Delivering an (ahem) epic show, Faith No More, the legendary band from San Francisco, performed Sunday night for an enthusiastic crowd at the DC area’s premier outdoor venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Wrapping up the east coast leg of their tour with supporting act Refused, their stage was adorned with white linen draping the amplifiers and speaker cabinets and what one might consider an obscene abundance of floral arrangements bloomed among their stage setup. The band members themselves took the stage in white linen looking far more spiritual then I had remembered them.
Whatever peaceful vibe the crowd took from the serene stage backdrop was contrasted by the crisp and super-tight melodic metal tones that would pierce the night. FNM today sounds far better live then most bands might ever aspire to—and a totally different animal from their recorded material.
The band’s set list included “The Real Thing,” “Land of Sunshine,” “Caffeine,” “Evidence,” “Epic,” “Sunny Side Up,” “Last Cup of Sorrow,” “Midlife Crisis,” “A Small Victory,” “The Gentle Art of Making Enemies,” “Easy,” “Separation Anxiety,” “Matador,” “Ashes to Ashes,” “Superhero,” “Rise of the Fall,” “RV,” and “Just a Man.”
The surprise of the night for me was the performance of the evening’s opener, Swedish hardcore band Refused. With more moves than James Brown, frontman Dennis Lyxzén gets my vote for frontman of the year. (In fact, as far as frontmen go, I’d almost put him in the same league as Pelle Almqvist of The Hives—and that’s saying a lot.)
Refused not only entertained, but packed enough raw energy into the venue to perfectly set the stage for the explosion of sound that Faith No More were about to deliver.
FAITH NO MORE
REFUSED
