Veruca Salt / Local H / Fig Dish – Summer 1997

So these BS COVID lock downs may have ended concerts for now, but it can’t steal my memories!

Remember the pre-cell phone days when cameras weren’t allowed at concerts so you had to actually watch the show and enjoy it? This was one. Summer 1997 – Veruca Salt was on their “Eight Arms to Hold You” tour and came into Providence, RI for a stop at the old Lupos Heartbreak Hotel on July 25. For opening acts they brought along Fig Dish and Local H.

Fig Dish opened the show. I’d never heard of them and you probably haven’t either. But they were great. I still remember their song “Pretty Never Hurts” because it’s the still the only time I’ve ever seen a band wear a toy xylophone around their neck and play it as part of a song. I bought their t-shirt that night because it was only $5 or $10. Imagine that!?

Local H was next and they kicked ass. I actually went back to see them 2 or 3 additional times on subsequent tours where they were the headliner. For just a 2 man band, they make a ton of noise. I believe they still tour but with a different drummer now. I believe that Local H could’ve been a huge band from the 90s, but they ruined their own career. Their biggest hit was a song most believe is titled “Copacetic” but it’s actually “Bound to the Floor.” I remember looking to buy their CD many times in stores but could never find the one that had “Copacetic” so I never did for many years. These guys were fit for larger shows but never seemed to move beyond the club scene. Too bad.

Veruca Salt. One of my favorite shows ever. What I failed to mention earlier is we got to the club way before the doors opened. And I think this was actually my first time at this venue (1st of what feels like 100s). So when the doors opened, we got right up front and never moved. No way do I remember the set list, but I know they opened with “Straight.” The show started dark that opening riff from the song. The lights came on just as the vocals started and there were Louise and Nina wearing men’s boxer shorts, tank tops, and their hair in pig tails. I don’t recall if they change outfits up at all during the night, but I don’t think so.

Throughout the night they just continued to kick ass. They of course played Seether, Volcano Girls, Spider Man, David Bowie, One Last Time, and Shutterbug as well as many others.

When the show was over and the encore was finished, the girls came out one last time and started throwing guitar picks to the crowd. I had my hand up and Louise Post put one right in the palm of my hand. This kicked off a new obsession of trying to snag a pick whenever possible. I’m doing pretty good actually.