Not many bands in the small print at Heavy Montreal have garnered as much press and critical acclaim as Wilson. Since we at Montreal Rocks! care that you get the most out of your weekend, we took the I87 South to Clifton Park New York to check out what all the noise was about (and maybe get some beard grooming advice).
We arrived at Trick Shots, a hole in the wall pool hall, half expecting we had the wrong location, but once inside, this was the place. Pool tables on one side, show venue on the other and a bar linking them that had both kinds of Budweiser on tap.
We had an opportunity to catch up with lead singer Chad Nicefield before the show. We discussed their second album, his French Canadian prohibition era bootlegging grandpa, various ways of launching attacks on genital and their upcoming Heavy Montreal appearance. I spared you the beard talk.
As down to earth as the guys were, it was all business once they got on stage. They brought a raw energy to the stage that made the buzz apparent. From opener All My Friends, Chad’s intensity was high enough to break his mic stand, but that didn’t slow him down. A good blend of the full on assault which was their debut album Full Blast Fuckery and new songs from their more tactical assault on sophomore Right to Rise followed. Let’s not mistake the maturity with softening, the energy of the live set made a statement that the fuckery is still alive and well.
The crowd in this Albany venue wasn’t as primed and ready to go as a Montreal crowd normally would be. The set started with a good part of the crowd sitting at their tables sipping Budweisers, a small town crowd who are just there to have something to do. By the third song, they had grabbed them all and gotten them off their seats.
The energy they brought to this small town should be multiplied tenfold for Heavy. They’ll be playing early on Sunday, check the website in the coming weeks for an exact time, but if you want to start off your Sunday with a party, this is the band that’ll get ‘er done.
BONUS COVERAGE: CROBOT
Every review I’ve seen of a Wilson set says they’re a tough act to follow. My first time seeing them was with Bam Margera and he failed at replacating a fraction of their energy. This night was a little different. From the, opening notes of their anthemic Legend of the Spaceborn Killer, it was apparent that Crobot were up to the task.
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Myles Kennedy fronted Black Sabbath, you get a glimpse of it here. If Wilson grabbed you by the throat and commanded you to party, Crobot danced around you seductively, coaxing you to join in with tales of wizards and necromancers.
Singer Brandon Yeardley danced around with Elvis-like djangly legs, while bassist Jake Figueroa invented several new yoga poses while holding his instrument, including
warriors 4 though 7.
Most bands touring one album might need to get creative to fill a full set, but Crobot somehow turned in a 75 minute performance. The surpising part wasn’t how good the tracks from their debut Something Supernatural were, it was the quantity and quality of the new material they were playing. There were 5 new songs that their touring mates confirmed to me that had only been written during the recent 2 week touring break, yet sounded polished and ready to be recorded.
An epic night that keeps my faith that rock is alive and well. Going. See you in the Sunday pit at Heavy!
TICKETS FOR HEAVY MONTREAL CAN BE PURCHASED THROUGH HEAVYMONTREAL.COM
