I remember my dad telling me not to get too excited. I was bouncing with energy as we drove to the House of Blues in Cleveland. I remember him telling me that there were only two members left out of the original five. Even so, how could i NOT bounce with energy? My excitement for this concert had been building for weeks, and i was just about to explode. We were on our way to see the New York Dolls.
The Dolls had just reformed with their three living members the year before for a festival in England. Since that time, original bassist Arthur Kane died of leukemia, leaving only frontman David Johansen and rythym guitarist Sylvain Sylvain left. The two found new members, and decided to set off on a U.S. tour. Nearly 30 years after they broke up, the New York Dolls, were touring. It can be argued whether or not the Dolls were punk or glam, but to me they were icons. Johnny Thunders died long ago, and the passing of Arthur "Killer" Kane was still fresh on everyone's minds, but could these New York Dolls we were going to see on stage really be THE New York Dolls that I had heard on cd and in my head? Or, were we going to see a couple old guys play their hits with a young backing band? My dad didn't want to see me disapointed, and tried to warn me. But I was young and couldn't possibly imagine the show not living up to my expectations.
What my father and I witnessed, we still talk about to this day. The show was nothing like either of us had preparred ourselves for. It was possibly one of the greatest sets either of us has ever seen preformed live. There was no mistake. This was not some band just going through the motions, trying to relive the glory days. They were for real. The band was smooth and cohesive when they needed to be, and rough around the edges at all the right parts. They kicked ass. They played fast and hard. They were the New York fucking Dolls.
Fast forward a few years to 2008. The lineup for Lollapalooza is released, and one headliner makes my jaw drop: Rage Against the Machine. This is a band I missed the boat on, and didn't become a fan of until after they had broken up. I never thought I would get a chance to see them live. Here was my chance.
The plan was set: my friend Jordan and I would meet up in Chicago and go to Lollapalooza for the sole purpose of seeing Rage. Yes, there were other bands we wanted to see, and even preformances I still talk about to this day (Louis XIV, Butch Walker, Brand New, The Ting-Tings), but we would not have even considered going if it wasn't for Rage. They were scheduled to headline Day 2. So we got to the stage they would be playing on before noon, and camped all day. Waiting. We would move closer every so often, making friends with those around us, also waiting for Rage. It must have been over 90 degrees. 45 minutes before Rage was set to go on, I got that feeling... I had to go to the bathroom. I hadn't gone all day, and I'd been trying to stay hydrated. So I did what any loyal fan would do. I stuck an empty bottle down my pant leg, peed in the bottle, screwed the cap on, dropped the bottle on the ground, and kicked it forward into the crowd of people... all while standing shoulder-to-shoulder, packed in like sardines.
Their preformance that night was like none other. They played the songs I knew and loved to perfection. Clearly, the band had not lost a step since they had been broken up. It was the most electrifying show I've ever seen. Seriously, I have never left a concert with my heart pounding and blood pumping as fast as it was after seeing Rage Against the Machine. As we left Grant Park, making our way to the train back to the hotel, fans were still screaming and cheering through the streets of Chicago. The yells echoed off the buildings all through the area. It was an incredible atmosphere. The air was humming with energy. It was a surreal experience all together. I will never forget it.
My love for Rage Against the Machine, spawned my intrest for their guitartist, Tom Morello's solo career. His music, even though acoustic is usually not my cup of tea, strikes something deep inside me. It is a similar feeling to when I listened to London Calling by the Clash for the first time. The political angst, social unrest, and disgust of greed are all ideas I can easily get behind. Morello has toured for his solo project, calling himself The Nightwatchman, multiple times, but always opening for someone bigger, who demands a hefty ticket price. I began to doubt if I would ever get a chance to see Morello's Nightwatchman material.
In addition to this, It has been announced that Tom Morello is creating, and writing a comic book to be released this October. I won't get sidetracked by discussing the details, but I will say that the more I learn about Tom Morello, the musicians that inspired him, what his passions are, and the professional goals he has, are very similar to my own. As cheesy as it is, I want to see him succeed, because that would mean that some of my dreams are attainable, and would serve as motivation for me to continue to work towards them.
Yesterday, I learned that Tom Morello, The Nightwatchman, will be headling the Grog Shop in Cleveland, OH with guest Tim Mcilrath (lead singer of Rise Against). ...I've never been this excited for a concert before.
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