Concert Report

What a concert. What a beautiful, wonderful, loud concert.

The first opening band, Millionaire, was as derivative as they come. I spotted everything from Mudhoney to Stabbing Westward in their sound, all topped off with some of the most energetic, painful dancing from the lead singer that you could possibly imagine.

In short, I loved 'em. An odd recipe that doesn't sound so tasty, yet they entertained the hell out of me.

The next band, The Distillers, were something easily forgotten. Sounding like a Hole clone (without the bad parts), they also managed to be completely and utterly blank. Boring.

Then, of course, Queens of the Stone Age. Powerful, loud, fast, energetic, interesting, funny, and good. Three singers: Josh sings most of the songs, a jaunty sound even with the angriest lyrics. Nick sings occasionally, bringing some of the most powerful lead screaming you'll ever hear--and his bass is unmatched.

And then, about six songs into the thing, out comes Lanegan. Lanegan's voice is a known quantity: deep, strong, resonant. His stage presence, though, needs to be seen to be understood.

When he walks on stage and grabs the mike and the mike stand, the songs suddenly have meaning. He brings this incredibly heavy vibe with him, shrouded in cigarette smoke and, seemingly, always wearing black. His voice, his focused eyes, his presence is commanding.

Yes, it was a good night at the Fillmore.