untrue, and I am eager to return.
"Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?"
-Woody Allen, Annie Hall
Kowloon Walled City
Both nights featured the same triple bill of NEUROT RECORDING artists- Neurosis/Yob/Kowloon Walled City. All three bands delivered their sets with heavy precision on both nights. I'd seen San Francisco's Kowloon Walled City once before, opening for the very same headliner at the Great American Music Hall in 2014.
The shows commenced precisely on time Friday and Saturday, with Kowloon Walled City hitting the stage at 2000 Hrs... From the get-go, their songs are pounding- 'Your Best Years,' from their latest album GRIEVANCES was a particular standout. On the second night, when they walked out onstage to the closing strains of THE MELVINS' cover of 'Going Blind,' (KISS,) it was the perfect setup. From what I could see, they sold a lot of merchandise, even after explaining "Our merch is over there....Because we're the opening band!"
Yob
As for YOB, man, they are so fucking crushing!!! They're from Eugene, OR, so I am pretty sure they had a lot of hometown fans in the house. Veterans of at least three CLASSIC record labels that I know of- Metal Blade, Southern Lord, and Neurot. Not a bad resume'.
The trio was a highlight back in 2012 at The Fox Theater in Oakland, opening for Neurosis, and they killed in Oregon as well.
The rhythm section of bassist Aaron Rieseberg and drummer Travis Foster kick ass; of course it's singer/guitarist Mike Scheidt that is quite the force. He is a guitar virtuoso, if that is possible in the Doom genre. His singing can range from a Biff Byford wail to a death metal roar. The audience was mesmerized both nights, but for me the highlight was the 20-minute renditions of 'Marrow,' from the 'Clearing The Path To Ascend' album. Man, this music is so empowering!
However, let's get to what this trip is all about: NEUROSIS, playing two SOLD OUT shows.
Anyone who gambled that Neurosis would perform the same set list both nights to save some money and attend only one show....LOST. There was some rotation and changing it up, which was a killer bonus.
For years, one of my favorite parts of the show is when the band members walk onstage to tune their instruments, tweak the microphone placement, and adjust their pedals while barely acknowledging members of the audience. It is such a concentrated routine, and reminds me of the dark cloud that comes over my head before the band goes on.
On both Friday and Saturday nights, the sets commenced at 2230 Hrs., with Noah Landis walking onstage and giving longtime soundman Dave Clark and the light person the pyramid signal, meaning it is time to darken the venue and start the show.
Set List #1:
Given To The Rising
Stones From The Sky
Bending Light
Lost
Broken Ground
Fire Is The End Lesson
The Casting of The Ages
Distill (Watching The Swarm)
At The Well
Locust Star
-Given To The Rising- This transported me back to 2007; the opening number of the album with the same name. "Let us rest...," said Scott Kelly, brandishing a #12 Oakland Raiders jersey emblazoned with THE SNAKE on back, a/k/a the immortal Ken Stabler.
During the final few minutes of this one, the entire band was going off. They were there to kill, and the audience responded accordingly. Noah seems intent on destroying his keyboard setup, I have no idea how it survived.
-Stones From The Sky- The haunting closer from 2001's 'A Sun That Never Sets.' Once again, this is Kelly on lead vocals, though Steve von Till joined in for the "You've been shown, over and over, don't you know?" refrain. From there, the song becomes an instrumental with drummer Jason Roeder pounding it our pretty hard and the rest of the band slashing chords in a repetitive meltdown.
-Bending Light- I traveled this far hoping to hear some new songs, and I would not be disappointed. Over the course of two nights, we would be treated to 4/5ths of the 'Fires Within Fires' album, and the metaphorical opening line of "This restless sea is breaking me" is something I identify with since I work on the The Bay. "The end is endless and washing over me..."
The new songs blending in very well with the rest of the set. The audience knew what was up; they gave every song the proper respect.
(A sidebar about 'Fires Within Fires:' People claim that the music industry is dying, but this is the first Neurosis album since Enemy of The Sun that I was able to buy the CD and the vinyl on release day IN A RECORD STORE. (And even the cassette if I wanted that too.) I like that the album is a scant 40 minutes and only 5 songs. The band claimed they wanted to trim the fat and they did.)
-Lost- It was the fourth number where von Till got the mic and built it up until Dave Edwardson gets to pronounce us all 'Lost' with his stentorian judgment. This is the 'Enemy of The Sun' classic that made me a fan for life when I saw this performed at the Berkeley Square in March, 1994.
Back then, it was a Steve with long, snaky dreads and Dave Ed sporting equally long sinewy locks. I think this song is now being performed better than ever and that maybe clean(er) living has something to do with it.
Noah's First Show!
-Broken Ground- This is the perfect mix of Country Rock and Heavy Doom, if that makes any sense. Neurosis previewed this on tour in Europe prior to the 'Fires Within Fires' release, and after checking it out on Youtube, couldn't wait to hear the final product.
We only got this one night in Oregon, and it's rich tones were much appreciated.
-Fire Is The End Lesson- When I heard this for the first time when I got the new album, I couldn't believe how psychotic it was. It's a bumpy ride. I thought the middle section was a cello, but it's von Till manipulating his guitar to sound that way.
I filmed a one minute segment during the instrumental part, and the band is banging it out so hard, you would swear that the footage is speeded up. It's uncanny. The crowd looks speeded up too, nodding their heads in unison.
-The Casting of The Ages- For some reason, I didn't think I'd get to hear this live. Four years after it was first released, I get to check it out. The Portland crowd ate this one up. Wow, Noah just goes off on the keyboard/noise, and it filled the hall with an all-encompassing presence. This one is buried in the latter half of 2012's 'Honor Found In Decay,' an album that featured the welcome return of simultaneous Scott/Steve vocals. The lyrics tell an epic story, I'll leave it up to you to investigate it.
-At The Well- Motherfucker!!!! I first saw/heard this at the Great American Music Hall two nights in a row in January, 2011, almost two years before 'Honor's' release. I will look to Decibel Magazine's recent Neurosis issue and quote Yob frontman Mike Scheidt on HIS reaction to first hearing this song:
"In 2011, when Yob was opening for Neurosis in Portland, we heard them soundcheck 'At The Well.' It was the first time we heard any of the new material, and we kept saying to each other, 'They did it again...'"
Jason Roeder is so loud on the buildup, it brings to mind what one of the band members recently said in a magazine- "In the early days, we had to buy bigger amps so we wouldn't be drowned out by Jason."
-Locust Star- The memorable crusher. This is the first time (I think) I've seen them close with the 'Through Silver In Blood' classic.
At 0015 hours, the show was over!
Set List #2
Lost
The Web
A Shadow Memory
Distill (Watching The Swarm)
Fire Is The End Lesson
Takeahnase
At The End of The Road
Bending Light
The Doorway
Through Silver In Blood
(In the past, many shows would begin with Pete Inc.'s or Josh Graham's visuals commencing the the set and Noah triggering some unearthly sample so that there was already a psychic barrage before one note was even played. It is quite a site to witness the band circa 2016 walk out onto a darkened stage amidst silence until...."Are you lost?")
-The Web- This is a 'Souls At Zero' favorite that has NOT been treated like a distant relative through the years. Through the years, it has managed to occasionally muscle its way into the set, and the results never disappoint. As a struggling, suffering 20-something, I COMPLETELY identified with the opening line "Leave Me Demons Did I Want You..."
-A Shadow Memory- "When life has exhausted the casting of shadows..." Another deceptive number that lures you in with a clean guitar before pounding you over the head. Track #2 on the new album, with some eerie sounds under the surface provided by Mr. Landis. The 'Fires Within Fires' numbers sound really tight live, which is surprising, only because I don't think the band is rehearsing five days a week. I don't know how they do it, besides collective consciousness.
-Distill (Watching The Swarm)- This one went over well both nights, and I was able to decode the sources of sounds, including Dave Ed's bass scrapes that fill the hall during the 'quiet' part. It's all von Till on vocals though, and the crowd banged along with this one in a near-frenzy.
-Takeahnase- I'm pretty certain this one went through a 20-year retirement until it was re-ignited at the 30th Anniversary shows in San Francisco earlier this year. (In fact, on that first night at the Regency Ballroom, someone tapped me on the shoulder and asked "Did you see the set list??? Takeahnase!!!!" It was news to me and a welcome return.)
-At The End of The Road- Now, I need this explained to me. How can a song that is ALREADY powerful quadruple in power nine years after it was first unveiled? I've seen them open with this one, after thinking it as a non-opener. Saturday night, the dynamics almost imploded the building, it was that strong. (This isn't bullshit hype!!!! I saw it with my own eyes!)
-The Doorway- This is the only number from 'Times of Grace' that would rear it's wolf's head over the two night residency. "That night I saw a burial train..." Every time I ride a BART train through West Oakland, I can see Soundwave Studios off in the distance. This is where the album was conceived over many months back in 1998.
At the Hawthorne Theater, the headbanging was intense during the slow part, and even a pit started during this one.
"Don't Crawl Seek His Burn of War..."
-Through Silver In Blood- The conclusion of 'The Doorway' was so drawn out, with instruments on the brink of being destroyed, I feared that it would be the last number. In the darkness, though, I could see two stand up drum kits being brought out on stage. Ah, yes. Through Silver In Blood.
A 13-minute song that the band once said of, "You play that one 300 times, and you will end up with one hell of a headache." I believe it.
Summon any Youtube video from the 1996-1997 tour and you will see grown men attempting to kill themselves with intensity. It's scary. Hopefully, time and sanity have made this crowd favorite not so detrimental to perform. What a way to close the show. Portland was graced with two nights and a combined three and a half hours of post-apocalyptic brilliance.
The crowd roared it's approval at the conclusion, and the lights came up. I exited the theater into the rainy night, replaying in my head what I just witnessed while I walked back to the hotel.
