BRMC at House of Blues Cleveland

You've probably been seduced before. There's always promise. Promise, promise of something wonderful, or POWERFUL. Have you? because when you're seduced, it's no fun being let down. If you know what I mean then you may have fit in on Monday night seeing Black Rebel. Unquestionably a great band, BRMC came out with guns-a-blazin'. And they played for two hours. Heavy riffs and bleating vocals, they played hard and satisfied many. But they could have done so much more. The Club played a bunch of new songs to a supposed small town crowd, who theoretically should just be happy that a name band came to their burg. This is the cross that crowds that aren't located in NY, LA, DC, Chi, etc. have to bear. We are their practice field. But that's beside the point. The problem wasn't just the new stuff. The real flaw tonight was that BRMC cut the balls off every good song they've ever written.

There are not many common themes throughout BRMC's four albums. The first two are fairly straightforward garage rock, while the third wanders into territory belonging more to blues. Their latest attempts to straddle the line even more than Howl. But what is never absent is the feeling, the absolute proof, that this band has power to spare. Even when making a conscious effort to harness (some might say suppress) this power, it is always evident. This is a strength. So why oh why would Black Rebel Motorcyle Club ( that's a heavy name - they're not the Socially Conscious Dudes Who Care, they're the fucking BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB) choose to downplay their most rollicking tunes? I don't know and I suspect they don't either. It's the thing to do. Try to sound sophisticated by toning down your toughest tunes to ballads. Well, it didn't fly in this little town and I doubt anyone else would like it either. BRMC played a decent set but never let us revel in the tides of soul and power that they've fed us in the past.

This show was disappointing. But only in the sense that they could have given us so much more.