So I've had a day to recover, finish work stuffs, and now I have they day off and can reflect and post pics. Long post ahead.
HOLY SHIT GUYS.
So, watching vids on youtube can only do so much, and I knew it was going to be a good time, but I still wasn't prepared for what I think is the best show I've ever been to, no lie. Me and two buddies got to the venue, the Crescent Ballroom, early and had dinner, which was cool. The building was built in 1917 and was originally an auto garage. now the front of house has a patio out front and a small lounge with a small stage, when we got there a flamenco trio was playing.
The actual venue is in the back, an intimate place with standing room only and a capacity of 500. The stage was already dominated with Wata's Oranges and Takeshi's Model T's. In front of those was Earth's gear. I didn't pay too much attention to the main guy's rig, but the lead guitarist was using a Blackface Bassman into a beat to hell tweed cab of some sort, as well as a homemade (or at least it looked that way) amp for octave down bass stuff...I think.
I went to the merch table, and there was the Super Special Pink on Pink ECT. Beautiful. I went and got cash from the ATM and promptly bought it and a Pink tshirt. I asked the girl running the table if the band ever hangs out to mingle for photos or signings, and she says no, because later in the tour they have scheduled meet'n' greats. She goes, "Why? do you want the pedal signed? Because I can take it in the back and get it signed."
I GOT MY PINK EAU CLAIRE THUNDER SIGNED BY BORIS!!!!!! My night was already made.
I ran the pedal out to my car, because I got lucky and had stellar parking, and didn't want to hang onto it through the show.
Earth came out and did their thing. I wasn't sure what to expect, because I wasn't familiar with them, but I liked it. They would be my first proper doom/drone experience, if you don't coun't when I saw Black Sabbath in a huge outdoor amphitheater. I especially liked how the lead guitarist used his gear, a beat to hell strat into a Bassman. They were also really fucking loud. Earplugs were used.
So then Earth tears down and roadies start setting up for Boris. Excitement builds. Wata and Takeshi came out briefly for final touches and tuning, then went back stage again. Then the band came out to this long droning intro..slow, huge, heavy chords..doom..Then they broke into the title track, PINK. Ooof. Soo Good. We were on Wata's side of the stage, all the way up front, like, maybe six or ten feet from her. I found it fascinating that even during the most expressive parts of her solos, her face remained stone still. Most guitarist either make goofy faces of have some sort of "concentration tick"..like, my upper lip does weird things when I'm really into a part. Not her though.
The entire show was fantastic. Heavy. Fun. Like, I don't think there would have been a better way to see them for the first time. Atsuo is an animal on drums, and definitely loves the crowd, and was also super thankful for everyone being there to support them when he did speak.
The band left, then came back for an encore. when they left the first time, Wata and Takeshi's set lists were grabbed within seconds. I asked the stage mgr if he could grab me Atsuo's, to which he of course said no.
Boris comes back and plays two or three more songs, and again, it's amazing. Then they take a bow and leave. Fucking awesome. So now roadies are tearing down, and i grab a different one, and again ask if he can grab me Atsuo's set list, AND HE DID!
So. TL;DR:
Boris fucking slayed. The show was amazing, and I got lots of keepsakes. Fuck yeah
