Text and Photos: Tiina Liimu
A great night for rock ‘n’ roll? Absolutely! A two shot cocktail of win and sonics for this December blast. To add to it a sidecar of riffs and ear candy for those “musician’s musician” types. Even the stiff-shirted RNR nerds put down their encyclopedias and got loose and grinning. The well-matched pairing of Earthless and Graveyard had the glass filled to capacity.
Yes, Earthless is undeniably “the” appropriate handle for this trio, piloting through power jams not of this planet. Even the shortest attention span would be ensnared as guitarist Isaiah Mitchell and bass player Mike Eginton wove fretwork through the vast galaxy of hard rock, psychedelia, and Krautrock. Just check out their long history – they’ve earned their flight-hours – and behind the kit, the rocket fuel, was Mario Rubalcaba in the hot seat. If he looked familiar, you’ve seen and heard him, more recently with the LA based OFF!. This three piece had fans riveted and multiplying at stage front.
A sold out night and the headlining spot laid down the dotted lines, which signed off at good things for Sweden’s Graveyard. This North American leg in support of the hefty Innocence and Decadence 2015 release has extended into 2016 NA dates and they are travelling fast in the passing lane. These blues-tainted Swedes crossed their catalogue, steering tempos from ballads to rockers, driving concertgoers to a roar by the set’s end. The vocalist smoothed and soothed as he headed up the encore with “Stay For a Song.” It wasn’t long before the grit was all stirred up with “The Apple and The Tree,” and the anthemic top-off with “The Siren.”
