Bad Brains @ House Of Blues

It can be hard to see a band who, 30 years ago, were at the peak of a scene also at its peak, but Bad Brains is one of those bands who you need to see in case they are still awesome.

Stories abound of the wild Bad Brains shows in the early 80's when hardcore punk was at its newest, and best, had me intrigued to see whether they still live up to the reputation. Unfortunately, that live energy does not exude itself any longer. While Dr Know and Daryl still have amazing musicianship, HR reminds me of the Captain from the Simpsons. He is a man who has found peace in life, but this does not translate to the majority of the music being made (definitely good for the reggae songs).

Even with these contradictions, the crowd found the energy to charge up a huge pit on the main floor of the House Of Blues. Again, I know I'm getting old - I keep away from that stuff - but a pit seems a lot more violent from when I used to have a blast. The last contradiction of the show was the fact that I heard about 20 songs for the night, but they were only on stage for just under an hour.

I am not a huge Bad Brains fan (a couple of albums are on my Ipod) but I'm glad I went to see them. But can't help think I was 30 years to late to see a great Bad Brains show.

The Crap Facts

This is my 314th concert.
This is my 36th concert at House Of Blues.
This is my 110th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 110th concert in Nevada.

This is my 122nd concert in the USA.
Bad Brains are the 382nd band I've seen.
Bad Brains are the 50th time I've seen a band at House Of Blues.