I would like to say after a far to long hiatus it was fantastic to finally get back on the floor. I melted into a puddle of happiness on principle.
The Venue: House of Blues chicago (see this post for my review)
The Crowd: (3.5/5) An above average, fun crowd. Lots of chatting between shows, and during the first opener. They positively sprung to life during the main act. Thirty Seconds To Mars has a wonderful cult following, which makes the experience even better. No one was there just for one song. They were happy for each number which is how it should be.
First Opener-- After Midnight Project (3/5) AMP as their fans call them was a fun, solid opener. A little cacophonous upon a closer listen with bitter, almost vindictive lyrics. Great for an opener, but I wouldn't go to a show for them. They have a very common sound that wants to be original but falls short. However, front man Jason Evigan, made a lot of effort to get the crowd involved and the crowd was responsive as could be expected for the first wave opener. The album was was worth concert price, but I wouldn't have paid more for it. Very rough still, I look forward to seeing what this band does when they clean up and grow into their own, less generic sound.
Second Opener/ First Main Act-- The Used (2/5). I will make a caviat, the person in front of me was being a real pill and blocking my view, along with the people next to me so that may be shading my lack of enjoyment.
Their sound was unpolished, which I don't usually mind, but I found that in conjunction with an unprofessional attitude and vulgarity beyond even my tolerant standards, their performace was mediocre. While nominally better recorded, the frontman's vocals are reminiscent of a gremlin. That alone wouldn't have stopped me, however, that mixed with a run of the mill sound and a poor performance left me irritable. Had they been the main act I would have been very angry I'd spent money on these tickets.
However, they weren't.
Main Act: 30 Seconds to Mars (5/5). While the set only ran about an hour, due to that front man Jered Leto's being ill from a recent tonsillectomy, they made every moment count. When I heard Leto was ill my expectations naturally dropped, after all no one sounds perfect when ill.
If this is what he sounds like when he's off, I can't imagine what its like when he's in full health. Leto was full of fire, in constant motion and interacting with the audience constantly (actually, in the audience at one point). He looked fantastic, wich is a nice plus. I find often artist aren't as put together for shows, you see who they really are more. Having seen Leto as an actor, it was wonderful to see him come out of his shell and enjoy the evening as himself, rather than a role. He was the right mix of diva and graciousness. He even went as far as to dedicate one of his acustic numbers to a fan that had recently passed on.
30 Seconds to Mars is nothing if they are not professional. Their sound is even clean live, wich you don't hear often. Leto's intense energy, and very strong voice carry words that are occasionally a little cryptic, but speak of conviction and tenacity. Leto is also very articulate, you can hear every word clearly. While most of his songs are in a simlar speed, he does slip in the occasional ballad, which is often far simpler lyrically than his other work. In This Is War (title track for their newest album), he combines both the intensity of his faster work and the simplicity of his ballads.
While, Leto is a powerhouse unto himself, the rest of the band does a wonderful job matching stride with him and plays nicely, knowing both how to sound sharp and improvise when necessary.
I was impressed when I heard them recorded, I was blown away when I saw them live. Simply wonderful, a damn near perfect show.
Next up: Kill Hannah' New Heart for Christmas VII show.
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