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A Place to Bury Strangers show review at the Monolith Music Festival, September 13, 2008 at 6:30pm

September 22nd, 2008 Posted by: Dust Devil

Hello all,

Years ago I saw the Jesus and Mary Chain during their Darklands tour at this tiny club in Mesa, AZ, by the name of Prisms. It was the loudest show I have ever been to, with people literally holding their hands over their ears to try and drown out the ear-splitting feedback. It was a great show!

Well, after a great set from Glasgow, Scotland’s the Fratellis, I sped over to the Gigbot Stage in the Visitor’s Center at Red Rocks Amphitheatre to see the end of the show from New York’s A Place to Bury Strangers. Holy cow, my ears may still be ringing from that set!

I walked into the Rock Room where the Gigbot Stage was to a wall of sound that threatened to tear the paint off the walls. A three-piece outfit, A Place to Bury Strangers recalls the best characteristics of the Psychocandy-era Jesus and Mary Chain when that band was in its prime. There is nothing simple and ordinary about this band. A Place to Bury Strangers may be part of the re-vitalized shoegazer scene that has once again become popular, but take that genre to a new, incomprehensible level. The songs are definitely meant to pulverize you into submission.

The band was near the end of one song when the singer/guitarist took off the guitar he was playing, was handed another one while the other was still plugged in and launched into the last song of their set. The sheer noise that came out of the speakers was deafening, intense and truly awesome. This set was a mind-blowing experience.

I honestly did not believe the band could play any louder than they were, but in one chaotic moment the band literally cranked things up to 11. I jumped, that was how surprised and frightened I was when that moment occurred. I was not the only one affected, because everyone around me reacted basically the same way. The three members onstage literally destroyed what was left of the song they were playing and when finally done, walked off the stage, leaving the stunned crowd of around 200 spectators in shock of what they just witnessed.

The only reason this was not the set of the weekend for me was because I did not have an opportunity to see the whole show! A Place to Bury Strangers is playing in Tucson, AZ, on October 5 at a club by the name of Plush. I cannot stand Tucson (Go Devils), but this is one road trip I have to make. I must see a full set by these guys.

Go see these guys when they hit your town and pick up their self-titled disc at any independent record store near you … assuming they are cool enough to carry a band like this. I am still in awe at what I witnessed for just a few minutes that day!

Cheers!
The Dust Devil

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