|
|
|
BANDS:
Punk & Ska INTERESTS:
Venues ETC...
About LOTD
|
Ash at The Black Cat in Washington, D.C. 6/11/03
Ash? Headlining in the US?? Let me seethe first time I saw Ash, they were opening up for Cast almost 8 years ago. Opening up for whom? Lets just say that some Brit-pop bands have a longer life span than others. And after seeing Ash in Washington DC, the future for these Irish hooligans looks more incandescent than ever before. Thats because I heard them play their new song Evil Eye, and let me tell you, if they get back in the studio in September like they plan too, Evil Eye is going to be just the kind of track they need to build on the melodic metal pop of last years Free All Angels. As a flash flood ripped through Washington, it seemed oddly appropriate to be sitting on the second floor of the Black Cat drinking a few beers as songs like Goldfinger weave spells of calm satisfaction to any listener who knows that Tim Wheelers song is concurrently describing a basement wine binge as he and his friends listen to the rain. But 1977 came out a long time ago, and the incredible singles on that album, (Angel Interceptor, Girl From Mars, Kung Fu, and of course Goldfinger), have all aged incredibly well now that Charlottes joined ship to add her backing vocals to Ashs live mix. But it was the energy from the fans at the show that really caught me off guard. DC has obviously done its Ash homework, because softer songs like Sometimes and Walking Barefoot sparked the same energy and excitement as heavy rocking album tracks like Cherry Bomb and Nicole. Since Walking Barefoot is practically the catchiest ode to summer since Brian Wilson started writing Pet Sounds, its nice to think that some of the kids across the great Atlantic Ocean are still getting their proper dose of rock n roll fantasy. By the end of the encore Id forgotten that Ash still hadnt played Burn, Baby, Burn their UK smash, and the closest thing to a US hit that theyve ever had. When they finally did play the song, the crowd ate it up of course, and I finally got to see Ash rock out with the kind of fans that they deserve in America. Somehow, more than eight years down the road, Ash appears to have their shining light blazing brighter than ever.
Releases from Ash can be purchased at Amazon, Insound, and CD Universe About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
