The Residual Effects of a Clutch Gig
Just a quick word about this show. It was over a week ago now — Saturday, Oct. 10, to be precise — but the Clutch gig I caught at Irving Plaza in NYC has taken residence in my spine, leading to residual flashbacks and long-term developing appreciation of a rare kind. Careful analysis of the input factors, variables, controls, etc., leaves open questions as to the cause here to be explored:
The second of two New York nights at Irving (it’s not “The Fillmore” no matter the dollars spent to market it as such) to close out a tour with Wino and Lionize, on paper there wasn’t really anything different about it. Just another Clutch set in Manhattan. They seem to happen every couple months like clockwork. But this one has stuck with me, and all I can really chalk it up to, as regards the band (which I say because I had many personal friends at the show and it was a pleasure to see them), is the set list.
It’s not necessarily rare for a show to make me want to go back and listen to one of the band’s records, but in the last week, I’ve hit up both Elephant Riders and Pure Rock Fury, neither of which is my favorite Clutch album by a longshot. I’ll say this as well: this was my fourth time seeing Wino‘s solo band in 2009 (Roadburn, Atlantic City with Clutch, Planet Caravan and Manhattan with Clutch), and he never sounded better.
So clearly there was a special feeling about this night. Clutch broke out “Immortal,” “Cypress Grove,” “Ship of Gold,” “Sea of Destruction,” “The Dragonfly,” “Animal Farm,” and even capped off with a rare “Spacegrass.” It was the best I’d seen them all year, but you know, I seem to say that after every show. If I’m brave enough to make it out to Starland Ballroom when they’re there in December (last year was so crowded it was a nightmare), I’ll probably say the same thing then too.
But like an idea whose time comes on Bill Murray‘s Groundhog Day, Clutch killed a crowd of familiars in NYC. Their shows are usually a party anyway, but this was a standout, and since I can’t seem to get over how good it was, it at very least seemed worthy of note here in case I wasn’t the only one with a similar experience of it.
Tags: Clutch, Gods, New York City
I seen them last month in Chicago. It was an awesome show from start of Lionize to Clutch’s last song. I thought Wino rocked. JP on drums and Wino is a much better guitar players then I had thought. During Clutch’s set someone threw a package of pork tamales on the stage. Afterwards when the song was over Neil announced that the owner can pick up his tamales at the will call window. It was funny. The look on his face was priceless. They opened with Texan Book Of The Dead, played some stuff stuff off of the new album and closed out with Burning Road. This was my fourth time seeing these guys this year and they seem to get better with each show.