By the set-ending "You Can't Quit Me Baby," controlled chaos reigned. Homme sauntered to the mic with a lit cigarette in his mouth and blew smoke around his face. During the song, his echo-processed vocals enhanced the space-drone vibe provided by snakecharmer riffs and Dean Fertita's tambourine and shaker percussion. The volume and speed of the song increased as it progressed -- and in fact, each individual member spazzed out separately in their stage space, Castillo in particular. The band knew it was on fire; the audience responded in kind with delirious cheers.
An all-too-brief encore began with Lullabies to Paralyze's "Long Slow Goodbye," a charred rock track highlighted by Homme's slightly crackling falsetto. Better was "Little Sister," which underscored QOTSA's sexy, sultry side, and the menacing classic-rock steamroll "Go With the Flow."
During the show, a woman behind me exclaimed, "Nobody ever plays their early shit. [This is] so awesome." She's right: Although QOTSA may not have played everything people wanted to hear - in fact, some huge hits were absent - hearing the band's origins sound so lively and vibrant was gratifying.
Critic's Notebook: Missed the opener due to my KDHX show. How was it?
By the way: The self-titled QOTSA album is finally receiving a physical reissue on April 19. Stream it here.
Setlist: Regular John Avon If Only Walkin' on the Sidewalks You Would Know How to Handle a Rope (A Lesson in the Lariat) Mexicola Hispanic Impressions The Bronze Give the Mule What He Wants I Was a Teenage Hand Model You Can't Quit Me Baby
Encore: Long Slow Goodbye Burn the Witch Little Sister Make It Wit Chu Go With the Flow
