dredg + judgement day Saturday night Nov 22 2008 Salt Lake City - - the Final Performance of DREDG's Fall Tour with supporting acts The Sunbears from Fla and JUDGEMENT DAY from San Francisco.
The Sunbears were just two guys, one plays keyboard and the other on a drumkit. They had this cool primary-coloured display screen behind them showcasing elementary rainbow coloured graphics while they played the most lo-fi, yet richly textured and deeply resonant synthesizer rock. They were charming and kept my attention throughout their set, exuding a happy vibe of playfulness. I highly recommend The Sunbears if that sounds like your cup o' tea.
Next up were JUDGEMENT DAY - - the drummer from Sunbears told us they were going to tear us a new one, and boy was that the understatement of the night. I heard someone in the crowd say they were "metal", so I began preparing myself. Boy was I surprised to find out these guys are string-metal: A violin, a cello, and a Drumkit. No vocals. No overdubs. Just 3 dudes hellbent on jamming for Satan some string fuckin metal for the Apocalypse. Yes they reminded me (instantly) of Apocalyptica - - there's just no way around it. But someone said something I agree with: Apocalyptica by way of the Dirty Three.
The two string players are brothers, Anton and Lewis Patzner. Anton is the tall skinny one with the curly hair and bandana, wielding his violin like a crazed maestro and constantly honing the razor's edge of their music's higher end. He was Jimmy Page on crack and really had a commanding stage presence, taking the forefront and lead duties to mind-melting limits. Meanwhile his brother Lewis, the shorter and more boyish looking of the two, hunched over that bass cello of his at a stoop that never let up, not throughout the entire show. His head down and short haircut with its bangs covering his face, he kept up the pace with a bassline and rhythm so off the hook you couldn't take your eyes off him. The guy is a virtuoso and it was unbelievable to me that these two brothers, with just a violin and cello, could deliver such a maelstrom of unhinged metal fury- - backed up by Jon Bush's relentless drumming. JUDGEMENT DAY blew me away, plain and simple. I knew when they finished their set that I would be walking away with their T-shirt and album, there was just no way I was about to leave that show without a copy of their album in my hands. It was released in '04 - - recorded in their garage. I met their drummer at the T-shirt stand after the show - his name is Jon. As for the "String Bros", Anton went on tour with BRIGHT EYES with his violin since '04 apparantly, leaving little to no room for JUDGEMENT DAY themselves to play; while his brother Lewis received his cello performance degree from the The Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore.
First thing I asked Jon at the merch counter was "Hey man, did you guys ever play with the Devil Makes Three, by any chance?" and he looked at me frankly surprised and replied "matter of fact, we did play with them once. . ." I told him "I had a feeling. They're from California too of course and it just flashed on me you'd be amazing together."
Well make no mistake about it: JUDGEMENT DAY is back and they rock like a mutha! Here is their official website, check it out and be sure to click on their YouTube video to get a taste of their own personal brand of "Apocalypse".
http://www.stringmetal.com
Order their album DARK OPUS you won't be let down (unless "string metal" is just too heavy for you, haha).
Which brings us to the legendary dredg. I don't even know where to begin. If you've seen dredg as many times as I have, you already know they are the special band earmarked for greatness along the lines of Pink Floyd or Pearl Jam. You already know that if for some ungodly and senseless reason they never make it that big- -that's ok too, because their musical integrity is untouchable both composition-wise and performance -wise. You already know no amount of commercial success can dictate what to do with pure magic. Dredg is in a win-win situation because of this. Gavin Hayes will one day attain his place amidst the rock pantheon as one of the golden voices. Dino Campanella has solidly carved out his spot as belonging in the top tier of rock drummers, and I don't care who you come up with -- Dino belongs in the Top ten, easily. The stuff he does is indescribably complex yet straight-forward as well; I think he is the hardest -hitting drummer in alternative rock today, with a deceptive style which incorperates insane signatures amidst the basic beat. He is a wonder and a delight to behold live. If you've never seen dredg in concert and you are into rock music in the least bit -- you owe it to yourself to see these guys live before you die.
But how could I forget Drew on his bass? That kid's playing is straight up dope. Solid basslines with just the right amount of flex and specs. I can't really describe it, other than he more than holds his own, he's carved his place. And then there's Mark. Probably the most overlooked Dredg member, but clearly, when you stop and think about it, perhaps the most important. This guy calmly puts out the most beautifully evolved guitar riffs and effects you could imagine, really the core of dredg's unique sound. Without Mark you have no Dredg, period. Yes these four cats are indispensable, all four of them need each other as much as we need them. Dredg is a real band. Hallelujah.
They were in tip -top form that night. Part of that was because it was the final show of the tour. The Patzner Bros from Judgement Day joined Dredg for the last several songs, classic staple material from El Cielo mainly, and here is where the performance lifted itself up and beyond any Dredg performance I've seen yet - and this was my 7th or 8th show (I've already lost count). Lewis Patzner's deeply inspired bass cello filled in the bottom end of dredg's music very well, while Anton's insane lead-violin playing added the perfect texture and depth to sections of those old songs. By the end of their inspired performance I was 100% ready to have the Patzner Bros added as official members of dredg - - they were that good together. When the show was over, I remained stunned. My friend Andy caught one of Gavin's crumpled up poems he occasionally types up onstage with his typewriter he always sets up front and center. I've been dying for one of these crumpled up dredg poems since, forever. Andy was thoughtful enough to give it to me after the show, that was awesome of him. When I get a chance I am going to scan it onto my harddrive, and display it here as well as on dredg's myspace. All it said on the crumpled up sheet was the date and location (SLC) and the words "I couch surf" . . . so I am going to post it on their website and tell Gavin "our couch is open". Its been a long time coming but dredg have certainly cemented themselves into my favorite 21st century band.
They played a couple of songs from their upcoming album in March of 2009: it will be the coveted 4th album -- the senior effort by which all bands must be judged since the watermark standard in 1974, Led Zeppelin's IVth album. I've been using this 4th album watermark for decades now, and I can't even begin to tell you how stoked I am for this impending release. I can say without blinking an eye and with confidence that it will be Dredg's breakthrough album, in terms of musical and artistic integrity, if not in record sales or chart topping). The deeply rendered themes inherent to this band will have finally coalesced into that perfect offering, their seminal fourth album, only four months away. Something to live for.
