PHOTOS: RICHIE DOWNS | Just before Queens of the Stone Age took the stage at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Thursday, it occurred to me that I had last seen Josh Homme on this stage in 1995 with Kyuss, opening for White Zombie. Almost 20 years have passed, and Josh has now led the Queens to new heights with a number one album—and this night cemented in stone that they are at the top of their game.
After fighting my way through the Ragnarök of DC area traffic, I arrived at Merriweather just a few minutes before Brody Dalle took the stage. It was a bit early—still light out, and a fairly sparse crowd at this point, but those who were there early embraced the entertainment. Brody has a new band and a new album, and sounded tighter than ever. Venturing further into alt-rock and away from the frenetic punk sound of her past in the Distillers, she showed a maturity in her music while bringing the rock. Mixing songs from her latest album, Diploid Love, with a few from her past, Brody and her band were the perfect way to start the night.
In between bands, I mentioned to a friend that I had never heard St. Vincent before. Her response was, “She’s kind of like a female Prince.” Hmm, ok. I can get with that. Annie Clark and her band, aka St. Vincent, took the stage, and my friends’ description wasn’t too far off the mark. Funky, groovy, and moving into the second song she still showed the influence of the Purple One.
Using unusual guitar effects, and playing with a faraway stare, Clark brought more of a performance art vibe into the set as it advanced, which unfortunately lost me more with every song. A set that started off tight and funky quickly spiraled into an unfocused mishmash of Bjork-like oddity. There were some there who shared my sentiments, but there were plenty more who appeared enraptured by St. Vincent.
A 60 second clock appeared on the video screens, and the crowd joined in, counting down in unison. The counter reached zero, and Queens of the Stone Age took the stage, opening with “You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire,” and going right into “No One Knows.” From the very first note, Queens were razor-sharp—just flawless. In lieu of a grandiose stage setup, the band chose an immense, beautiful light show to enhance their performance.
They charged through their set with abandon and songs like “My God is the Sun” and “Monsters in the Parasol” were absolutely crisp and perfect and still maintained a distinct personality in a live setting. Josh proved throughout that he is certainly one of the coolest people in rock, whether he’s trying to be or not. He announced that “We’re gonna play one to get everyone dancin’. We’ll see…” and dove into “Little Sister.”
The brilliant light show continued—a seizure-inducing deluge of strobes at the end of “Turnin’ on the Screw,” and the band awash in pinhole beams of white light for the sultry “Make It Wit Chu.” Later, a sign was passed onstage that read “Jon Theodore is my Hero.” Josh took a moment to acknowledge the drummer, a Baltimore native—and throw in an obligatory Natty Boh joke. The rest of the band was top-notch as well, most notably guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen.
After “Make It Wit Chu,” the band hit the nitrous and launched the show into the stratosphere. The hard-driving, heavy “Sick, Sick, Sick” had every person in the orchestra pit going absolutely insane. This led into “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret,” and the set closer “Go With the Flow.” The intensity of the final songs of the set was off the charts, like they had placed a Tesla coil in the hands of everyone in attendance.
The song ended, the band exited the stage, and people were left looking at one another in a post-orgasm afterglow.
Just when everyone had caught their breath, the band returned and Josh took center stage on piano for the mellow, melodic “The Vampyre of Time and Memory.” Finishing off the night was “Feel Good Hit of the Summer,” complete with a Jim Morrison-like interlude, and ended with “A Song for the Dead.”
The overwhelming reaction from the crowd as people filed out was an elated “Whoa.” Not having seen them live before, Thursday night exceeded every expectation I had when I walked into the amphitheater, and the unbelievable set cemented Queens of the Stone Age as one of the premier acts in rock today.
ST. VINCENT
BRODY DALLE
