There is a phrase that we do not use at – ‘(insert band name) killed it’, simply because it is overused hyperbole. But there has always been one exception to the rule – Gwar. Part tongue in cheek, part serious, Gwar truly does ‘kill it’ on stage, the ‘it’ being the audience’s wardrobe, each of the costumed freaks on stage and the expectations of even the most fervent Gwar fans.
I have never seen Gwar before, but I knew of them in high school thanks to my friend Larry. The only song I can recall even today is “Have You Seen Me?” and whether they played it or not, I was making Gwar my destination on December 11, a birthday celebration and the best choice of a birthday show possible. Here are my takeaways from my first Gwar show at Upstate Concert Hall.
I missed American Sharks, out of Austin, but showed up in time for most of Corrosion of Conformity. Years of seeing jam bands has me convinced that an 8pm start time really means an 830 or 845 start time. But I met American Sharks and they are some quality guys with a solid first album.
The mood in Upstate Concert Hall (UCH) felt like a haunted house when Corrosion of Conformity was on stage.
Listening to CoC made me think back to Headbangers Ball in the ’90s. What a great era of MTV.
UCH is pretty much the only venue in the greater Capital District area where I would want to see a show like this.
No one was on their phones, no one was taking selfies, everyone was just standing around and staring at the band, half waiting for Gwar, half indifferent to CoC. To each their own.
There was a small mosh pit up close which I promptly got the fuck away from.
Not sure what the real title of the song is, but ‘Funky Time Push Up’ was a great song in the CoC set. Overall, a good warmup for the main act!
Tonight’s Gwar show was the third to last of their ‘Eternal Tour 2014’. I had to wonder if this meant they would mail it in or if they were ending on a high note. Ultimately, it was a high note, but regular fans could make a better call on that than a noob like me.
As the crowd gathered close to the stage, I wondered if there would be a Sea World style ‘splash zone’.
The Gwar chant from the Bohabs and Scumdogs (this is what Gwar fans call themselves I later learned) gets an A+ for the idea but C+ for execution.
An opening tribute to Oderus Urungus set a theme that went throughout the evening and brought all individual players into the spotlight for a song or two. a well deserved aspect of the show.
Thankfully this wasn’t a lame ‘Shit, Oderus isn’t here…. well lets just do the same old but without him.” It felt not so much scripted as it was a well thought out performance that brought the recently deceased Oderus (Dave Brockie) into the spotlight, but not in a ‘we’re whoring you out from the grave’ kind of way.
Two songs in and I was wondering for Vulvatron to appear.
Crowd surfing: I hadn’t seen this since Woodstock 1999, because this isn’t my scene anymore. Plus, I’m at the age where I can’t help but think ‘that’s dangerous’ even though I know what a thrill it is.
Band members have giant breasts, antlers, one is a weird knight from Gauntlet and a troll or two; what PCP fueled dream is this from?
“Genocide” – this was a great song, highlight of the night.
This is not a concert or a show; this is a performance and an incredible one at that.
How do they play/perform in such bulky costumes?
Two girls who were covered in the band’s ‘fluids’ walked by me to clean off in the bathroom. When they returned, I asked them if getting sprayed was worth it. The 19-year-old said no, but her 20-year-old friend next to her was nodding her head enthusiastically. To each their own.
The old school thrash of “Bonesnapper” was pretty awesome.
Musically, the guitarists stole the show and the drummer is solid as he drives the head banging.
Weirdest on stage appearance: giant lamprey eel meets Mac n Me, then squirts blue blood.
Vulvatron is more than just a pretty face – she has giant fake blood squirting boobs too!
There were a fair amount of couples at the show, but it was tough to tell who dragged who.
The spraying of fluids increased in distance as the night progressed. I got hit standing near the soundboard. It felt like my show experience was complete at that point.
The band has an odd infatuation with crack during their on stage banter.
Without the monologues in between the songs, the entire show would have blended together.
The use of Oderus was tasteful and not desperate, and ultimately tied the whole show together. The band exists without him but they have found a way to pay tribute to him without overdoing it.
The encore of “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys was… unexpected. I was hoping for “Carry on my Wayward Son” or “Have You Seen Me?” but I wasn’t chasing a Gwar song at my first show.
Following the encore, there were cheers and chants for Oderus, prompting Blothar implore the audience to SCREAM for Oderus. Collective community interactions abound regardless of music genre.
Altogether, this was a phenomenal show and I can’t believe it took this long to see them. I know I will see Gwar again in my lifetime – the performance is one of the most elaborate I have seen and I can’t grasp how they do this night in, night out, dozens of times a year. I can’t think of another band that puts this much work into a musical performance on this level.
Good bands and fun times seem to come out of Texas a lot these days. American Sharks are a prime example of the type of music and tour ethos that can be attributed to bands like The Sword and The Black Angels.
After their head-turning set at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY opening up for Clutch, I got to sit down with Mike Hardin (bass/vocals) and Will Ellis (guitar) to talk about touring, the fast pace the band has been coming up in the music scene, and what it means to have a good time. This was also the second interview I got to do with local musician Dustin Alexander from Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic Allstars(JCHA), bringing a “in the trenches” point of view to this article. We hope to include more local musicians talking to touring musicians in subsequent articles at .
Interview with American Sharks. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert.
Jeff Ayers: So when did the band start? Where did the band come from?
Mike Hardin: Will and I started the band a while back in Houston, Texas.
JA: Are you originally from Houston?
MH: Sort of. We are kind of from a mish-mash of place, but we are all from Texas. The band kinda started when we were living in downtown Houston. Then we moved to Austin and that’s where we met Nick [Cornetti] our drummer. After that we went through a change and became a three piece, and that would be the actual beginning of the band. From then on we changed a lot.
JA: When was this?
Will Ellis: 2009
JA: How about musical influences? What influenced you to start this project?
MH: I listen to David Bowie. Only David Bowie. [laughs]. But, I’d say Roky Erickson was a huge influence. Roky Erickson and the Aliens, specifically, was a big influence on this band.
JA: Cool. First time I heard you guys, I thought I was listening to Motorhead and Red Fang fighting. I was instantly hooked.
WE: Awesome!
JA: You guys are already making waves. Speaking of Red Fang, you have done some tours with them, and you’ve played with The Sword, and now Clutch. How has the response for you on these tours been?
WE: Yeah, very positive. It’s been really awesome man. It’s slowly getting better and better, where we show up in cities we have never played before and people are there wearing out shirts and stuff.
MH: We were touring for a few years by ourselves, and you go to cities and no one knows who you are. Now we can come to cities and there are people coming out to see us play.
JA: Well that is the name of the game right? Specifically with this tour with Clutch, I think you guys are a great fit. How did that come about, for you guys to get on this tour?
MH: We toured with Clutch and The Sword last year. Basically, we are friends with The Sword, and Kyle[Shutt] is our manager, and he was trying for us.
WE: We asked him to nudge [Clutch] a bit, asked him to give them our music. He told them they needed to see us play, so when they came through Houston, they had us play one show with them. Next thing we knew we were going out on tour with them.
Jim Gilbert: Actually, the room we are in, The Sword once set off all the fire alarms and they claimed they were only using a vaporizer.
MH: [laughs] This has happened a couple of times being on tour with The Sword actually. Once, on tour with Clutch and The Sword, Clutch was playing and the fire alarms started going off–
WE: Yeah, that place was in Athens, Georgia (The Georgia Theatre), and it had burned down years before, so everyone in the place was freaking out thinking it was burning down again
JA: Thats hilarious, I’ve met those guys and they seem like fun dudes. Speaking of the future, you guys are coming back to Upstate Concert Hall opening up for GWAR. It’s the first tour without Dave [Brockie] too. How did that tour come about?
WE: I don’t really know! Our booking agent submitted us, and it just happened.
JA: Well that is going to be an awesome tour, and I’ll be back to see you guys then.
MH: Yeah, we can’t wait.
JA: So, right before this, you wrapped up a tour with The Whores, and now Clutch, and then GWAR. How many shows a year do you think you play?
WE: Probably over 200.
JA: That is living the dream. Are you predominantly touring the U.S.?
WE: Yes, just U.S. so far.
JA: Is there anything on the horizon for other countries?
MH: Nothing set in stone. We have things we are working on, but nothing we can talk about yet.
JA: What’s next for you guys after the GWAR tour?
WE: Take a nap. [laughs] We are going to start working on our next record. It’s tough touring in the winter, so we want to hunker down and start pushing through our second record.
American Sharks. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com
JG: [speaking of Nick the drummer] I got to ask, what is like being onstage with Animal from The Muppets?
MH: Ha! No one has ever called him that before! Animal! [laughs] He does do the drums like that. That is so hilarious. I’m going to tell him that for sure.
JG: I had to look quick a couple times to see if he was using a stick or a hammer.
JA: You guys have a great stage presence.
WE: I think Animal might be his favorite drummer actually.
MH: Oh dude! I didn’t know that!
JA: Well it shows [laughs] I ask this of a lot of bands, are there any bands you just can’t stop listening to at this moment?
WE: I’ve been listening to a lot of Roedelius, Arthur Verocai, and a lot of different chill stuff. Helps keep everything nice and calm.
JA: So when you get on stage you can rage it!
MH: I almost exclusively listen to David Bowie all the time
JA: I have to ask the obligatory question: pre-Ziggy [Stardust], Ziggy, or post Ziggy?
MH: All of it. Well like late 80’s through the 90’s, there is some really terrible shit in there [laughs]. But also, there is this band called Midnight, which is a newish band and they shred. If you like Motorhead, they are like an even crazier Motorhead. They played in Austin the day we left for this tour and I was so pissed I had to miss them.
JG: Be honest, have you[Will] ever walked in on Mike in the bathroom painting a Bowie lightning bolt on his face?
MH: [laughs] Yea and we lock eyes in the mirror
WE: [laughs] No I haven’t!
JA: I am now going to throw the questions to Dusitn, a local musician from this area
Dustin Alexander: The first thing that always comes to mind is how do you toe the line between partying and having fun on tour, and feeling better the next day? Having to play night after night, how do you maintain that?
WE: I just smoke weed most of the time.
MH: Yeah. But also, to be honest, partying and playing can spiral out of control really fucking fast. People say that, and you go “Haha, VH1 Behind the Music”. It doesn’t seem real to you until you are in it, and you can see the effects [this lifestyle] can have on you. Personally, I had some very negative experiences with alcohol. Be responsible. All of the sudden you can realize that you haven’t been sober in a year, and that is not good. I feel like I’m going to die. Not in a “I’m tired” way, but in a real, I am dependent on getting drunk when I wake up until I fall asleep. That is now O.K. That happens and that’s real, and you don’t think about that [when you are starting out].
WE: You get on each other’s nerves and stuff, you are on edge because you are hungover, and you are cooped up with everyone. It’s best to choose your party nights wisely, and I mostly drink maybe a couple beers a night, and just smoke a lot of weed.
DA: I feel marijuana is almost a performance enhancing drug for touring anyways. I mean sore muscles, can’t get sleep, a little nervous? That will take care of it!
MH: [laughs] Yeah, yeah.
DA: You have pretty aggressive vocals, and to do that night after night, is there something you do to prep, or cool down?
MH: I try to drink at least a gallon of water a day. More if I can, but I am a notorious voice loser. Also, I need to get sleep. If I don’t get enough sleep, I’ll lose my voice, and that sucks. Sleep is probably the most important thing in my opinion.
DA: How do you deal with that, when your voice kicks out and you are on tour?
MH: You get pissed off. It can be pretty embarrassing when you are playing in front of a packed house and you can’t sing. It can be a little frustrating.
WE: Usually whenever his voice does give out, we get to a place so he can get some sleep, and then it can come right back.
MH: I think people don’t put enough thought behind getting sleep. If I get a full night’s rest, I’m great. I normally do, I try for a full eight hours a night. I think it works wonders, because I rarely get sick.
JG: Where do you guys get sleep on tour? Do you get hotels, or the van?
WE: It depends on the tour usually. We try to get hotels, because when we crash at people’s houses, a lot of people want to hang out and talk to you all night. We might have an eight hour drive the next morning and we won’t get enough sleep. So we have to drop a little money [for a hotel] to make sure we get our rest.
MH: When you are on tour with a band like Clutch, they have a bus. So they route the tour based on that. All of us would rather spend money on a hotel than laying in a ditch because we flipped our van because we were so tired. It’s not worth it.
DA: A question about your bass rig. Are you running through and overdrive pedal or anything?
MH: Oh yeah! I use a pedal called the assmaster. [laughs]. It’s like B: assmaster. It’s made by Malekko. It’s 250 dollars, so it’s a little pricey, but it’s totally worth it. It’s the best thing I’ve found.
DA: Yeah it sounds thick, and you weren’t losing anything in the mix. It sounded gnarly.
MH: It has a really great bass boost on it, and you can make a lot of adjustments on it too.
DA: I play bass and sing at the same time like yourself. Do you find that singing sometimes gets in your way, because you might want to play a heavier bass line, but you have to worry about singing too?
MH: Oh for sure. But most of the time, the way we try and write music, it by simplifying and making it a little more accessible. Especially being a three piece, I don’t have to be [so busy]. As long as the bass is driving and thick, I can leave the other stuff to Will, because he has magic fingers. But I know what you mean, because sometimes there is a part in my head that I want to play, but I can’t because I’m doing a lot of singing there as well.
JG: Where did the idea for short songs come about, most of your songs top out around two or three minutes.
MH: The thoughts complete at that point. We don’t have to keep dragging on.
WE: We try to cut all the bullshit out of the writing.
MH: The Beatles, they were writing two minute songs, and they were great. The Ramones as well. Why should we try for more if we can get out what we want in that timeframe.
American Sharks at Upstate Concert Hall. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com
JG: You guys are on tour 200+ days a year, can you give us one hilarious story from the road?
MH: We were on tour with The Sword one time, and we were going through Albuquerque, but we weren’t playing there, so we all stayed there for the night. I don’t know if you have ever been there, but it is a crazy kind of city, there is definitely something in the air or the water. We get a hotel and all get rooms on the same floor right next to each other, and we are going to party all night. So we go to this strip club, and get kicked out. [laughs]. Well first Kyle from The Sword gets kicked out of a bar, in the beginning of the night. We were already loaded and they wouldn’t serve him and they are like “Get out of here!” So we show up and Kyle is in the streets so mad, screaming “Let me back in” and another dude from the bar is apologizing profusely because he knows he is in The Sword. So we go down to this strip club, and we are hanging out, doing strip club stuff, you know, and how does the rest of this go?
WE: We had a guy on tour, our camera guy, and I was gone at another bar when they first got to the strip club. When I showed up, there was this woman trying to stab our camera guy with her stiletto, and everybody’s holding her back and she’s screaming about money. Apparently he got one dance, and she said it was like five dance, and the bouncers are telling everyone to get out. So I acted like I wasn’t friends with any of them, and sat down at this other chair and finished my drink.
MH: So we were pretty wasted and we met all these people from Albuquerque and we all went back to our rooms on the top floor and had a raging party. All the classics that you would do if you were, say Van Halen, we did all of those things. I literally fell to the carpet at one point and passed out.
In Upstate New York, it is that special time of the year again. Time for the leaves to change, the nights to get colder, and Clutch to return to the area. For much of their 24 years of playing, they have managed to always make Upstate a stop on their tours. Good thing too, because this area absolutely loves the band and comes out in droves to witness their pure rock fury.
Neil Fallon of Clutch
Upstate Concert Hall, the premier club in the area to bring acts like this around consistently, was on point for this show. Their great security staff kept the patrons safe, the fine bartenders kept everyone’s thirst at bay, and the stage crew kept the whole thing running smoothly. Without establishments of this calibre, audiences would not be able to see so many great acts come to their town.
First up for the night was American Sharks from Texas. A three-piece consisting of a bassist/vocalist, guitarist and drummer, they took the stage to an already half-packed room at 8:00 PM. Before exploding into their first song, the singer told the crowd he was betrayed, and with tongue in cheek, said that he was drinking vodka instead of water all night. This was a good gauge as to the type of fun the band had on stage, and the infectious riff-rock music they played. Hints of Alice Cooper, Motorhead, and Red Fang permeated their sound, and the audience ate it up. Driving guitar and bass riffs helmed each song, short and sweet at about two or three minutes in length. The drummer was the most mesmerizing, hitting his skins like a crazed caveman, then walking away from his set after each song to stare it down, eager to beat it into submission on the next one. At one point, the atmosphere was like a zombie prom, or a romanticized punk rock show, with groups of people feeling the grooves and infecting nearby fans to dance and sway with them. The fast-paced rock was peppered with trippy instrumental nuggets, giving a big, full sound from the band. “We have a few more warm up songs before we get to the set” the singer would say from time to time, gaining chuckles from the audience and increasing the good vibes of the show.
Lionize hit the stage next, a stellar act off of Clutch’s label, Weathermaker Records. In fact, their sound was very parallel to Clutch, with big groovy hooks and funk riffs, littered with a commanding vocal presence. Some songs made use of reggae-esque timing and vocals, while other songs produced full-on southern metal assaults. They were a contrast from American Sharks’ two minute sonic attacks, as Lionize played longer epics that were full of sound. A little bit for everyone, bouncing between burn-up-the-road heavy jams to introspective, keyboard-heavy, funk ballads. Relying heavily on their newest album’s material, they delighted the now almost-packed house of Upstate Concert Hall with their musical prowess.
With the lights down and a rowdy backtrack song ushering Clutch onstage, the crowd was whipped instantly into a frenzy. A fast four count from their drummer Jean-Paul Gaster broke directly into set opener, “Cyborg Betty”, off their new album Earth Rocker. Neil Fallon picked up his mic and slid right into his onstage preacher persona, gesturing madly at the audience with each cadence. They easily had the best sound of the night, and possibly one of the best sounding stage performances ever at this venue. A straight four-piece band, fans were able to pick out the guitars, bass and drum riffs with ease from wherever they were in the tightly packed room. By the time the band hit “Crucial Velocity”, both in song title and in intensity, the crowd was mere putty in Clutch’s collective hands. A brand new song was unfurled at this show, and possible a few others on this tour, and Neil belted out “Decapitation Blues” with poise and determination that seemed like they had been playing it for years. It featured the first full on guitar solo of the night, and Tim Sult’s expertise washed over an already incredible array of sounds.
I was lucky enough to be backstage before Clutch went on, and heard Jean-Paul warming up like a well-wound clock. It showed on stage, too, because coupled with an epic bottom floor held down by Dan Maines, is a tight-as-nails rhythm section that is unparalleled in this type of music. Screaming “Fire it up, Yeah that’s the ticket now kick out the jams” as they launched into crowd favorite “Mice and Gods” reflected exactly what was happening that night.
The crowd was full of happy faces, all mesmerized by the sheer brilliance of the heavy, powerful rock and funk that was being bestowed upon them. At times Neil would chew his jaw like a grandfather telling you an important story, or he would get more worked up and anoint the crowd with his microphone. If you have never seen Clutch live, it is an experience akin to something almost religious, as you feel better afterward like you could take on anything. The ethos of the band are summed up perfectly in the title track of “Earth Rocker”, as he sings “If you are gonna do it, do it on the stage, or don’t do it at all.” This isn’t a band that uses backing tracks or loops. They produce all the high-octane intensity directly in front of the audience, no smoke and mirrors. There was no signs of slowing down an hour into the set either, as they brought out acoustic guitars, with Neil on a beautiful hollow body for “Gone Cold”. Finishing out the night with a two song encore and giving props to the two openers, Clutch proved, once again, why it is always a treat to see them in Upstate New York.
Clutch will be on tour throughout September, check their website for dates and tickets.
Setlist: Cyborg Betty, Book Saddle and Go, Crucial Velocity, Burning Beard, Decapitation Blues, Mob Goes Wild, Mice and Gods, Profits of Doom, Power Player, I Have the Body of John Wilkes Booth, The Yeti, Texan Book of the Dead, Unto the Breach, Earth Rocker, Cypress Grove, Gone Cold.
Encore: D.C. Sound Attack, Electric Worry
Dan Maines (Clutch) at Upstate Concert Hall. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com
American Sharks at Upstate Concert Hall. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com
It’s that time of year again. Heavy Earth Rockers, Clutch, are returning to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, New York on Saturday, Sept. 6. The band will likely hold court to a packed house, as they seem to bring out fans from all corners of the state and beyond every time they grace the stage at UCH.
Joining them on this tour will be Lionize, a tight, riff heavy outfit from Maryland. Their new album, Jetpack Soundtrack, is full of their usual sci-fi metaphors coupled with intense hard rock. But this album is a little different, as the band and their sound have matured over the last ten years. It was also co-produced by Jean-Paul Gaster, the drummer of Clutch, adding to the explosive percussive energy this album emits.
Also opening up is American Sharks, a driving heavy rock band, reminiscent of the glory days of Motorhead. Both American Sharks and Lionize round out a night of guitar-heavy, full on rock that is sure to be a show not to miss. Upstate Concert Hall brings quality entertainment to the area, and a Clutch show is one that many faithful patrons frequent every single year.
Clutch continues to return because of the overwhelming response they have gotten from this area. Blues driven, heavy rock riffs coupled with a stunning vocal assault are what make these shows so much fun. If you are a fan of heavy music, or music that moves you, this is the show for you. If you are already a fan of Clutch, both openers promise to deliver in a big way, and might make you fans of them as well. Thanks to Step Up Presents for bringing this band back again and again.
Tickets can be bought through Ticketmaster or through the Upstate Concert Hall box office.
First up for the night was 
