After hearing enough about the utter mayhem that Monotonix brings upon unsuspecting audiences all across the live music landscape, I knew I had to witness it myself first hand. So who am I to pass up a show that involves band members playing their instruments while being carried by audience members? Granted I seldom attend such concerts (I have been softened by seeing bands like The Books and Hauschka performing in seated venues), so going to an all-out garage rock mini-fest was a no brainer for me.

Opening first was local surf rock trio NODZZZ. I was always a casual listener of the band but hearing them live was an unintimidating intro to the night’s festivities. Which was to be expected if you know the band’s bouncy 60s style pre-punk tunes. The band riffed with some charming stage banter and probably played for about a half-hour with each song averaging about 2 minutes long. The audience was very responsive with some light dancing here and there and this one guy who seemed to be a bit too into it (there’s always one at every show). But this would all change once Ty Segall would take the stage.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

NODZZZ – True to Life from True to Life 7″ (2009)

Before Ty’s set, a member from KUSF’s staff took the stage to announce the unfortunate events regarding the station. With that, Ty made sure the entire crowd knew his everlasting support for the station (they named him Best Artist of 2010) and urged the attentive crowd to sign the petition to keep the station alive.

Now I have seen Ty Segall several times but few were as intense, on all levels, as this one. You would think that since he plays the Bay Area several times a month, the crowd would be tame or distracted until Monotonix took the stage. Well that was just not the case. Several moshpits opened up as Ty and the gang ripped into their fuzzed up psychedelic punk with unrelenting force. No one was spared in the entire venue…well maybe the balcony, but overall the entire crowd did not let up during Ty’s hour long set. On several occasions I found myself thinking, “I’m too old for this shit!”, as I bounced off kids with X-marks on their hands.

More or so though I found myself enjoying it very much. Granted I was getting my ass royally kicked throughout the entire set, Ty’s music was as enjoyable as ever and was still rotating in my head after the show. Just try getting the chorus of Sad Fuzz out of your head? Not an easy task.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Ty Segall – Girlfriend from Melted (2010)

Well after Ty Segall got the crowd warmed up, the mighty Monotonix took the stage…well, scratch that. They started setting up their instruments on the dance floor and propping up their amps on the edge of the stage as if to say, “Stage? We don’t need a fucking stage!” As soon as sound-check was done and the band was ready to go, what occurred after that was something to be experienced. Singer Ami Shalev lunged into the audience right off the bat and was carried away into the fury of an adrenaline fueled crowd.

Within the first song this is what I witnessed:

• A guy crowd surfing in a wheelchair
• Ami Shalev sticking the microphone in his ass
• 14 beverages being thrown across the venue
• a 4 foot tall girl effortlessly pushing skinny jeaned hipsters out of her way 

While it was fairly difficult to differentiate which song was which, the band did play some recognizable songs from this year’s anticipated Not Yet. After a few false starts the band was able to actually play and finish Nasty Fancy the whole way through. But enough about the music. That was just the backdrop to the mayhem that was taking place at the Rickshaw Stop. During the show the band seemed unhappy with the placement of their instruments as they enlisted crowd members to carry their drums from one end of the venue to the next as Ami climbed on the bar, on crowd members, on the sides of the venue, and eventually, as expected, he got himself up on the balcony and leapt off into the sea of hyped up and probably terrified audience members.

Words cannot do the band justice though. They are something to be experienced first hand. Which may be impossible since Ami announced that the band will no longer be performing live after this tour. He pointed out that drummer Haggai Fershtman was about to see his first child born and that they had been touring not-stop for over 6 years (Ami is also 46 years old himself). A bittersweet moment as we all felt lucky to be there for what may be their last Bay Area appearance.

So if you’re noticing that Monotonix is coming to your town. I suggest you see them while you still can. Also bring a helmet to the show. You never know when a crowd surfing wheelchair will be dropped on your head.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Monotonix – Before I Pass Away from Not Yet (2011)

 

RSS Comments?

Leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.