New Bomb Turks & Nine Pound Hammer @ Grey Eagle

New Bomb Turks are a bucket list band for me.  Id Slips In is one of my favorite songs, and Drunk on Cock is a great EP.  So the decision to drive to Asheville was an easy one considering the band has never played anywhere near where I've lived.

The 2 hour drive was an easy one and I arrived 5 minutes before Nine Pound Hammer took the stage.  This band is obviously a drawcard for this show as a lot of the smallish crowd were there for these blues-country-punks to perform a rare show (from what I can gather).  Nine Pound Hammer's singer Scott Luallen is a performer whose wit, sarcasm and energy translates well with the driving rock sound.   The band seemed to enjoy themselves and the crowd responded in kind with many o\up front able to fill in when Luallen put the mic in front of them.  The only song I can remember by name was Run Fatboy Run, and it was raucous fun.

Note to every band I see from now on.  Have an opening band that you are into.  When you're in the crowd for the opening band and having a blast, the crowd sees that, and I think that heightens the experience for the show.  I remember Presidents of the United States doing that 25ish years ago when Custard opened for them at The Zoo.  The crowd loved having them in the pit and then going crazy with them onstage after.

I really like the Grey Eagle.  It's a small venue with a stage only 2 foot higher than the floor and it allows for a great close up experience.  Especially for a band like New Bomb Turks, and singer Eric Davidson's need to interact with the crowd.  High energy and goofiness is Davidson's thing, but his desire to lick phones and shove hats down his pants, and eventually come into the crowd and twerk on some unsuspecting punters, kept people at a slightly uncomfortable distance.  New Bomb Turks ripped through a blazing 45 minute set and I dare say Davidson's energy surpassed that of the entire crowd, until NPH drummer Rob Hulsman burst into the crowd trying to (unsuccessfully) start a pit.  And when Davidson tried to get the crowd to get on the floor, it took way longer than needed because of some reluctant and oblivious people.  It did eventually get the crowd going (though this old man's knees were not happy about it).  While they played nothing familiar to me, I'll be back to see New Bomb Turks, and Nine Pound Hammer for that matter, at least until I see Id Slips In.  (I have a playlist of 30 favorite songs of which I've seen 24 performed live, 4 which I'll never see due to bands  or performers no longer being around, and Id Slips In and long shot Stone Roses' Fools Gold the other 2).

I recently read an article Eric Davidson wrote about the Hoodoo Gurus.  I think that's a perfect lead in for NBT to open for them later this year.  Just a thought.

New Bomb Turks Setlist

The Crap Facts:
This is my 465th concert.
This is my 2nd concert at The Grey Eagle.

This is my 7th concert in Asheville.

This is my 100th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 268th concert in the US.
Nine Pound Hammer are the 538th band I've seen.
New Bomb Turks are the 539th band I've seen.