And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
- Story by Zach Smith
Support: The Octopus Project, The Sword
He tried yanking on it. He tried running away with it. And after security attempted to stop him, he tried jumping on it. But Trail of Dead bassist Neil Bush just could not bring down the TLA’s bulky red curtain. Maybe he felt left out, seeing how in typical fashion the rest of the band had already trashed the stage. Perhaps he reacted in anger after guitarist Kevin Allen doused him in water in retaliation for a towel-throwing incident earlier in the evening.
Whatever the reason, Bush’s antics came at the end of the band’s hour-long set, which began with the first two tracks from its latest release Worlds Apart. But besides those two selections, the Austin quintet shied away from its newer material by adding only “The Best” and “Caterwaul.” It’s impossible on record to appreciate the talent of these guys unless you stand twenty-feet away from two drum kits, or watch frontmen Jason Reece and Conrad Keely switch instruments after every song. While the loudest reaction came during and after “Another Morning Stoner”—the song that enabled them to even begin filling a place like the TLA—the group also busted out a surprise cover of the Band’s “The Last Waltz” that left the Northern-bred audience a bit confused.
The rest of the bill—all of which also hailed from Austin—provided an interesting contrast to the more mainstream headliners. The Sword kicked off the night, a stoner rock quarter reminiscent of High on Fire but with groovier riffs. The mainly indie-rock audience was a bit taken aback, but towards the end of its set many were nodding their heads. The highlight of the Octopus Project’s set was watching Yvonne Lambert conjure extraterrestrial effects out of midair until you looked closer and realized she was only playing the theremin. Duh.
