Featured Live Show: The Chariot / Horse the Band / Arsonists Get All the Girls

Tonight, there shall be distortion... And it was good.

The night in question was last night at Gramercy Theater (Blender Theater, if ya nasty)... Beards aplenty filed into the Manhattan club to boogie down with chaos engineers The Chariot, along with Arsonists Get All the Girls, Horse the Band... (and *sigh* Norma Jean)... After waiting in line outside the venue in the fucking freezing cold, stupidly wearing just fingerless gloves as my only winter accessory, I took a seat in the Old Man Section in the back of the club to rest my frail, aging bones and to get a bird's eye view of the audience in attendance. One thing I instantly noticed was the noticeably noticeable harsh divide of the crowd: either late-twenties-ish bearded and flannel-clad gentlemen or 14 year old scenester co-eds in neon-splashed graphic tees, graphic hoodies, and skinny jeans, with noses buried in their cellphones, no doubt twattering nonstop about how the show is going to be the most epically massive "evar"... I wept silently within... but not in a goth way... in a man way.

Anywho, it didn't take long into the show to see who these children were here for... judging by their attention to the Arsonists set that opened the night, they were definitely Horse/Norma fans. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to shat on the headliner of the night or their direct support (I just honestly think someone shoulda stuck with their original vicious blueprint while someone else needs to start expanding on their schtick... respectively). In other words, these two will not be discussed here. Only the two I traversed midtown to go see...


(Arsonists)

As mentioned before, AGATG kicked off the night... and they did so with fuckin fire. This is only the second opportunity I have been able to catch these cats, and it has been a long time coming. The first time being at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival two or three years ago when they were only a mere "I've heard a few decent things bout these guys, maybe I'll give them a passing listen for a song or two" blip on my radar. And ever since have grown into an act that always seems to find its way into my listening rotation, thoroughly pummeling my ear canal in some of the most wonderful ways possible... See the track "Shat Shart Tart" if you need an example... Anywho, their set paraphrased: ridiculously awesomely abrasive. My only slightly negative comment would be that they seemed cramped as hell up there with six members and what looked to be all the bands' gear for the rest of the night. But regardless, they still delivered the wallop, though I noticed they seem to be drifting in a more accessibly brutal direction, I hope which continues to be a positive thing rather than detracting.


(The Chariot)

And then it was time for the main event... Well, the main event in my personal opinion... And boy howdy, did they ever fucking bring the ruckus. Fucking A right, The Chariot NEVER cease to amaze me live. It just seriously never gets old. They fucking wail, and they're a cavalcade of cacophony, hellbent on obliterating every notion of a nice, calm rock show... Instruments thrown, abrasive lighting, alienating feedback, dizzying ragdoll antics by the members, and general disregard for any kind of structure or even fuckin safety, are all par for the course with the ones they call the Chariot... If you can't tell, I'm kind of a fanboy for these guys. They're like my little underdogs. Momma's special little guys... It was somewhere between the jarring mash of feedback and samples and the whipping around of a workshop hook lamp that I realized I wasn't going to do this set or any set of theirs any justice through verbally trying to describe it. You just have to do yourself a favor, tuck in your balls, and go see these delightfully damaging little scamps when they blow through your town... And do like I did, make sure you venture out of the Old Man Seats for these guys, cuz it's just a tiny bit better when a guitar neck narrowly misses clipping your ear. It always is.

And to send you packing with a smile, a splendidly beautiful representation of why The Chariot is one of the most INFUCKINCREDIBLE live bands ever... Go see for your damn self, ass:

The Chariot - Unofficial video for "Teach" (sick live montage):

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Norma Jean Drummer Leaves Band

Its a sad day here at the Belly folks... While on review assignment *slash* getting my rock on at the Norma Jean show last night, they reminded the crowd of a kinda downer bit of news right before their second to last song: that this would be Daniel Davison, their drummer's last show with the band. I completely forgot that I heard that rumor back in the end of September, but last night it was all confirmed. Cory, their singer, gave a really nice parting speech, that was suprisingly emotional, given the brutal attack that their live show consisted of thus far. And the crowd was actually quite responsive with their cheers and claps while the rest of the band exchanged hugs and gratuitous high-fives with Daniel. But the crowning moment of the night was after their closer, when their guitarist flung himself into Daniel's drum kit, smashing down into his lap, and taking out the entire thing in the most Cobain/Keith Moon/turboviolence manner... and then joined in a full-band destruction of said kit... It was glorious... In Daniel's own words, in a public statement, he says "I am not leaving the band on bad terms with any of the guys, but there are differences between us, both personal and spiritual, that I felt were too great for me continue on with, or ignore any longer." We sincerely wish him the best in wherever the road takes him, and thank him for his dedication to such a powerful band for the past decade... Daniel we'll miss your keen ability to make mountain man beards on skinny dudes seem elegant again, and in your honor, Memphis will certainly be laid to waste.

Featured Live Show: Norma Jean (and a Bunch of Crapola)

**Pre-show Post**

Alright, Bellions... Another NYC show goin down tonight that will get our usual live show lip service. BUT unlike the rest of the shows we've reviewed, where there was usually a pretty good bill going on, this one has ONE good band on it... as in UNO... and the rest of the show is a complete pile. BUT this one band (to little ol' me) is worth the ticket price alone.

I'm talking about the mighty Norma Jean... whose live show is like a hammer-smack to the jaw... and I like that kind of shit... but not in a sexual way or anything. I was actually quite looking forward to this show tonight, even with the atrocious bill, since I missed them last time they bopped through the area with The Chariot and A Life Once Lost cuz i was outta town. But this time, they're sandwiched in a deathgrip of completely expendable wastes of time... and I'm referring to the trifecta of trite: Saosin, alexisonfire, and Envy on the Pieceofgarbage (or something). Basically, this show is going to be like when you were a kid, and you swallowed that sick Cracker Jack decoder ring, and then the doctor told your mom that she had to sift through your crapzer for the next week or so to make sure you passed it, cuz if you didn't it could give you cancer or lay decoder ring eggs or something, and then when it finally did pass through, your mom tossed it in the garbage, but you secretly dug it back out again and cleaned the fuck out of it with bleach and rubbing alcohol, because you missed your shitty plastic code-breaking friend.... ok, maybe its not exactly like that, but the metaphor is in there somewhere... I'm gonna be sifting through a load of crap to find my special little decoder ring.

So expect a show review shorter than most... since I obviously will be throat-punching my liver with beverages during three of the "bands" tonight... but there is a slight chance it could rear its head and turn into a vicious rant onto those three Debbie Downers as well... but you'll just have to tune back in later to find out... Same Belly time, same Belly channel.

Indulge, jokesters... Norma Jean - "Bayonetwork: Vultures in Vivid Color"