Love Battery, Live at The Mix

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again … Love Battery is the most underrated band in the history of music. Over the years, I’ve mentioned this group in my various articles a few dozen times, and in the process, I’ve turned a lot of people on to the band. Not once has anyone been disappointed.

Love Battery was one of the best bands in Seattle during Sub Pop’s meteoric rise, and I (as well as a lot of other people) were convinced that they were going to be huge. Had you told me 20 years ago that in 2011, I would be able to see them play at a small club in Georgetown, I would not have believed you.

Along with the overlooking of Screaming Trees, the fact that Love Battery is not a household name, and the fact that songs like ‘Highway of Souls’ and ‘Easter’ are not classic rock radio staples, is a reason that I have little use for what has become of the music industry.

Fortunately, even though the world has gone to complete shit — the guys have not thrown in the towel, and I was able to catch them at The Mix this past Saturday where they proceeded to kill the crowd.

Now before I go any further, I would also like to address the opening bands.

Perfume opened the bill.

I wasn’t familiar with this band until tonight, but I really liked them. I’m not into the hipster folk stuff that’s become Seattle’s chief audible export lately. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not my thing. If I’m going to stay awake until 4am after two hours of sleep (my reality on Saturday), I need fifth chords run through a healthy dose of gain blasted into my cranium.

Perfume fit this bill just nicely. They play heavy yet melodic tunes powered by a singer whose voice I quite like.

I’m definitely going to see these guys again.

Next up was Indecisive Rhythm.

This band is also great and the chick rocks. Not only does she have a good voice and cool stage presence, but she can really play too. I’ve been teaching my daughter to play the guitar for the last year or so, and she has a strong preference for female fronted groups. If this band ever plays a non-club gig, I’d like to take her to see them so she can see how it’s done. Keeping a kid out of that Justin Bieber shit in this day and age is a challenge.

At about 11pm, Love Battery took the stage, and it was a beautiful thing. Kevin looks the same as he did circa ‘94 — same dreads and everything. Ron’s voice sounds more or less the same as it always has.

They started off with Head of Ringo, and before I knew it, a small pit actually formed on the floor. You can see me get knocked around a little while taking some video, but I eventually gave in and traded a few bumps in solidarity.

The set was really outstanding, and if there was any doubt in the room that they were witnessing one of the best bands to come out of this town … those doubts were very quickly removed.

The band played a 90 minute-ish set — a set that repeatedly reminded me just how great Love Battery’s catalog of songs is.

Frankly, if you missed it, you messed up. Mudhoney was playing at Nuemo’s on the same night, and for the past month it had been my plan to go to that gig, but when I saw the Battery poster, those plans changed. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mudhoney. I won’t even attempt to count the number of times I’ve seen them in the last 25 years, and I’ll certainly see them again.

Love Battery is Love Battery, though. If I had to decide between a Love Battery gig and an appointment to receive life-saving cancer treatment, I would have to think about it long and hard … at which point I would probably choose the former. What’s the point of living if you’re going to miss a show like this?

If you did miss it, however, you still have a chance to redeem yourself.

Ron and Kevin have another band called Vaporland.

http://www.reverbnation.com/vaporland

They’ve got two gigs coming up in the next month, one on October 29th and one on November 26th at the Funhouse underneath the Space Needle. Believe it or not, I’ve yet to catch a Vaporland show, but I intend to rectify this in the near future.

In any event, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the band for an awesome show. It’s not often that fans are treated to a Love Battery set, so each and every show really is a big deal to all of us. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this gig was the highlight of 2011 for yours truly.

Thanks to Love Battery, and thanks to the opening bands, all of who made for a most excellent of nights.