CLUTCH / DROWN
Fletcher's; Baltimore, MD - 04/06/1999
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Don't you just love it when your favorite local
band plays a concert in a small and intimate setting? I certainly do. I jumped at the
chance to see Clutch perform in the comfortable confines of Fletcher's. Despite the fact
that I was screwed at the door by a dazed and confused employee of the joint, I still
found it worthwhile to pay my own hard earned cash to what I had expected to be a great
show.
The show reaffirmed my faith in the genuine power of music. The atmosphere was cathartic
and teeming with excitement. This was the final show of nearly two months on the road for
both Clutch and Drown and the bands were tight and confident. One could easily see the
camaraderie and friendship that has developed between these two bands.
Drown, from Los Angeles, played a tight set that featured a definite West Coast sound, but
mercifully unique (read: they didn't sound like Korn). Vocalist Lauren, guitarist Patrick
Sprawl, bassist Sean E. Dermott, and drummer Marco Forcone played songs from their new
album "Product Of A Two Faced World" with energy and determination. Vocalist
Lauren was hardly heard over the PA system; he frequently chucked his microphone back to
the sound board and borrowed Patrick's microphone which yielded better if not spectacular
results. I'm starting to believe the poor vocal acoustics I've been hearing at Fletcher's
has something to do with the room as I've had a hard time hearing vocalists
in the various concerts I've attended there. To Lauren's credit, he never let the sound
problems lessen the intensity and integrity of his delivery. Lauren was very engaging with
the devoted fans at the front of the stage and he often allowed the fans to sing the
choruses into the microphone. Drown also took the time to play a couple of songs from
their debut effort "Hold On To The Hollow."
The coolest part of Drown's set was when Clutch joined the band for a rousing rendition of
a Big Black cover tune called "Kerosene". I was expecting cacophony, but
everyone played as tight as I've ever seen eight people on stage play. The entire song was
a study in opposites. The stoic expression of Tim Sult whose solid riffs were balanced by
the visibly happy Patrick's freakish guitar noises. The study bass of Dan Maines was
complemented by the swaying, funky bass slaps of Sean. The jazzy inflections of Jean-Paul
Gaster meshed well with the aggressive drum pounding of Marco. The nearly humorously
psychotic background vocals of Neil Fallon provided an essential counterpoint to Lauren's
seriousness. Clearly, this was one of the highlights of any concert experience I've had
the fortune of witnessing.
Clutch was welcomed with approving and loving arms from the "hometown" crowd.
Clutch delivered what I believe are the critical components of a live show - high energy,
new renditions of old songs, and new material. "A Shogun Named Marcus," a fan
favorite, was sung with a near-sinister delivery by Neil Fallon. "The House That
Peter Bilt" and "Spacegrass" from the band's self-titled album were eagerly
anticipated by the fans and each song produced an intense sing-along reaction from the
audience. Clutch are also "tweakers" - they are always fine-tuning and changing
their songs. These little changes make the live
performances all the more worthwhile because you're pretty much guaranteed to hear
something different at each show. Clutch also took time to play a bunch of new material.
The new material was initially met with a subdued reaction, but each new song (some with
lyrics, some without) seemed to capture the hearts of the fans with ease. The concert
ended with a superb rendition of "The Soapmakers" from the band's latest release
"The Elephant Riders."
From beginning to end I thoroughly enjoyed the juxtaposition of the West Coast metal of
Drown with the East Coast sound of Clutch. It is rare to hear two different bands in one
night without seeming at odds with each other.
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Revised: 06 Oct 2019 11:48:57 -0400.
