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Review Tue Sep 08 2009
Live Review: The Cult and Living Things @ House of Blues 9/2/09
Last Wednesday was a bit of a bizarre night at the House of Blues. Maybe it was a full moon or something, but things were a little off for the whole evening. The House of Blues is an odd venue in itself--not really the room itself, sound is great in there--but being a corporate entity, rules are strict and drinks are expensive (not exactly what you would expect from a no-holds-barred rock club). And going inside is like walking into a dead zone: zero cell service (which sucks when your date is outside and has lost his ticket).
The crowd that night was clearly there for one thing and one thing only: The Cult. Most everyone there averaged in their late thirties and let's assume at this point you don't go to clubs and party quite as much as you used to because there were some really drunk people there--including one pretty big guy I saw tumble down the stairs like a ragdoll toward the end of the show and get taken away in an ambulance... here's hoping he's okay.
As I said, these people were here to see The Cult (many sporting the band's t-shirt) so when opener Living Things took the stage, a lot of people seemed almost confused, not quite sure what to make of them. A few songs in, some people started to get into it, a few holding beers up or pumping fists in the air, but the general feeling stayed anticipation. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the members of Living Things are much younger than The Cult and the crowd (by almost half) and listening to Lillian Berlin make political statements about government and the war seemed a bit contrived. But, this is not to say that the Living Things didn't put on a great show. As I was walking through the venue after their set I heard one guy say they were "pretty good for an opening act." While that may have been a condescending compliment, he was right about one thing--they were pretty good. They sounded great and as energized as ever, and opening for a legendary band like The Cult has to be a great milestone for them.
The anticipation lingered even longer for fans since The Cult came on late, putting an hour between them and the opening act (giving fans plenty of time to get their drink on...). When they finally took the stage, the crowd went wild. They played the entire LOVE album from start to finish, which has it's mellow points, but this crowd was following along with every word. Their encore, filled with hits, would have made even the most casual fan sing along.
If you take out the odd extraneous happenings, it was a great night for music: an up and coming young rock act opening for an established hard rock entity, both well deserved to hold the stage at House of Blues.
Mark / September 8, 2009 2:45 PM
Um, but what about the music?