Show Review: Obits @ Red 7 (8/3)

Friday night was our third show in a four day run, and man, I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of bands to catch live.  Manhunt, Flesh Lights, Mind Spiders killed it, and to top it off, Obits closed the night in marvelous fashion.

Read on for some thoughts and the usual solid photographs from Mr. Brian Gray.

Manhunt opened the evening noisily, and while the vocals could have been cleaned up, I absolutely loved the energy up on the stage.  You’ve got to love when a band gives it their all in front of a sweaty crowd.  I couldn’t help but be amazed by seeing Orville back behind the kit; how many bands can one dude be in? Solid start to the evening.

When Flesh Lights took the stage, they looked a bit young, and while I’ve been jamming to their tunes, I hadn’t seen them yet (I know, I’m lame). Man, I couldn’t help but realize how grateful Austin should be to have this band taking off.  They definitely have an edge with their pop-punk stylings, and with Elissa behind the kit, they tore the set apart.  Her tenacity was pretty much unmatched on the evening, and while they may be/seem young, they’ve got a head start on a lot of local acts.

We love Mind Spiders, but I felt like the solid show they put on was a bit timid this evening, and I’m blaming that entirely on the absence of the second drum kit.  They blasted through a solid set, giving us hits predominantly from Meltdown, their latest stellar release. They even graced us with a cover of an old track by The Kids.  It was a good set, and they band delivered as they always do, just need a bit more of the punch I’ve come to associate with their live show. Still one of our favorite acts to see.

Man, I couldn’t have asked for anything more (aside from a better A/C) than getting to see Obits. Rick Froberg’s an old dude, but that voice is absolutely incredible, on record and live.  He gave it his all, and even brought up feelings of nostalgia, since I grew up jamming to Drive Like Jehu.  Hits off their last record, Moody, Standard and Poor, delivered more punch than expected.  “You Gotta Lose” has to be one of my favorite tracks period, and with Froberg’s scratchy vocals on the mic, it couldn’t have sounded better.  Perfect show from these dudes, making it a pretty all around great evening of loud rock n’ roll.

Check out Brian’s pics; there’s more here: