Black Rebel Motorcycle Club never disappoints

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club never disappoints

by Jessica Price - SGN A&E Writer Black Rebel Motorcycle Club September 7 The Showbox (Market) What is it about fuzzed-out guitars, a tough logo, and a bunch of black clothes lit by searing white light that makes a poor heart skip a beat? You can't really get any closer to teenage rebel rock turned adult than Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in 2008. Their logo is a taken directly from the classic Marlon Brando film, The Wild One, and it looms behind them at any given BRMC show, as it did at The Showbox on Sunday night. A friend leaned over to me and shouted "Bands should use more backdrops." I couldn't agree more. Bring it on. And bring it they did, although Black Rebel Motorcycle was in Seattle not too terribly long ago playing to a sold-out crowd with The Black Angels. This time they set the tone for the evening with some Bob Dylan before taking the stage. Not only did they cover Dylan's "Visions of Johanna" during their two-hour set, they kept mainly to newer releases Howl and Baby 81. "666 Conducer" kicked things off to a swirling, slinky start. The band's influences have naturally edged them into organic, bluesy territory as on live staple "Ain't No Easy Way," but they're still able to switch seamlessly into a full-on guitar assault with older material like "Whatever Happened To My Rock & Roll." I've been lucky to see the San Francisco band many times since they first began their incessant touring; though they've gone through endless drummer trauma and a massive sound shift for their blues-infused Howl album, they've always been supremely cool and collected. It seems in spite of adversity and plenty of initial harsh criticism, BRMC have kept the focus squarely on making the best music they can with a loving nod to their influences. Guitarist and vocalist Peter Hayes delivered beautifully on a few of the lushest tracks from Baby 81, "All You Do Is Talk" and "Am I Only." Robert Levon Been changed a few melodies around a little, most noticeably during the throwdown chorus of "Berlin." Even though Sunday nights are notoriously difficult for people to muster up the energy for a raucous show like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the audience has noticeably grown. Fewer hipsters were in attendance as in the early days, it was more an extremely dedicated bunch of older fans that have seen them multiple times. The band played quite a long set, with a single impressive encore. "Weapon of Choice" and "Six Barrel Shotgun" were merciless and had fans near the front in frenzy. The slippery "Took Out A Loan" was another definite highlight. Yes, they are a strange combination of dark rock and blues, and it's not the most original sound for a bunch of black-wearing tough guys, but I'll never grow tired of seeing them live. You never know which set you're going to get, and BRMC never disappoints. -J. Price