Queens of the Stone Age
Date: May 11, 2008 To See How Far It Will Bend When Queens of the Stone Age played the Civic Centre, my experience was the most physical of any recent concert. Fortunately, the band was as relentless as the fans, so the constant crush against the barricade was offset by the nonstop musical attack. Starting the night on schedule was Iceland's Mugison. Although Mugison records as a solo artist, this tour saw him front a five-piece band that provided ample noise, as was foreshadowed by the horn intro to the opening song, "Mugiboogie." That pounding song was indicative of the energy to follow, which was consistent while the set veered through many styles, touching on straight-ahead rock, blues, folk, and an occasional detour through death metal singing. That last approach likely helped Mugison's promise to have lost his voice by the end of the night, although he tore into his vocals with abandon regardless of style. The best part of the opening set was the fearlessness of the entire group. Whether it was the keyboardist in front of me screaming at the crowd between songs or the drummer at the opposite end of the stage standing into his kicks to draw a response, the band refused to acknowledge their status as a little-known opening act; and their bravado was rewarded in an enthusiastic crowd that appreciated their efforts. Queens of the Stone Age came to a stage that was decorated in several huge chandeliers that would be dazzlingly pounded with strobe lighting throughout the concert. Of course, the frantic visuals suitably reflected the driving energy. The band opened with "Era Vulgaris," a song from the album of the same name, "Feel Good Hit of the Summer," and "Go With the Flow," covering three albums in the first salvo. Queens mostly stuck to a sharp pace, laying down song after song with meagre pause. As a result, the show was experienced as a swirl of crushing bodies, flashing lights, and the deafening noise. Josh Homme's guitar work was met by that of Troy Van Leeuwen, with Dean Fertita sometimes adding a third axe when not working keyboards. Bassist Michael Shuman was closest to my spot on the floor, while Joey Castillo was an absolute monster on drums. Despite the fact that Queens of the Stone Age have had one of the most volatile line-ups in history, they are very tight live. As for Homme, he was fairly quiet as a front man; but he took a few breaks to acknowledge the lively crowd. He also echoed Mugison in making an early promise, although his was to be drunk by the end of the night. For a while, it seemed that he was taking a shot after every song, but his performance never suffered. Highlights over the concert included "3's & 7's," "Burn the Witch," "Turnin' on the Screw," and "Regular John." "Make It Wit Chu" was dedicated to the spirit of Mother's Day, with Homme noting of the swaggering, sexy number, "If we do this right, we'll make a whole lot of new mothers." The respite of that mellow song was short-lived, as the set wrapped up with the heaviness of "Little Sister" and "Sick, Sick, Sick." An encore of "You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire" and "No One Knows" sent the crowd home satisfied. Queens of the Stone Age delivered as expected, and the crowd reciprocated their energy, making for a draining but fantastic concert. Queens of the Stone Age setlist (image copied from the official message board at qotsa.com): 
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