Mark Lanegan Band with Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss at the Cedar Cultural Center May 18th, 2012
It isn’t often that the opening act of a great musician like Mark Lanegan could threaten to steal the spotlight and make a run for it. But openers Sean Wheeler, of much-adored 90s rockabilly outfit Throw Rag, and Zander Schloss, expert guitar-slinger for everyone from 80s hardcore band The Circle Jerks to Joe Strummer, did just that. In less than an hour, the rightfully self-proclaimed Legendary Duo danced, serenaded and hammed their way into the ears and hearts of every member of Friday night’s audience. This is the kind of showmanship is perfect for a modest-sized, personal venue like the Cedar Cultural Center.
When Wheeler, a tall man with tattoos spilling out of his shirt and splashing onto his neck and hands and perfectly stiff, slicked-back brown hair, wasn’t trading jokes with Schloss, he was covering the microphone with his powerfully raw voice and swaggering around the stage in this part Vaudevillian shuffle, part Native American rain dance. The scholarly-looking, bearded Schloss, who happens to be an insanely talented artist (his incredible drawings grace the duo’s website), anchored the stage antics with rollicking melodies from his guitar, lovely vocal harmonies and his own dry wit (Schloss likened his past musical endeavors on par with jumping aboard a “burning ship”). They dubbed the set the “NPR set” and Schloss dedicated a song to Garrison Keillor. They appeared to be genuinely enjoying themselves and the audience responded with equal amounts of enthusiasm (One fan, a 20-year-old man celebrating his birthday with his father, traveled from Fargo to see the show and caught Wheeler’s eye with his vintage Throw Rag t-shirt). It was a thoroughly fun and funny performance.
Wheeler and Schloss did an excellent job loosening the audience for what would be an exhilarating 90 minute set from the formidable Mark Lanegan and his fine Belgian backing band. As soon as the lights dimmed and band members quietly took their spot on stage, the excitement that had been building all evening finally manifested itself in yells and cries and thunderous applause from the crowd. Mark Lanegan, dressed in a black button-up and black pants, long brown hair curling around his face, strode on stage to an audience ready and eager to accept his word as gospel. The band slammed into the first song “The Gravediggers Song”, which happens to be the first song on Lanegan’s new LP Blues Funeral. It was truly a blast to the naked eardrums, a dark, driving number that left little wonder as to what was on the horizon.
To fans, Lanegan is an enigmatic musician, a man whose miles-deep, rumbling voice both haunts and inspires. He is a respected singer, the former vocalist of the fantastic and often overlooked Seattle band Screaming Trees and frequent collaborator of such musicians as Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Alain Johannes (Eleven), Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs), Isobel Campbell (Belle and Sebastian), Soulsavers and UNKLE. It’s been eight years since his last solo album, Bubblegum, and fans have been practically gnawing at the bit with anticipation for a new solo album and a tour that didn’t just include LA, New York and Dallas. Minneapolis was lucky to see Lanegan come through in October of 2010 with Isobel Campbell in support of their album, Hawk, and in 2008 with Greg Dulli as part of the Gutter Twins celebrating the release of their album, Saturnalia. Being able to witness Lanegan in any musical landscape is an electrifying experience, but hearing him on tour supporting his own oeuvre of songs makes the performance more powerful and personal.
The setlist was a mix of old classics and new ones, even a rare Screaming Trees track called “New Rose Way.” The song “Sleep with Me” from the EP Here Comes that Weird Chill made the crowd swoon and “One Hundred Days” from Bubblegum had jaws dropping in awe at the intensity of Lanegan’s vocals. His voice did seem to strain in some parts, but it didn’t hinder his performance at all. Some singers wiggle and roll around on stage like mad to create a feverish spectacle, but Lanegan just simmers and brings it all to a slow boil. He stands still, tightly grips his microphone stand with both hands, grimaces and howls, occasionally peering out at the audience with narrowed eyes. The Night Porter, as he is playfully called in reference to his song “When Your Number Isn’t Up,” broke his trance-like state only a few times to respond with shouts of thanks with a shy smile. A fan called for “Harborview Hospital,” an echo-y, synth-heavy tune from the new album and got his wish during the encore.
Hearing the transition from studio track to live jam was especially interesting and overwhelmingly successful. Blues Funeral is certainly a more experimental album for Lanegan than anything prior. It sees him toying with electronic beats and rhythms and using synthesizers; perhaps an influence of collaborators UNKLE and Soulsavers and Lanegan’s own interest in 80s music. It was definitely a risky move for him to take considering what people have come to expect from his sound. But, like all great artists, Lanegan is growing and evolving as a musician. However, the new songs wouldn’t have sounded as strong live had Lanegan not surrounded himself with a supremely talented backing band (most, if not all, hailing from Belgium): Jean-Philippe De Gheest on drums, Frederic Jacques playing bass, Steven Janssens playing guitar and Aldo Struyf working the keyboards and a second guitar. Janssens (or as I’ve dubbed him “The Silver Fox Johnny Cash”), especially wowed the crowd with his effortless guitar wailing. It’s hard to choose a highlight in a show crammed with excellent moments, but one song into the encore Janssens started strumming the chords to “Pendulum,” a western-flavored song off of Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, Lanegan’s second solo album, and this writer’s little heart nearly exploded in her chest. The band closed out the show very much like the way they came in, with a divine blast to the senses and a dirty, chugging version of “Methamphetamine Blues.” After the song, Lanegan gruffly thanked everyone and the band trickled off stage, leaving a leveled audience to wonder in awe what just happened.
There’s a song Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss played during their set on that hot Friday evening called “Song about Songs” that seemed to really encapsulate the theme of the show. Schloss strummed on his bouzouki while singing: “Before I leave this world/I hope you find/a song that loves you for all time/and that song saves your life.”
It’s no question that music can be this intimate life-force that connects and moves and shakes its listeners. Elton John, Lou Reed and David Bowie have all sung about how songs are vital to the human spirit. Maybe Lanegan’s songs didn’t impact each person at that show exactly the same way, but I am certain no one left the Cedar that night unaffected by their power.
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Mark Lanegan Band at Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (05/18/12)
photo by Amy
Tour Dates
05/22/12 Los Angeles, CA - Gene Autry Museum
05/23/12 San Francisco, CA - Great American 05/25/12 George, WA - Sasquatch! Festival 05/26/12 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom 08/11/12 France - La Route Du Rock Festival 08/13/12 Frankkfurt, Batschkapp - Longhorn 08/14/12 München - Freiheizhalle 08/16/12 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop 08/17/12 Germany - Highfields Festival 08/18/12 Switzerland - Gampel Festival 08/20/12 Holland - Lowlands Festival 08/21/12 Falmouth - Princess Pavilion 08/22/12 Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall 08/24/12 Uk - Leeds Festival 08/25/12 Saint-Cloud, Fr - Rock En Seine Fest 08/26/12 Uk - Reading Festival 08/28/12 Aberdeen - Garage 08/29/12 Edinburgh - Picturehouse 09/01/12 Uk - End Of The Road Festival 09/02/12 Verona, It - A Perfect Day Festival Read More You might know Lanegan as the lead singer of the 90s band Screaming Trees, but he's become known more and more as successful solo artist. His collaboration list is also quite diverse.…
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Sean Wheeler
photo by Amy
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Zander Schloss
photo by Amy
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Wheeler and Schloss did an excellent job loosening the audience for what would be an exhilarating 90 minute set from the formidable Mark Lanegan and his fine Belgian backing band. As soon as the lights dimmed and band members quietly took their spot on stage, the excitement that had been building all evening finally manifested itself in yells and cries and thunderous applause from the crowd. Mark Lanegan, dressed in a black button-up and black pants, long brown hair curling around his face, strode on stage to an audience ready and eager to accept his word as gospel. The band slammed into the first song “The Gravediggers Song”, which happens to be the first song on Lanegan’s new LP Blues Funeral. It was truly a blast to the naked eardrums, a dark, driving number that left little wonder as to what was on the horizon.
To fans, Lanegan is an enigmatic musician, a man whose miles-deep, rumbling voice both haunts and inspires. He is a respected singer, the former vocalist of the fantastic and often overlooked Seattle band Screaming Trees and frequent collaborator of such musicians as Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Alain Johannes (Eleven), Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs), Isobel Campbell (Belle and Sebastian), Soulsavers and UNKLE. It’s been eight years since his last solo album, Bubblegum, and fans have been practically gnawing at the bit with anticipation for a new solo album and a tour that didn’t just include LA, New York and Dallas. Minneapolis was lucky to see Lanegan come through in October of 2010 with Isobel Campbell in support of their album, Hawk, and in 2008 with Greg Dulli as part of the Gutter Twins celebrating the release of their album, Saturnalia. Being able to witness Lanegan in any musical landscape is an electrifying experience, but hearing him on tour supporting his own oeuvre of songs makes the performance more powerful and personal.
The setlist was a mix of old classics and new ones, even a rare Screaming Trees track called “New Rose Way.” The song “Sleep with Me” from the EP Here Comes that Weird Chill made the crowd swoon and “One Hundred Days” from Bubblegum had jaws dropping in awe at the intensity of Lanegan’s vocals. His voice did seem to strain in some parts, but it didn’t hinder his performance at all. Some singers wiggle and roll around on stage like mad to create a feverish spectacle, but Lanegan just simmers and brings it all to a slow boil. He stands still, tightly grips his microphone stand with both hands, grimaces and howls, occasionally peering out at the audience with narrowed eyes. The Night Porter, as he is playfully called in reference to his song “When Your Number Isn’t Up,” broke his trance-like state only a few times to respond with shouts of thanks with a shy smile. A fan called for “Harborview Hospital,” an echo-y, synth-heavy tune from the new album and got his wish during the encore.
Hearing the transition from studio track to live jam was especially interesting and overwhelmingly successful. Blues Funeral is certainly a more experimental album for Lanegan than anything prior. It sees him toying with electronic beats and rhythms and using synthesizers; perhaps an influence of collaborators UNKLE and Soulsavers and Lanegan’s own interest in 80s music. It was definitely a risky move for him to take considering what people have come to expect from his sound. But, like all great artists, Lanegan is growing and evolving as a musician. However, the new songs wouldn’t have sounded as strong live had Lanegan not surrounded himself with a supremely talented backing band (most, if not all, hailing from Belgium): Jean-Philippe De Gheest on drums, Frederic Jacques playing bass, Steven Janssens playing guitar and Aldo Struyf working the keyboards and a second guitar. Janssens (or as I’ve dubbed him “The Silver Fox Johnny Cash”), especially wowed the crowd with his effortless guitar wailing. It’s hard to choose a highlight in a show crammed with excellent moments, but one song into the encore Janssens started strumming the chords to “Pendulum,” a western-flavored song off of Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, Lanegan’s second solo album, and this writer’s little heart nearly exploded in her chest. The band closed out the show very much like the way they came in, with a divine blast to the senses and a dirty, chugging version of “Methamphetamine Blues.” After the song, Lanegan gruffly thanked everyone and the band trickled off stage, leaving a leveled audience to wonder in awe what just happened.
There’s a song Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss played during their set on that hot Friday evening called “Song about Songs” that seemed to really encapsulate the theme of the show. Schloss strummed on his bouzouki while singing: “Before I leave this world/I hope you find/a song that loves you for all time/and that song saves your life.”
It’s no question that music can be this intimate life-force that connects and moves and shakes its listeners. Elton John, Lou Reed and David Bowie have all sung about how songs are vital to the human spirit. Maybe Lanegan’s songs didn’t impact each person at that show exactly the same way, but I am certain no one left the Cedar that night unaffected by their power.
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