story by star morales
Luck had it that two of my favorite New Jersey punk rock 'n roll bands would be playing together at the spacious Webster Hall and I would get to see them with a good friend. Titus Andronicus hailing from Glen Rock and Screaming Females from New Brunswick would unite for a rockin' evening with Philadelphia's Free Energy. This night would cap off Titus Andronicus' tour with Free Energy and was probably the biggest show of the tour. What's cool is that there seemed to be more people in attendance than when I saw the band opening up for Man Man at this same venue in 2008. This is certainly a testament to how far the band has come in just a few years and only two albums. The band's epic qualities, intelligent lyrical themes, and grand musicianship is what makes the band exciting for me. I saw Titus and Screamales at the beginning of their tours, but why not see them again? Seeing this show was a great way to spend my Saturday night.
Screaming Females nailed it with their punk driven, heavy, rock 'n roll set. They played a nice mixture of new songs from their latest album, Castle Talk, as well as older songs. They kicked it off with the catchy, quick poppy "Bell," and then hit a few newer songs, including "I Don't It," "New Kid," and "Sheep." They played older song "Stave the Beat," with its insanely driving beat, delicious shredding guitar, jammy edge, and screamy vocals. What's neat about seeing Screaming Females live is the improvisation in the guitar playing! It's wicked cool. They closed with the stellar "Lights Out," prompting me to two-step, air drum, air guitar, headbang, and dance around. It wasn't the typical Screaming females crowd I'm used to, but I didn't care, I still danced. I didn't care I was only. The sound was great, the band was great, and I had fun. Thanks, yet again, for a great time Screaming Females.
Free Energy, who brought a poppy feel good rock flavor to their music, was next. Many of the people I was around seemed to be familiar with the band. They danced, sang, and had a good time. I enjoyed "Free Energy" and "Bang Pop," for their fun, catchy rock. Titus' Amy Klein played guitar with the band for one of the songs. Jumping up and down with a smile, she added some extra flavor to the song. I've sadly forgotten which one.
Titus Andronicus got Webster Hall rockin' with their hour and a half long set. Highlights included, opener "A More Perfect Union," "Four Score and Seven," "The Battle of Hampton Roads," "Theme from Cheers" and "Titus Andronicus." Goodness this band sounded great. Their performance speaks for itself. They closed with a cover of AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n' Roll)" featuring Free Energy. They called themselves "The Temporary Tattoos," which seemed to be a joke since Amy Klein had gotten everyone temp tats. I want to try and say more, but truly I'm near speechless. I've written about them before here and here. If you care about good, passionate rock, then check out any of these bands.
See below for setlists and links to other coverage with photos.
Titus Andronicus got Webster Hall rockin' with their hour and a half long set. Highlights included, opener "A More Perfect Union," "Four Score and Seven," "The Battle of Hampton Roads," "Theme from Cheers" and "Titus Andronicus." Goodness this band sounded great. Their performance speaks for itself. They closed with a cover of AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n' Roll)" featuring Free Energy. They called themselves "The Temporary Tattoos," which seemed to be a joke since Amy Klein had gotten everyone temp tats. I want to try and say more, but truly I'm near speechless. I've written about them before here and here. If you care about good, passionate rock, then check out any of these bands.
See below for setlists and links to other coverage with photos.
