With Slipknot on hiatus, the various band members have been finding ways to keep themselves busy. For Corey Taylor, that means hitting the road in support of the latest Stone Sour album. The band was originally formed prior to the birth of the masked madmen of Slipknot, but it was not until years later that they were able to bring the older act to the big stage. When he did, it was done in a big way. Now I love Come What(ever) May, I think it is a great slice of heavy hard rock, but it is the live show that is helping solidify him as a first rate frontman, that in addition to his excellent voice. This night was no exception.
I arrived at The Chance Theater, in Poughkeepsie, NY a bit later than I would have liked. I missed the local opener, Human X, and the second act was already on stage. I made my way through the sold out crowd looking for a good place to watch the show. Early on I found myself down in the pit near the stage. I watched the remainder of the bands set from this close location, but chose to exit the pit after they finished for fear of becoming embroiled in what was sure to become a pit of action. This is definitely an activity best left to the younger members of the crowd, I am happy to step back and watch from a slightly safer location.
The band playing when I arrived was called Dirty Little Rabbits. They are another act headed up by a member of Slipknot. In this case, it is M. Shawn Crahan (I believe he wears the clown mask), one of Slipknot's percussionists. For this band he mans the stool behind the drum kit. I missed their introduction and it took most of the night before I was able to find out what their name was, and work through the confusion of which Slipknot member it was. A few I had spoken with believed it was Joey Jordison.
As for their music? I was quite impressed. It was distinctly different from Slipknot, which is a good thing. Not that I have anything against the band (I think Vol. 3 is an incredible album), it is just good to see there are other styles they wish to explore. The five-piece act is fronted by Stella Katsoudas, a charismatic enigma with a unique vocal delivery. The best way I can think of to describe the sound is alt metal freak outs. It was oddly compelling, spastic in nature, and nicely executed. They are definitely a band I would like to hear more of.
Article comments
1 - Brian THrasher
Man this gives me chill bumps. I get to see them tonight and you just psyched me up big time.