Somewhere in the midst of taking in a filled night that included Them Devils, Holy White Hounds and The Pretty Reckless, I was hit between the eyes by a clear thought. I had my trusted Field Notes pad in my back pocket and a (thankfully) working pen, so I scribbled it down before it had a chance to disappear.
I wrote: “Rock isn’t dead, it’s simply a chameleon. It’s come back in a new form,” along with the word “Shapeshifter.” Maybe it’s not the most poignant truth in the world, but it was a truth all the same.
Who better to explain than Them Devils, who were channeling the heavy metal once served up to us with pretty makeup and big hair attached in the eighties? Or that that same band was nice enough to give its audience some familiar nuggets in the form of AC/DC and Motorhead songs? The oldest fans in the room were especially happy about those. There was a lot of hair (and likely some sore necks) as they didn’t just give us short, powerful, gritty rock, but the requisite head banging that comes with it. It was the best kind of introduction we could have asked for.
As for Holy White Hounds, they easily win my vote as the band most committed to enjoying themselves in front of a sold out crowd. It’s true most might only know “Switchblade,” but that’s not fair. There’s more—so much more—where that came from. These are four guys that play well with one another, which is to say it never quite looks like they’re trying very hard. There’s a lot of laughter, but, as the case was, plenty of rock and roll. Make it your mission to check them out the next time they breeze through our city or state. You just might love yourself for doing so.
And The Pretty Reckless were, well, they were pretty. Or at least Taylor Momsen was. I’d offer a guarantee that most were there to see her, but that’s not so necessary. Here’s the highest praise I know how to offer: it’s almost as if she’s borrowed Chris Cornell’s own vocal cords and learned to make them work for her. She hit no wrong notes. She was absolutely phenomenal. I’m not certain how she does it. I was a reluctant fan once upon a time. Why’d I ever try to withstand that kind of talent? And, as I said before, The Pretty Reckless did rock. It was as old as it was new. We like our familiarity with an added spit shine, don’t we?
There’s not much more that needs saying. If all nights were as promising as this one was, if all bands took their jobs to entertain as seriously as these three did, we’d find it a little easier to part with our time and money. We’d gladly do so. We’d hurriedly stand in a long line, open our wallets and dump everything inside on their laps.
One thing’s certain: as long as Them Devils and Holy White Hounds and The Pretty Reckless keep this up, we’ll show up. We will listen and drink and scream and sing along every single time they bless us with a repeat performance. You do your duty, kids, and we’ll do ours. We just might have to come up with a bigger space to meet next time. The word’s out and the customer’s always right.
The Pretty Reckless Live Review by Dainon, edited by Matthew Weller.
The Pretty Reckless Live Photos by Collen Pryor.
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