26 years ago was the last time I saw the Jesus Lizard and if you think a 2.5 hour drive was going to stop me seeing them again, you'd be sadly mistaken. I made the drive up to Asheville and booked a night at the Hotel Indigo, so I didn't have to turn around and drive back the same night.
Another reason to head up to Asheville, was to see how recovery was going after Hurricane Helene last October. And the result is heartbreaking. Driving up past Swannanoa and Old Fort, you can still the debris in these towns (whether still laying around, or pushed to a spot near the freeway because there is no where to put so much of it). Asheville itself is also not great. The Biltmore Village, just outside the Biltmore entrance, looks like a warzone. Building with out walls, mud, and debris everywhere. The Village is closed off to road traffic and looks like a long way from reopening. While downtown Asheville, up on the hill, looks fine, it is a ghost town. Gone is the hustle and bustle of tourists (though it was a Tuesday night). Shops with limited hours and just people nowhere to be seen. This is such a great town. A week before Christmas, you'd hope it would be a hive of activity. It's far from it, but hopefully it will recover quickly.
I walked down to the Orange Peel via Maguro, a Japanese restaurant, where I stooped for some good sushi and a Sapporo. Walked into the venue just as Fantomex hit the stage. Was great to see a local band get a good size crowd. And they didn't disappoint. Well suited as an opener for the Jesus Lizard, Fantomex ripped through nearly a dozen rocking punk / hardcore songs.
I got about halfway to the stage, in front of guitarist Duane Denison, for the Jesus Lizard. Just a perfect spot. When the first drum beat was hit for the opening, Grind, David Yow was in the audience, being passed around till he he to the mixing desk. I thought that was crazy when I saw him do that, now that he's in his 60's he's just putting his life in our hands. He's be in and out of the crowd all night. It felt like the next 4 songs were put on just for me. Puss, Mouth Breather, Boilermaker & Nub - one after the other. Just brilliant. And the crowd was amped. The band sounded so good. Tight and just killing it. A third of the set was the new album, but that left plenty of nostalgia during the evening. Gladiator and Seasick were other highlights for me, and hearing Wheelchair Epidemic during the encore was amazing. I was surprised how many people left after the encore. The lights never came on, and no taped music came on, but people were bailing out. Good for me. I walked right up and stood on the barricade for the 4 song second encore.
It was such a great show. It's a shame they don't come around this area more often (or anywhere for that fact). But put me down for any more Jesus Lizard shows that come through. It was the show of the year.
This is my 514th concert.
This is my 4th concert at Orange Peel.
This is my 15th concert in Asheville.
This is my 135th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 314th concert in the USA.
Fantomex are the 599th band I've seen.
This is my 5th Jesus Lizard concert.
Jesus Lizard is the 600th time I've seen an American band. years ago
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