Two things really come to mind when I think about this show. First, it was pretty awesome and they were really good. Second, holy dear god it was loud. I would say that before this the regularly loudest band I have seen is Dinosaur Jr., but this was a different kind of loud. Where Dinosaur is more in the trebles and higher pitched solos with a fair amount of bass MBV was bass, treble and everything in between, and a lot of it.

These guys kind of reappeared on the scene last year with a US tour that I missed because I had moved out of Chicago by that time (they played Aragon I think, where MIA was incredibly loud so I can’t imagine what that was like), so it was awesome news when I heard that they were doing a brief tour of the US around Coachella that surprisingly and awesomely included Dallas. I pretty much immediately snagged tix to this because I knew I wasn’t missing it. I wasn’t ever super-huge into them back in high school but I knew ‘Loveless’ a little bit and certainly enjoyed them a lot, plus I had heard the tales of how loud it was and I had to experience it for myself.

Upon arrival the solo acoustic opener was on, and he was ok, but kind of neither here nor there, especially when you’re waiting for the onslaught. Actually at the door they were handing out earplugs to everyone and immediately saying “you’re welcome”, this was a very good idea. I immediately noticed that the Palladium had added a second full stack of PAs hanging from the ceiling effectively *doubling* the amount of speakers they normally have for every other show I’ve seen there. Yep, it was on like Donkey Kong bitches.

I’m pretty sure they had their own specific pre-show playlist going, mostly older stuff, and as it was going they started up the smoke machines and the stage started to fill up with smoke. After the stage was a complete haze Shields and co. came out. I had noticed in the pre-show that Shields had even more amps on stage than Mascis usually does, which I have never seen for any regular band (ie. not Van Halen or U2 or some shit). I counted 3 full stacks and 3 half stacks at least, and I believe Mascis has 3 full, 1 half and a combo (correct me if I’m wrong). So they come out and I of course suit up with my earplugs and they launch into several ‘Loveless’ numbers to kick it off, which were all pretty awesome.

At first I wasn’t blown away by the volume, after a few songs I was thinking “well this isn’t *too* bad”, but as the show went on you start to notice that yes it is fucking loud, and they may very well have been turning it up as it went along. They hit a bunch of ‘Loveless’ and quite a few others as well. Everything they played was really good and very atmospheric and epic (and loud). You couldn’t really ever hear the vocals much but that didn’t really matter as the music really becomes more feeling than anything else after a while. Just epic distortion and sound washing all over the audience, and it was awesomeness.

After a while the sheer volume of the bass really starts to make you feel it in your stomach and chest, and it really is a sonic assault from all directions with them. I don’t think I’ve ever heard any band nearly as loud, especially with that much bass. Maybe if you were standing inside a woofer for a headliner at Lolla or something it might be comparable, but that’s about what it was like.

The crowd was pretty stoic the whole time and just kind of reveling in the greatness of it (as I was), even on the faster riffier numbers that they played. Maybe I expected a little more craziness from the crowd but I think you are kind of just in shock and awe at them a little bit so it’s understandable. On another side note I saw several people walking around that did not have earplugs in, and I’m sure those people are completely deaf now. Get used to that buzz in your ears, it is now permanent.

So finally this brings us to “You Made Me Realize” which is the now infamous show closer for them. It starts out as innocently as the other songs, great wall of noise stuff and then eventually leads into the one chord breakdown I have heard referred to as the ‘apocalypse section’ of the song. Holy fucking shit this was the loudest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. If you spent 15 minutes trapped inside a jet engine I’m not sure it would even be this loud. The hair on my legs was standing up, I even had to put my hands over my ears over my earplugs it was so loud. After a while I felt like it was even throwing my heartbeat off. So much bass, so much noise, it seems borderline illegal it was so loud. After about 8 minutes of it I tried to move around the room a bit to find a spot that was a little less intense but it was crazy. You really just begin to marvel at the intensity of it and it kind of puts you into a bit of a trance and time and space seem to stop for 15 minutes, I’m pretty sure my life was flashing before my eyes also. After 15 minutes of that chord probably shortening everyone in attendance’s lifespan by a few they jump back into the finale of the songs and then it was gone as quickly as it started.

These guys were totally awesome and I’m really glad I got to catch them on this tour. They bring their epic, sweeping songs to life at incredible volume and it really is a concert experience unlike any other. It is almost like watching a bomb go off right in front of you for an hour and a half, it is crazy and totally awesome. I think if you have a chance to see it you should at least see it once because it is unreal. And make sure you take earplugs just in case they are not handing them out, unless you don’t want to hear anything ever again for the rest of your life.

The only remaining date of the current US mini-tour is tonight, 4/27, in Seattle, so if you are in Seattle get on that, and they have also been announced on the bill for All Points West in Jersey City this summer so check them out there as well.

My Bloody Valentine – Only Shallow – From Loveless

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