A common refrain I hear from friends, is that they have nowhere to turn to when they’re looking for “rock ‘n’ roll” these days. Let’s face it, that can’t be further from the truth. Rock is out there and alive. And if you want to a prime example you just had to put head to the Marlin Room at Webster Hall last Friday to get your fix from the Australian power-trio of Wolfmother. Hell, according to the marquee you could even get your Pokemon Go fix while enjoying some psychedelic tunes.
Wolfmother At Webster Hall
Opening the night was the power pop rock of Wisconsin based The Living Statues. The four piece also harken back to a simpler sound, the jubilant fuzzy kind you expect to hear coming right out of a garage. And they look the part too, whether it’s bassist Alex Thornburg clad in his black leather jacket and deep dark denim, to lead vocalist and guitarist Tommy Shears’ rockabilly ensemble.
The Living Statues
The Living Statues
The Living Statues
But the look won’t matter if you don’t have the sound. Luckily, The Living Statues have that locked down. There’s twangy guitars, thumping bass lines and driving drums. It’s a straightforward sound mixed in with a playful on stage demeanor. The Living Statues bring up memories of the Velvet Underground influenced rock revival (mixed in with the British invasion for good measure) of the early 00s brought forth by bands like The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand.
The Living Statues
The Living Statues
The Living Statues
The Living Statues
Wolfmother, who rose to prominence during that aforementioned garage rock rebirth, have had quite the busy week. Opening for Guns N’ Roses the night before, they wasted no time in overpowering the Marlin Room. From the opening chords to the final note, there was no slowing down and no moment to catch your breath. It was classic guitar heavy rock that infected every nook and cranny of the room and the audience.
Wolfmother
Wolfmother
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Wolfmother
Vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale might be the only remaining member from the original line up but their soul, born of classic rock ‘n’ roll outfits like Led Zepplin and Black Sabbath, remains totally intact. From playing crowd-pleasing favorites like “Woman,” “Joker & the Thief” to tracks off their latest release, “Victorious,” you could feel the floor shaking up and down. And that kept on going during the crowd’s repeated rushes to the front or the stage diving fan. I had never felt the floor in the Marlin Room pulse like that.
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Rounding out Stockdale’s tongue wagging antics was the maniacal presence of Ian Peres on bass and drummer Alex Carapetis. Peres is like a whirling dervish out there. One moment he’s leaping through the air and then pounding his foot on the keyboards, ala Jerry Lee Lewis, the next. The ferocity with which Carapetis, pounds away on the drums makes you wonder how they’ll survive the tour.
Wolfmother
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Wolfmother
Wolfmother
Wolfmother
It’s no-frills rock. Just what’s needed for people who think that sound is long gone and nowhere to be found.
Article: Omar Kasrawi
