Volume IV & Crobot (supporting Truckfighters)
Atlanta, Ga – March 10, 2014
Vinyl
A Monday night in Atlanta doesn’t really sound like a hot time in the city but on this night Vinyl was the place to be. Atlanta’s own Volume IV and Pennsylvania’s Crobot were present and accounted for (supporting Truckfighters) and this was not going to be a show that I was going to miss under any circumstances. Volume IV is a band that always brings it live and never ceases to blow my mind and Crobot is a band that I have waited over 2 years to see. But would this back to back facemelt fest be as awesome as I hoped it would be?
The room was pretty empty about 10 minutes before Volume IV hit the stage but all of the sudden a flood of folks made their way into the room just in time for Volume IV’s set to begin. Volume IV took to the stage with a wall of feedback and without any warning slammed right into “Long in the Tooth.” All of the sudden I noticed something totally different. Unlike before, Volume IV seemed to be playing with a looseness and swagger that had them creating this sonic, heavy yet almost earthy droning vibe. “Awake the Dreamer” followed and this one had the band really sounding and looking loose and having a good time. Volume IV has always been a great live band but they seem to have found this comfy spot with each other where you can just tell that they have found that groove. They don’t seem to be overthinking or being too overly conscious which totally resonates to the crowd.
“Blackwater” (dedicated to yours truly) was a personal highlight and this seemed to be the song that captivated the room but it was “In the Land of the Blind, The One Eyed Man is King” that really picked up the crowd and took them to the next level. Closing their set with “Iron Fist” brought on a huge roar from the crowd and immediately after their set was over people made their way to the merch booth to get their Volume IV facemelt to go. Volume IV really sealed the deal last night and they definitely won over some new fans the old school way: with a kick ass, no frills performance of great, rifftastic songs. Volume IV’s performance this night proved to me that these guys are definitely one of the best at the game and they just continue to grow and blow me away more with each performance.
For more on Volume IV, go to https://www.facebook.com/VolumeIV
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Up next was Pennsylvania’s Crobot. Ever since hearing their debut album “The Legend of the Spaceborn Killer” back in2012 I’ve been a huge fan. I never thought I would see the day that they’d make their way to Atlanta but since signing with Wind-Up Records, the band hopped on this tour and finally made their way here to grace us with their presence. Crobot took the stage with a cosmic, energetic vibe that could be felt even before the first note was played. The band launched into “The Legend of the Spaceborn Killer” and right away my first thought was, “I hope this crowd likes the taste of kicked ass and melted face because these guys are serving it by the truckload.” From there Crobot blew the minds of everyone in attendance with new material such as “”La Mano de Lucifer”, “Nowhere to Hide”, “Skull of Geronimo”, and The Necromancer.” The highlight for me came when lead singer Brandon Yeagley addresses the crowd: “Atlanta. Wahchoo know about Chupacabra?” as the band kicked into the song “Chupacabra.” This song was so wickedly bad ass that I just said, “Fuck it” and started grooving the fuck out. This just may be my new favorite Crobot jam.
Song after song they continued to blow this crowd away and win them over one by one. Closing with “Fly on the Wall” left me wanting more and I couldn’t believe that they were already done. Some bands have a way of playing 45 minutes and making it feel like a lifetime but with this Crobot set I could’ve had another hour of this epic display of cosmic awesomeness. My face was so fucking melted that I must’ve looked like Joan Rivers stepping out of a hot shower. Yeah, they were that good.
Seeing Crobot live is sonically amazing and visually exhausting. It’s like watching a three ring circus on one tiny stage. There is so much movement and so much energy that if you aren’t moving along with them you need some serious therapy. These guys know how to pour everything they have into a show. Guitarist Bishop jamming around the stage and flipping his guitar around ala Cinderella while the rhythm section of brothers Jake and Paul Figueroa create a solid foundation and supplying a cosmic, stratospheric groove. Lead singer Brandon Yeagley is like the test tube baby of Andrew Wood, Chris Robinson, and Robert Plant with a voice that pulls from all three of those great singers to create a voice that’s all his own. He’s a soulful, animated, madman with a stage presence that I can only describe as James Brown on mescaline. Crobot definitely made a huge first impression on me and everyone that was lucky enough to see their Atlanta debut. This performance took Crobot from just being a great to being an outstanding, hard to touch band and have solidified their place in my top tier of favorite bands.
For more on Crobot, head over to https://www.facebook.com/Crobotband
Oh yeah, and then Truckfighters played.
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