One of those concerts I'll be telling my kids about when it's my turn to yap about how music from other generations just isn't the same.
This was one of those concerts that was bound to be legendary. I was lucky to have friends put me onto Geese before the release of their "breakthrough" album Getting Killed, which made it possible to grab tickets when the time came. And let me tell you, it really was lucky, because on resell platforms there were still over 5,000 people looking for a ticket, with people even standing at the entrance holding cardboard signs asking for one. Fun note: I always thought this was hopeless and would never work, but the couple behind me were actually kind enough to give one of their spare tickets to a random guy, so helping people isn't a thing of the past after all.
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The evening opened with Westside Cowboy, a group already on my radar after some of their latest work, like "Strange Taxidermy," left a great impression on me. They did not disappoint, giving it their all on stage, with bassist Aoife Anson O'Connell fighting for her life to take her bass of to join the group singing. They warmed up the crowd for the main act with music that doesn't feel like a lesser imitation but something entirely their own.
Geese were unexpectedly incredible. The group isn't known for their crowd work, with Cameron Winter walking straight to the microphone, picking up his guitar, and launching into "Husbands." I think a short and simple "hello" was all we got, but who needs crowd work when you have music this incredible to play?
Paradiso itself added to the overall experience, with the stained glass windows at the back lighting up perfectly on tracks like "Taxes," which was an unreal thing to hear live, and amplifying the insanity of "2122." The whole mood switched from a relaxed campfire listen with Westside Cowboy to a chaotic mosh pit within seconds. Their cover of The Stooges' "Fun House" helped push the crowd into full chaos.
The band closed the night with a new track called "Apollo" that felt more like them just goofing around. The song itself is nothing special, and honestly I hope it never ends up on an album, but watching Cameron Winter blow into a beer bottle and shout into a microphone was a lot of fun.
I hope somebody reads this and is now convinced to go to their next show, because I can guarantee you'll have a great time.
