Local H @ Radio Room

It's not that I didn't want to see Local H, but the thought of the two hour drive each way was so off-putting that I almost didn't go.  But in the last 2 years, I was going to see them while we were on holiday near Myrtle Beach, but Covid made me wary of being indoors, I had tickets to the 2 shows they were going to do at the Evening Muse that were cancelled, and then I injured myself at the kids' soccer practice the night they rescheduled.  I had to go.

The drive down was pretty easy, once I got past Gastonia, even with all the work happening on I85.  I arrived at the easily found Radio Room just before 8 pm.  Great venue!  Medium sized room, walled off down the middle, with the bar on one side and the stage on the other.

Scott Lucas walked through the crowd, onto the stage, alone to start the night with All The Kids Are Right, solo and acoustic.  Took a request, The One With Kid, which he prefaced would be shit, but I thought was great.  After his 4th solo, Eddie Vedder, the rest of the band joined him for 3 more acoustic songs, including Buffalo Tom's Smothered In Hugs.  After that the band plugged in and started rocking.  The next 4 songs built up to a frenzy finishing with All Right (Oh Yeah) and Fritz's Corner.  And just when the crowd were on edge, ready to explode, they left the stage.

A short while later, dressed as Local H mechanics, the band walked through the now large crowd and came back to play Here Comes The Zoo from start to finish.  I'm not familiar with this album, but Hands On The Bible was a great starter.  5th Ave. Crazy definitely got the crowd moving.  Rock n Roll Professionals (my aha! moment on the outfits) is a great song, as is the follow up Keep Your Girlfriend Away From Me.  Bryn-Mawr Stomp is a rocker, but the closer, What Would You Have Me Do?, settled the crowd back down.  Without leaving the stage Local H then played a killer 5-song "encore".  California Songs started it off.  And it was a pearler of a version.  The band kept holding back the parts where the song breaks out.  It was fun to watch the crowd get ready to go, and the impending confusion.  But when it finally happened the crowd were into it.  Straight into Bound For The Floor, with a much-loved-by-the-crowd snippet of Chicago's 25 or 6 and 4 in the middle.  Two great covers - The Georgia Satellites' Keep Your Hands To Yourself and Misfits' Static Age - preceded the closer.  My favorite Local H song, High Fivin' MF, was played with all the power and energy that I remember from the first time I heard that song at the Equinox Festival in 1997.  And throw in a snippet of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk - MWAH!  Perfection!

Having seen some bands from my youth lately, I've noticed they have slowed down their sound.  Sometimes their songs don't have the same energy anymore.  Local H are the opposite.  They may be playing faster and with more energy than ever.   It was an awesome show and I'm glad I forced myself to drive down to Greenville for the show.  Till next time....

Local H Setlist

The guy who filmed this was standing 2 people in front of me.  I normally don't like people filming shows, but he was against the wall, very unassuming, and most importantly, not blocking anyone.  Video and audio on this is great.

Here Comes The Zoo Set

Encore

The Crap Facts:

This is my 481st concert.
The Radio Room is the 132nd venue I've seen a concert in.
This is my 2nd show in Greenville.
This is my 5th show in South Carolina.
This is my 284th concert in the US.
This is my 6th Local H show.

The Menzingers, Touche Amore & Screaming Females @ The Underground

So it's another show where I I am into the opening acts and have no idea about the headliner.

I had the fortune of seeing the Screaming Females on Last Call with Carson Daly many years ago.  They seemed awesome and not long after we moved to Charlotte I was lucky enough to see them at the Milestone, where they absolutely killed it.  The last time they were in Charlotte I already had tickets to Bloc Party, so to hear they were going to play with Touche Amore I was stoked.  The band came on stage to little fanfare, and proceeded to plough through 7 songs in a half hour set.  Melissa Paternoster is a powerhouse!  How that commanding voice comes out of that small frame defies logic, all while tearing up the guitar.  I remember thinking the band still sound great, but now more polished than the punier 2013 show.  As I age I find I am not learning song names anymore, but I need to for this band, because their set was great.  I need to listen to my Live at The Hideout record, as well as the All At Once record I bought at the show.

Screaming Females Setlist

It's been just on a year since I discovered Touche Amore, and was glad I saw them blow Thrice off the stage in the same venue this time last year.  Opening for another band was not a problem bringing the people in to see this great band.  From the get go, Touche Amore were rocking.  And the crowd responded in kind.  Although a short set, they played a lot of songs familiar to me, with Rapture (early in the set) a crowd pleaser.  I need them to come back and headline their own show, as Flowers and You closing the set after after 40 minutes just left you wanting more.

Touche Amore Setlist

The Menzingers are a band I've not come across, and here they are playing a whole album, On The Impossible Past, to celebrate a 10th anniversary.  A good size crowd arrived early to see Screaming Females and Touche Amore, but now they were all packed in close to the front.  The Menzingers are a fun punk / pop band whose fans are dedicated.  Drew and I seemed to be the only people in the venue that didn't know this band.  There was a lot of synchronized pogoing happening early in the set, which (I don't know why) I find off putting in a band Rise Against does it with cross stage skipping....I know I know, I'm just a cranky old man.  The songs seemed good, but there was no stand out for me, and Drew and I left before it was all over. Having said that - as always - Menzinger fans looked like they were having a blast.  It just didn't float my boat.  All in all a good night though, and considering I don't have tickets for any other shows, I'd be happy if this was my last concert of the year.....though I can always see more.

The Menzingers Setlist

The Crap Facts:
This is my 480th concert.
This is my 8th show at The Underground
This is my 96th show in Charlotte
This is my 114th show in North Carolina.
This is my 283rd concert in the US.
This is my 2nd Screaming Females show.

This is my 2nd Touche Amore show

The Menzingers are the 553rd band I've seen