Rob the Concert Guy

So, this was an interesting one. I never got to see Rage Against the Machine live before (that I recall). They were at Woodstock ’99, and I was too. But damn, I just can’t remember. I blame the heat that weekend. Anyway, love or hate their lyrics, or their singer’s voice, they made some very cool, heavy, and very unique music. Tom Morello is the incredible guitarist for Rage. I was excited to check him out, so we headed to Foxwoods on 11/22.

The show went about how I expected it (and feared it) to go. Too much political BS. But I’ll try to put most of that aside on focus on the music.

The show opened with a really shitty band called The Neighborhood Kids. I know, I’m usually more kind in my posts, but they just weren’t good. It was a lame attempt if you ask me (and my buddy Frank) at a rap/rock fusion. Some of the music was decent here and there, but the “singers” were intolerable for me. The band could be decent if they’d try another approach. Stage presence was just awful. The female “singer” had a pretty obnoxious voice. Mostly just a fake outrage, screaming, rap tone. Like giving a lecture with a band supporting her. Some people seemed into it, but not me. It was painful, but also laughable. Most of their lyrics were about the oppression they feel living on sunny beautiful San Diego…We made the best of it but tried to quickly forget about them when they were done. However, Tom called them back out on stage twice during his set to ensure we didn’t forget.

Tom Morello, musically, was great. This was apparently the last stop of the tour so Tom and the band decided to have a little fun. He told a story about when he was in high school and had his first band “Electric Sheep.” They were one of three bands in the school and were the worst of the three. They didn’t even know how to properly tune a guitar then. Also in this band was a dude name Adam Jones who later went on to play guitar for the band Tool. Kind of insane that two of them made it so far in their musical careers. We got to hear them play Rat Race, an Electric Sheep original which he claims was only played at this stop. It was essentially a basic riff on repeat. Not great for current Tom Morello but an acceptable rock tune for a high school band. After this, they played a pretty sweet blues tune, not an Electric Sheep song, showing some of Tom’s diversity. It was an awesome display of his skill if you ask me.

Now you may (or may not) also recall that Tom played with the late great singer Chris Cornell in the band Audioslave. He told a couple of pretty cool Chris Cornell stories. Stories of Chris’s weird house and how Chris was notorious for disappearing for lengths of time. He played a song he wrote for Chris on acoustic guitar. They also did a version of Audioslave’s Like a Stone. The acoustic guitar appeared a few more times throughout the night, again showing how skilled he is and that he can really play any genre.

There were two different Rage Against the Machine medleys during the set. A shorter one about 2-3 minutes long toward the beginning of the night, and a much longer one later on. No lyrics were sung at all for these even though Tom and 2 out of 3 other band members can sing. I’m not sure if it’s a contractual thing, a handshake agreement type of deal, or if he just realizes it’s nearly impossible to capture Zack de la Rocha’s voice. But basically we got to hear the best guitar parts from a ton of Rage songs. Not sad about that at all! That’s what I came for, and it was cool. Check out the ole Medley Video below:

After the longer medley, he brought out the terrible Neighborhood Kids singers for a song or two, then the band Eve 6 came out of nowhere to join them for a song. That was kind of cool and unexpected. Apparently, there was a beer festival at Foxwoods the same night and Eve 6 was performing, so they just headed over.

They did a full version, though no singing, of Rage’s Killing in the Name Of. That was cool. Everything else from Rage had only been intros, single verses, or guitar solo sections up until this point.

To end the night, the entire Neighborhood Kids band (sigh) and Eve 6 came back out to help sing This Land Is Your Land which Tom was sure to tell us was the full lyric version and not the edited version we all know. They snuck in another song after this that kind of went on and on. It liked the end of the show when the song finally finished so we started to make our way out. But then they broke into Rock n Roll All Night by KISS. We continued leaving.

I guess I’m torn on this one. He’s a great guitarist who’s responsible for some fantastic music from the 90s and 2000s. The band is solid and 3 of them can sing. For that alone, it’s a good show.

But if you don’t want to be preached to about how we live in a fascist society, how billionaires are evil, how we stole America from the indigenous people, and all the evils of race, religion, gender, etc…it may not be for you.

Politics and entertainment need to stop being mixed. Pick one or the other. I love live music. I want to go to a show and be entertained, rock out, watch the guitar skills, appreciate the vocals, maybe see a drum solo, etc. Keep your personal views in the lyrics if you must like many great songs throughout the decades. The 60s produced a ton of great songs about anti-war and government overreach. But they were subtle and poetic. Preaching in between every song…this was too much.

My non-political, common sense-based response to Tom’s whining/preaching is this: Tom lived the American dream by using his self-taught skillset to amass $35-$40 million (according to Google). He got to tour the world multiple times; he bought himself a small estate in L.A. I’m sure he hangs out with some very cool people and essentially gets to do what he wants, where he wants, and when he wants. Where else in the world is this possible? Basically, he has the means to move if it’s so bad in the US. He’s lived an amazing life to this point. Spare me the lecture Tom.

With that…go to a concert! And wear ear protection. The foam ear plugs just muffle and aren’t very comfy. If you’re looking for something more comfy, that doesn’t muffle, I recommend these. I’ve tired the very expensive “Eargasm” brand and I’ve tried these and several others. There is no difference between these and Eargasm except the price. You get 2 pairs, the same metal casing, and the rubber string to keep them together so you don’t drop one. And you save about $30. You’re welcome!