Isis, Pelican & Tombs @ Irving Plaza in NYC - pics

photos by Paul Birman, words by Klaus Kinski & Black Bubblegum

Aaron Turner of Isis

Isis, assisted by Chi-town’s Pelican and local heroes Tombs, hit up Irving Plaza on June 2nd as part of a larger tour for the ex-Boston, now-LA band. The Irving Plaza show marks the home stretch for Pelican and Tombs who have basically been on tour since March, having hit up SXSW and joined forces with Wolves In The Throne Room (who recently played NYC).

Klaus Kinski was at the show Tuesday night, he writes…

As I was making my way up the stairs to the live room at 9pm sharp, Tombs blasted off into what would be a barely 30-minute set. Of the three acts, Tombs was the band I wanted to see most. They get plenty of (well deserved) love here at BV and the recordings I’ve heard by them have been some of my favorite experiences with loudness in recent memory. And, mang, they did not disappoint. Singer/Guitarist Mike Hill has a physical and aural presence that could shake the chrome off a motorcycle. His riffs, at times both beautiful and soul crushingly heavy, sting the ear and donkey kick you in the chest. His singing has similar characteristics to his riffing by ranging from sing-songy to painfully and emotively brutal. Carrying the heaviosity even further was the ridiculously adept rhythm section consisting of bass and drums. Drummer Andrew Hernandez deserves particular mention as he’s one of the most solid metal drummers I’ve seen in a while. His beats were brutal, tight, controlled, and just plain spot on. He hits the drums SO HARD, at times even standing up so that he can put more stank on em. It was some of the best 30 minutes of metal I’ve experienced and I’m more than happy to perpetuate BV love for Tombs.

Pelican was up next. It occurred to me that I hadn’t seen them since they played at Avalon in May of 2006. Not surprisingly, they played a really great loud, crunchy, anthemic, vocal-free (and March Into The Sea-free) set. It was such a great, solid set that even featured a cover of the Earth song Geometry of Murder.

Pelican play a more plodding, less intense set than Tombs, so they didn’t leave me as pumped and energized. But two things that did stick with me (besides the quality of their set) was the fact that at one point I saw blood running down guitarist Trevor de Brauw’s head. Did anyone see what happened? It seemed to come outta nowhere. Luckily someone threw him a towel and he stopped the bleeding. The other thing that stuck with me was the really sad mosh pit that ensued towards the end of their set. Four dudes a-pushin’ and a-shovin’ in a room full of hot sweaty concert goers who were definitely not up for such antics. Luckily Pelican was about done and this lame pit (almost as lame as the one I witnessed during an Opeth show at Webster Hall) quickly, quietly dispersed.

I had to leave after Pelican, so I missed Isis. We did get pictures of them though.

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Thanks Klaus.

Isis‘s new album, Wavering Radiant, is out now and is a big hit with the critics (and me too). After finishing off the east coast, they band will head out west to play a few shows with labelmates Mamiffer and Helms Alee before heading to Europe.

Pelican, who signed with Southern Lord, recently released the tour only Ephemeral EP. It is limited to 1000 copies, includes that Earth cover, and if the band doesnt sell them all on this touring cycle, look for them to appear online.

After their remaining dates with Pelican and Isis, Tombs will takes some time off of the road before hitting up Dudefest in Indianapolis on July 19th. Dudefest 2009 will take place July 17-19th and will feature an absolutely stellar cast of punk, grind, and hardcore including Black Ships, Buried Inside, Coke Bust, Coliseum, Gaza, Harvey Milk (who will be in NYC in July) , Torche (who’ll tour with Harvey Milk), Hatred Surge, Iron Lung, Magrudergrind (who just played The Charleston), Mind Eraser (who plays a doubleheader this weekend), Weekend Nachos, Young Widows, and a ton of other noteables. The full lineup is below. Tickets are available here.

Bryant Clifford Meyer of Isis also is a member of Red Sparowes, who have a new album on the way and a new guitar player in tow.

More pictures from Irving Plaza…..
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Tombs….

Pelican…

Isis…

ISIS – 2009 TOUR DATES
Jun 3 2009 Theater Of Living Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania*
Jun 4 2009 Pearl Street Northampton, Massachusetts*
Jun 5 2009 Paradise Rock Club Boston, Massachusetts*
Jun 6 2009 The National Montreal, Quebec*
Jun 7 2009 Phoenix Concert Theater Toronto, Ontario*
Jun 9 2009 Grog Shop Cleveland, Ohio**
Jun 10 2009 20th Century Theatre Cincinnati, Ohio**
Jun 11 2009 Small’s Detroit, Michigan**
Jun 12 2009 The Bottom Lounge Chicago, Illinois**
Jun 13 2009 Triple Rock Minneapolis, Minnesota***
Jun 15 2009 Bluebird Theater Denver, Colorado***
Jun 16 2009 Club Sound (Formerly Brick’s) Salt Lake City, Utah***
Jun 18 2009 Hawthorne Theater Portland, Oregon^
Jun 19 2009 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, British Columbia^
Jun 20 2009 Neumo’s Seattle, Washington^^
Jun 22 2009 The Blank Club San Jose, California^
Jun 23 2009 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, California^
Jun 24 2009 Henry Fonda Theater Los Angeles, California^
Jul 3 2009 Roskilde Festival Roskilde
Jul 5 2009 Furia Sound Festival Cergy – Pontoise
Jul 6 2009 Effenaar Eindhoven
Jul 8 2009 BHF Langendreer Bochum
Jul 9 2009 Wagenhallen Stuttgart
Jul 10 2009 Beatpol Dresden
Jul 11 2009 Feierwerk Munich
Jul 12 2009 Dachstock Bern
Jul 13 2009 Spaziale Festival Torino
Jul 15 2009 Exaus Open Air Trier
Jul 16 2009 Dour Festival Dour
Jul 18 2009 Ilosaarirock Joensuu
* w/ Pelican, Tombs
** w/ Pelican, Keelhaul
*** w/ Keelhaul
^ w/ Helms Alee, Mamiffer
^^ w/ Thrones, Mamiffer

TOMBS – 2009 TOUR DATES
Jun 3 2009 THE FILLMORE AT THE TLA PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania*
Jun 4 2009 PEARL STREET NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts
Jun 5 2009 PARADISE BOSTON, Massachusetts
Jun 6 2009 LE NATIONAL MONTREAL, Quebec
Jun 7 2009 PHOENIX THEATRE TORONTO, Ontario
Jul 17 2009 Ravari Room Columbus, Ohio
Jul 18 2009 DUDEFEST – EMERSON THEATER Indianapolis, Indiana
* w ISIS/PELICAN

DUDEFEST – Indianapolis, IN
July 17-19, 2009.

American Cheeseburger
Black Ships
Buried Inside
Canadian Rifle
Capitalist Casualties
Catheter
Coke Bust
Coliseum
Comadre
Critical Response Team
Gaza
Get Rad
Harm’s Way
Harvey Milk
Hatred Surge
Hewhocorrupts
Ice Nine
In Defence
Iron Lung
Magrudergrind
Mammoth Grinder
Mehkago NT
Mind Eraser
Phoenix Bodies
Portraits of Past
Punch
Religious as Fuck
Shitstorm
Tombs
Torche
Weekend Nachos
Young Widows
Zero Boys