Glenn Schwartz 12/11/08

   An absolute monster of a show, which rattled the foundations themselves! The damage started early with Glenn cutting his left ring finger and stopping the first set just 2 songs in. I gave him my first-aid kit from my car and he dressed it and played the rest of the nite with tape and a band-aid on his left ring finger. He said about half of his nail is missing. Glenn seemed to not want to let anyone think he was using the injury as an excuse and just shredded. It was a furious maelstrom of sound that just seemed to swirl @ the crowd from all directions.
   The blues jam before the mic is blocked I can only describe as Icarium unleashed, with bonecaster's flesh becoming melded to the stone of the first throne and Quick Ben's flesh falling apart as they try to stand before Icarium's unimaginable and unstoppable fury. (Dom'll get that, sorry everyone else)
   The damage continued in the third set with Gene blowing a fuse on his amp. Unfotunately, it took over 20 minutes before I could convince them to just plug him into a different amp and stop wasting time wondering where we are going to get a new fuse @ 12:10 @ night. Gene sounded very different, but good, coming through the P.A. amps and it shows during Promises.
    Brother Eric McFadden was on drums last night, he balled as usual. Gene was really going wild before his fuse blew and the band was playing with that rare semi-annual intensity that is such a treat. The crowd was huge and well behaved.
    Last night easily matched anything from November-maybe a 10+++. Really spectacular.

(Courtesy of BRETT)

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 I arrived at about 10pm. The crowd was big & dense. Buffalo Steve was back from a 2 month long tour, Avenger Jim also back in the fold after a long absence, Hugh in the house, Blanco, KS from LA, and it was Sam's birthday. Good vibes all around.  When I made my way to the front, Glenn was just finishing bandaging up his torn fingernail (on his fretting hand). After this intermission the band RIPPED into a few jams that can only be called VORTEXUAL. There were moments where Gene, Glenn and Brother McFadden were synched up so tightly, yet wildly, it had me simply shaking my head, smiling, asking "what in the world is going on??!!!"  These guys were on fire. To tell the truth, I don't remember much about this set except for these few instances when the gates of eternity were flung wide wide open and we were all invited inside.

 After a set break the band returned and did some Wagon Wheels lyrics over the chords of Old Man Daniel, then Glenn & Co. proceeded to play a LOOOONNNNNG blues jam during which Glenn's playing can only be described as relentless and furious. I was sitting on the bowling machine for this song and mid-way through, Glenn reached over and turned his amp up from about 4 to about 8. IT WAS LOUD!! He was a bit out of tune, but he made up for it in his rapid fire sheets of sound.

   Following a brief break Glenn brought up a woman in a dress and explained to the audience that this was appropriate dress for a woman and that she should keep her eyes and headdown at all times, etc...  At this point, a young lady up front yelled, "Don't put your head down, pick it up!"  to which Glenn replied, "Pick your head up....GOD WILL CUT IT OFF!"  Since I had played a gig earlier in the night, I was pretty tired so I figured this was a good time to leave. Hence, my review concludes here. Perhaps I will add more after hearing the recordings...

TZ