Concert Review: Bathhouse, Heatdust, Thou, and The Body at The Cave

This is Déjà Vu all over again. Didn’t The Cave host a nearly identical line-up a few months ago? However, this show was cut off halfway through the double-set of Thou and The Body (Yar didn’t even  get to perform at all). Regardless, this was a worthy concert. Here’s what you missed:

Bathhouse were coarse, blunt, and louder than hell. The guitars and vocals were agitated, noisy, and distorted. Although the music was extremely chaotic, the band are masters of the tempo change, which gave a semblance of structure to the madness. This was almost too much emotion and not enough virtuosity, unless you dig unfocused, directionless rage. In this respect, Bathhouse is exceptional, but they are quite ordinary with regards to song structure.

Heatdust were more like the pop punk or alternative rock of the 90’s, a flashback to the days of Lollapalooza Their hooks were familiar yet catchy, making an addictive headbanging groove. The drum had some nice fills, and the other instruments were lively and energetic. The vocals were impressively versatile, but firmly rooted in rock n’ roll territory. . Although they were certainly not metal, they were loud and heavy, in a way.

Thou and The Body are both musical heavyweights in their own right, but when playing in tandem, their collision is cataclysmic. The audience lost their collective mind over the two drum kits (which did sound exquisite together). The vocals were passable for the most part, although some of the highs were too shrieky to fully enjoy. However, the immense, bluesy weight and slow tempo augured for a sturdy performance.

It was around this time that the night came to a screeching halt, as the authorities were purportedly called. Despite this slight setback, the bands who had the opportunity to perform were well-received, and deservedly so. Three stars out of five!