THE CULT – WE OWN THE NIGHT TOUR
The Cult brought their We Own The Night tour to College Street Music Hall with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Zola Jesus in support. The Cult always delivers a huge crowd and this evening was no exception. The audience was expecting a dynamic night of music and all three bands delivered.
The opening act was the eerie Zola Jesus. Zola Jesus is the alter ego of the esoteric Nika Roza Danilova. Her music is very difficult to categorize in the fact that she mixes ominous lyrics with palettes full of dark menacing soundscapes. She combines elements of goth and industrial in order to create an avalanche of sonic textures.
This performance definitely hit the mark. Zola Jesus captivated the house with a vibrant exhibition of emotive vocals and waves of aural grenades. Her stage presence was totally engaging with her dramatic acrobatics. She opened her set with “Lost” which threw the crowd for a loop. I don’t think they were expecting such a forceful musical attack. Her band was excellent with amazing musicianship from violinist Louise Woodward. “Undertow”, “Soak” and “Witness” followed and the throng began to really feel her explosive barrage of sound. She closed out with “Night”, “Exhumed” and a brazen “Sewn” off her recent release, Arkhorn, released via Sacred Bones Records. Zola Jesus was a stellar first act.
Next up was Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The band, based out of the Bay area, hit the audience with another blast of edgy addictive sound. Their music is layered with intricate guitar riffs and a drone of immersive rock elements. Vocals were shared by Peter Hayes (Guitar/Bass/Harmonica) and Robert Levon Been (Bass/Guitar). Leah Shapiro (Backing Vocals) handled the percussions.
Their 11 song set was full of gnarly tunes which included opening fan favorite, “Beat The Devil’s Tattoo”. All through the night, BRMC distributed hypnotic music with a brazen psychedelic/rock feel. Their songs carry a resolute ambiance which completely injects their audience with an intense fever. BRMC continued with “Red Eyes and Tears”, “Six Barrel Shotgun” and “American X”. They closed out with the bluesy “Spread Your Love” and the ruthless “Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘N’ Roll (Punk Song)”. It was a impressive performance.
The house was ready for the headliner, The Cult. This is my sixth time seeing the band and my second at College Street. Fronted by lead vocalist Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, the band powered through a thirteen song set full of past hits and new compositions. The Cult led off with “Rise”. The house was immediately into full swing. Fist were raised and hair was flying. Astbury’s voice showed no age. It was strong and full of raw energy. Duffy’s guitar flared with a ferocious fervor
The Cult continued their onslaught with “Sun King”, “Automatic Blues” and “Sweet Soul Sister” which included fragments of “Peace Frog” by the Doors. The crowd was not letting up. Every song delivered a cheer from their fans. “Soul Asylum” flowed into “Edie (Ciao Baby)”. They then treated the venue to a new song off their forthcoming album, Under The Midnight Sun. “Give Me Mercy” shows that their songwriting is still excellent. I, for one, can’t wait for the new release.
“Wild Flower”, “Fire Woman” and “Revolution” came next. Everyone was in pure ecstasy,. The musicianship of the entire band was flawless. Astbury could feel the house’s adoring fury and upped his game. He was magnetic. Duffy played like a demon. Every song was divine. The Cult ended the night with “Rain” and their immense hit, “She Sells Sanctuary”. They encored with the driving “Love Removal Machine”.
This was surely a hammering night of completely raucous music.
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