Playmakers. Fargo, ND. June, 1999 by Monte marinucci.
I attended the Candlebox show in fargo ND early this summer,
approx. in June. Oleander opened along with some other band. all three
bands played very well. a lot of times crowds in ND are pretty cold. i like
candlebox, they are now one of my favorite flavors. It was a small acouistically
shit square metal echo box of a venue called playmakers. It was candlebox's
first show in ND and I can't express enough how excellent of a musical
experience it was. I adore their music in many aspects such as yourselves. I
love the heaviness of their music it to me has all of the qualities of music
that I can't quit listening to. I feel the same things the lyrics are saying
and their latest work really hits home with me. Especially how love can make
you feel. (well isn't that special!) enough about how I feel. I've forgotten
this is a review damnit. Obviously the show kicked my ass. please come back or
near. some goofy ass music came on and they came on stage. it was great, I was
stoked right in front squished like a flap jack. there presence was very
stern, funny, godlike and heavy as a mother diving headfirst into happy pills.
they all wore funky shades of different varieties thoroughly shoving the
aggressive rock into our faces. we had it all over us and where all gratefull
to be soaking in such awe of tastefull elegant tones of distortion laden
heaven. We all screamed and cheered and strong armed our approval saying
yes you rock, yes you rock, you know your bad, you know how to cook it,
you serve it up, dish it out, get off on us, and then throw back. It kicked ass
people, and if you've seen em you know exactly what i am saying. the bass player
was slaying me with his shades and energy. I don't yet know the names but the veteran
guitarist pete is it? dude you are one bad ride on that guitar. you kicked
it! rev,rev,rev want some more here take that and that. kevin was truely
godlike his uniqe voice sounded out with much professionalism. he was so
laid back and you could tell all the women dreamed of him. this extremely hot chic
to my left you should have seen the way she looked at him. I can't explain
how this experience must have been for her. If Kevin would have reached
out and touched this individual on the cheek and smiled, I believe that she
would have cried happiness onto the world. he did smile alot and I do feel
that it was a good experience for all souls present on both sides of the
fence. the grass was very green! the new guitar player carried himself very
well and though I never saw the original lineup, I do think he is good for the
group as a whole the two guitarists worked well together and shared a lot of
the lead work. they sounded fabulous delicate beautifully rich and killer
kick ass edgy full on distortion great as a whole guitar team. the new rythm
section worked well also. you could tell the whole group seemed very liking what
they do. I dont envy the aspect of them having to spend time away from home to do
what they do. to me thats a hard part of being a performer. To all performers
who are away from their loved ones for weeks, months at a time running
around singing us songs thank you for doing what you do. To all you boxheads we
share this great love of this great band and they do great things for us
within their music. I look forward to someday meeting you and sharing this
strong beautiful emotional fullfilling musical experince with you. I am a bass
player and I jam along to candlebox all the time. I'd give my teeth to
have been the new bass player in this band. But I think this fellow is here to
stay and he's damn good, very entretaining and fitting wouldnt you agree? I had a
chance to meet him and he was a very personable guy who gave me the time of
day. we talked bass equiptment and what not. he said he was from texas used to
play musicman basses, had a child on the way was very excited about that and about
his new job as bass player for candlebox. I also met the new drummer and of
course being a big rush fan also i had to ask him what it was like to tour
with rush and what Neil Piert was like to hang out with. He said that he asked
the same thing cause he was also a rush fan but was not the drummer for
candlebox when they toured with rush but the other guys said that they were
very nice people and a pleasure to be around. The original two bandmembers
where not around and I had to run. I did meet the new guitarist told him that
I enjoyed his performance and sound very well and congratulated him on his new
gig with candlebox and he said thanks. The new drummer played pork pie drums
which I think sounded good. I've also heard them at a primus show, herb was playig
them. the kick drum had excellent sound characteristics. the whole band's
sound was good. I was up front so I had mostly stage sound. Pete had an especially
grand hard rock sound. I noticed he was playing these tweed peavey amps, they
do make some good shit. I think Jimmy page used a similar, if not the same, amp
on the page plant tour. he had an assortment of guitars but seemed to favor the
awesesome flavor of some what seemed to be older gibson les pauls. I am pretty
(actually I am ugly) sure he had some marshall cabs and amps too. he had kick
fucking ass tone. also played an old strat at one point or two. He said fuck
this, got aggressive, kicked a microphone and stand over out of his way and
came out to the front of middle left stage and kind of aired here chomp on this
nasty lead. He looked laid back reserved yet tough with these bad ass dark
shades, t shirt, leather pants and ugly ass biker boots from hell, looked
like he had paint and shit all over them like they had been through the mill.
so how,s that for a description for all you boxettes who worship the ground he
rages on. a roadie looked kind of upset when he kicked the stand over, kind of
like now was that necessary/with a well hes the boss sigh. the singer had
his toe nails painted kool. my three year old son loves painting his nails and
then shows everyone cute. I did it and he thought that was pretty kool. my
wife doesnt think its so cool. Oh well, to remember this is ND, that is not
acceptable behavior for such an anal retentive place, I can see their blindness
in the way. Candlebox thanks for the excellent show please do come our way again.
I will go out of my way to seek you guys out in concert cause to my ears your one
of the best and getting to be my favorite group. please keep doing what your doing,
we are here for you and will always show up to support you and have a great time.
Someone shut me the fuck up.Later ......Monte marinucci
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