Eagles Of Death Metal recently kicked off a massive world tour, taking them to 42 venues in almost half as many countries, but they received a full tank of enthusiasm from the only crowd that can truly understand a song like "Wanna Be In L.A." The show wasn't a staggering work of mind-shattering musical genius, mind you; it was above-average performance-wise, sure, but what really baked the special ingredients in was the love exchange happening in the joint. At one point Hughes actually stopped to point out that the show was living proof that people can have fun without patchouli - but there was a buoyant, happy energy transfer happening between the stage and the crowd that served to invigorate both parties. A surprising twist in Los Angeles, where having fun at a show is about as socially acceptable as unzipping and pissing on a hipster in broad daylight.
After a run through such favorites as "Now I'm a Fool," "I Only Want You" and "Don't Speak (Came to Make Bang!)," a forecasted appearance by "Baby Duck" aka Josh Homme (recording, production and visionary backbone but only part-time member of EODM) nearly brought the house down. The dual priapic swagger proved too much for one stick-on-mustache-clad femme, who had to be lifted over the barrier up front. The Queens of the Stone Age mastermind guested on a few tracks, including "Wanna Be In L.A.," "Secret Plans," "Already Died" and "Stuck in the Metal," raising the energy in the house to a fever pitch. I'm sure I wasn't the only one reminded of how much the world could use another Queens record right now.
Late in the set, Hughes decided to let everyone in on a big secret, offering the formula for every Eagles Of Death Metal song ever written: "Base it on 'Brown Sugar,'" he said, deadpan, which he then went on to cover in blistering fashion. It was taken largely as a joke, but half a minute's thought about the general design of pretty much every Eagles of Death Metal song indicates that Hughes was very likely not bullshitting us at all.
As Hughes, Homme and the band proved at the Fonda last Thursday, even the snottiest hipsters on Earth still have some love for fun-time 70’s cock-rock pastiche. Wonders never cease.
0212 - Oklahoma, OK @ The Diamond Ballroom02/13 - Little Rock, AK @ Juanita's Cantina02/14 - Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note02/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Eagles Club02/17 - Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theater 02/18 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater02/19 - Pittsburg, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theater02/20 - Toronto @ Phoenix Concert Theater02/28 - Brussles, Belgium @ Ancienne Belgique03/02 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso03/03 - Bochum, Germany @ Matrix03/04 - Cologne, Germany @ Essigfabrik03/05 - Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle03/07 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser03/08 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Tradgarn03/09 - Oslo, Norway @ Rockefellers03/10 - Copehagen, Denmark @ Vega03/12 - Berlin, Germany @ Columbia Club03/13 - Prague, Czech Republic @ Lucerna Music Bar03/14 - Warsaw, Poland @ Proxima03/16 - Budapest, Hungary @ Durer Kert03/17 - Vienna, Austria @ Arena03/18 - Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Media Park03/19 - Zagreb, Croatia @ Boogaloo03/21 - Florence, Italy @ Auditorium Flog03/22 - Zurich, Switzerland @ Rohstofflager03/24 - Barcelona, Spain @ Bikini03/25 - Madrid, Spain @ Caracol03/27 - Paris, France @ Bataclan03/28 - Portsmouth, England @ Pyramids03/29 - Leeds, England @ Academy03/31 - Glasgow, Scotland @ ABC04/01 - Belfast, Ireland @ Spring & Airbrake04/02 - Dublin, Ireland @ Academy04/04 - Manchester, England @ Academy04/05 - Birmingham, England @ Academy04/06 - Bristol, England @ Academy04/08 - London, England @ Forum
