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Friday Afternoon Diversion: Earth With Rings
Mariotti's Photo Scuffle?
Chicagoist's attempts at a good time at Q101's Block Party this weekend were thwarted by two things we expect to encounter at sporting events, not live shows: homophobia and long beer lines.
We arrive to hear Interpol playing in the distance. We are happy knowing that only 10 people are ahead of us to pick up our will-call tickets, we are close to actually being able to see Interpol play. The line refused to move forward for about 10 minutes causing us to become restless as more and more people queue up to recieve their tickets. Eventually, we get our tickets. We are in!
We decide that refreshments are in order before staking out a prime location for the evening. Interpol continues playing. We continue standing in line for beer. Annoyed that the whole evening so far has been standing in line, we refuse to visit the portapotties because we are here to see music - not for standing in another line. 3 beers in hand, we are finally out of the line. Interpol ends their set.
Queens of the Stone Age begin their set with "No One Knows" from Songs for the Deaf and then go into songs from their latest cd Lullabies to Paralyze. Three songs in and it's time for witty banter. Lead singer Josh Homme believes the crowd looks gay. We assume this means that we aren't into the show enough and that QOTSA will step it up a notch to force us to rock out despite ourselves. Another anti-homosexual comment comes out of Josh's mouth. Okay, that's weird... what's going on? People start leaving the crowded front area of the stage. Then, a third rant about how we look like we should fellate each other.
We decide this is enough and join those leaving the Q101 Block Party. Not only were Josh Homme's comments offensive, they were tiresome to say the least.
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Have you seen the typical Q101 listener?
His comments were right on.
Q101 is dead. It's XRT with slightly newer songs.
-yawn-
you call that a review? that said nothing of the bands that played - what about hot hot heat? what about interpol's set?
seriously? this is a joke, right?
i mean, good to know that josh homme is a homophobe (i won't buy the new album), but isn't this section titled "re-VIEWED"?
Eh, I think it was more a case of him knowing how to properly piss off the idiots up front. I was pretty close to the front and there were just a bunch of testosterone-addled young high schools moshing and bodysurfing to everything, including to Interpol (what? no.) and they were getting really ridiculous during QOTSA's set. So I think he was pissed off at them and decided to say what would get under the skin of every testosterone-addled, homophobic jackass who was out there. I think that high schoolers need a lesson in rock concert etiquette before being released into the wild like that. The push towards the front the whole night was really bad too.
You know what? I've kinda had it with the ironic use of "fags" and "you guys are homos" and shit like that. Because really what Homme is doing is using "gay" as a slur. Real nice. It just perpetuates the kind of bullshit that leads to stuff like what Aaron posted about today.
Want to let your audience know you think they're assholes? Call them assholes. Or do what Lou Reed does and play a shitty set.
Ummm, speaking of... What's with the superfluous hyphen in the word "re-viewed" anyway? Call me old-fashioned, but it should be "reviewed." Otherwise, it sounds like they're viewing it (the show) a second time around.
Exactly, Michael.
'I've kinda had it with the ironic use of "fags" and "you guys are homos" and shit like that.'
Something about that line as a comment on a review of "The QUEENS of the Stone Age" -- the name was chosen by Holmme as ironic po-mo-homophobic -- has supplied a near lethal dose of irony.
BTW, I was at that show too and I don't remember any of the comments you mentioned. I got there for Hot Hot Heat and left before QSA finished, so maybe it was later in the show than you indicated.
I stood up towards the front and it was lousy with frat-boy a-holes who felt that they should be able to muscle their way in front of 5' females who had been their since the gates opened.
But if I had them killed, they'd put ME in prison!
LOL @ cry babies complaining about the crowd at a pansy ass Q101 show.
Go to a Lamb of God/Hatebreed concert and then you can tell me about how it was 'in front'
Austin Mayor: Yes, fine. Muscleheads at concerts piss me off too. But if you're Homme and you're directing your commentary at an audience that you KNOW is likely to miss the point of your satire then you're only doing it for your own self-satisfaction. "You guys are fuckheads" may be less Oscar Wilde but it makes a more succint point.
I agree with jen. What kind of review is that? You miss the first two bands because you were waiting for because you were getting beer? Why bother turning in a review after that?
You mention "Noone Knows" and NO OTHER SONG played during the entire show? Meanwhile, you forget that Josh Homme was hit by a shoe from the audience and stopped the show. Maybe that had something to do with his mood. I don't remember him yelling "fag" at anyone, but I do remember him telling the front row to "fellate each other" after a bunch of frat boys got rowdy.
Maybe the author should pay attention to the show (or buy beer between sets) next time they write a review.
Did any one go to day 2? How was that show?
"Go to a Lamb of God/Hatebreed concert and then you can tell me about how it was 'in front'"
Tony, Yes the bands you mention have very, very scary names, but I've been going to shows before Al Jourgenson "quit" smack, before Metallica sucked and back when David Yow was still doing the "tight and shiny" and am not particularly impressed. Besides, the worst crowds are at redneck shows, e.g. DAC.
But tough-guy B.S. aside, my point was that I was at the show early enough to be close enough to hear what Homme was saying and I don't remember any of that, so I presume it actually occurred later in the show.
But I do remember a bunch of piss-ant frat boys elbowing girls to make their way to the front. And those were the same dumbasses towards whom Homme may have directed his unfortunate comments.
P.S. The preferred spelling of "pansy-ass" includes a hyphen.
I think more importantly>> This is an awful, awful "review" written by someone who was obviously not paying attention to the show.
I read and enjoy Chicagoist pretty regularly, and this just kind of struck me as an exceptionally dumb post.
ok, i went to the block party specifically to see interpol - which i found out about on this blog! The crowd was typical for a 101 show. Interpol's set was decent but marred by technical issues - they had to restart the first song because their monitors weren't on, and the mix didn't really gel until about halfway through. They sounded good, and when they hit those hypnotic peaks like they do, it was really good. The arrangement of some songs was slightly different than the recorded version, which is always good to see, and there were moments of both very tight playing and missed spots. In all, fun, but I'd rather see them in a smaller venue.
similarly, it really bothers me to read this review when you just write "we we we" over and over. chicagoist is always so smartly written, and this is just a little lacking.
Yeah, I was there and didn't hear any of these comments. I guess I was too focused on the music. To complain that there were meathead fratties at a Q101 concert is like going to Rome and complaining that there were Italians. Can't think of the last time I was at a huge outdoor concert where this element wasn't present and didn't act the same way. As for anti-homo comments by Homme, dude can say whatever the hell he wants. If he's straight and doesn't like gay people, more power to him. If he's gay and doesn't like straight people, more power to him. If he's gay and doesn't like gay people, more power to him. If he's straight and doesn't like straight people, more power to him. I think he was probably just making fun of the douchebag suburban-minded highschoolers up in front.
As for the post, I agree with everybody else about its inherent crappiness. Some concert review. What reviewer shows up for a concert and manages to miss 2 of the three acts? Interesting post, but definitely not a concert review.
So here's a question: ever been to a show where people being assholes or other factors completely ruined the experience for you and left you unable to appreciate the show? I have. And this writer clearly had that experience at this show. That's what was notable for her and that's what she wrote about. A review isn't always going to be what was happening onstage, it's what's happening offstage too. If you want a glorified set list, you're probably going to be disappointed.
And with that, we're closing comments on this post.