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Review Thu Oct 24 2013
Review: Thee Oh Sees, OBN IIIs, Blind Shake @ Empty Bottle, 10/22
It takes a nice bit of confidence to tour with not one but two opening acts with the potential to upstage on any night. It's no surprise that one band that'd be up for that challenge is Thee Oh Sees. The San Francisco band tours constantly and their garage rock, punk and terrific noise almost always result in an entertaining live show. And it was no different on Tuesday night at the Bottle when they headlined with an 80-minute set full of what anyone who's seen them has come to expect. They played the favorites like "Block of Ice", "Minotaur" and "Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster" punctuated by a freneticism that was mirrored in the crowd. As soon as they started, the middle of the room was already pogoing and bouncing off one another. Despite upsetting some showgoers on the pit's fringes, it appeared to be all in good fun. But it's not just how tight they are or their top-notch melodies underneath the noise that draws people in. It's that, while they may have predictable setlists, they give it all their all every night and know what the fans want.
On this night, however, it wasn't just about the headliner. Austin's OBN IIIs opened with a rousing set of garage rock. They were loud, brash and energetic. Their singer was out in the crowd, weaving the mic through his shirt, on the floor and generally a solid entertainer out of the Iggy Pop school of frontmen. They never lost steam and always looked like they wouldn't rather be anywhere else. And whether it was some strange showmanship or just forgetfulness, handing set lists out to the rest of the band 3 songs in was sort of funny. If there were one complaint, though, it's that their songs are really long for fast-paced garage rock. Also, it appeared that a dad and son were having a great time during their set. I can't say I see too many fathers and sons hanging out at the Bottle, so that was pretty cool.
The Twin Cities' Blind Shake opened the evening with a high energy set of garage/surf-rock. A little Man or Astroman is prevalent in their sound, and even sort of their look with duct-taped symbols on matching black shirts and all 3 band members with shaved heads. (That's some dedication.) They were pretty much all business and their short songs packed a punch that definitely perked the ears of early arrivers.
