Reviewed by:
unregistered, on may 25, 2006
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Sound: It's nice to see a rock band fronted by a film actor that doesn't totally suck. Jared Leto has one of the best voices in alternative rock right now. Thankfully, all of the primal screams heard on the album come across pitch perfectly (something that some singers have trouble pulling off). He didn't miss a single note. He also played a neat-looking modified Gibson Firebird with the 30STM logo on the body. His style is beefed up and runs through every effect I can think of, but they all blend together nicely and create an interesting-sounding distortion that was new to me. The rest of the band was excellent, too. The lead guitarist (Jared's brother) played a standard Les Paul. The bassist/keybordist threw in some downright insane sounds effects and provided a sturdy, tight bass line. The drummer is not only the most intimidating man I've ever seen with his shirt off, but he's quite talented, as well. Think Danny Carey lite, with some very nice improvisations. The acoustics of the club (converted from an old theater from the 30's, so there's still a mezzanine and classical paintings towards the back on the ceiling) are absolutely perfect. I've never been to a show there that didn't sound amazingly clear, so it's easy to catch a screw-up and I'm happy to report that I didn't catch one. // 10
Perfomance: The audience was completely into the band the entire night. Whether or not this was attributed to Jared Leto's celebrity is in question, but either way, Jared is a hell of a front man. He's incredibly energetic, very engaging, and very friendly to the crowd (the whole band stayed after the show and signed autographs for everyone there). There wasn't a dull spot in the entire show. Each band member gave 110% and I haven't seen this much raw, kinetic, franetic energy since the hayday of At the Drive-In. I honstely, for the life of me, can't remember the setlist at all, but here are a few highlights:
The Kill - their newest single. Played about third or fourth and really pushed the crowd into overdrive.
The Fantasy - which he dedicated to anyone Who dares to be creative or different. During the breakdown, he mixed in a litle from NIN's infamous chorus to "Closer."
Attack - the natural choice to close out the set. This song is much more intense live. There wasn't a single person in the audience that didn't know the words and a lot of crowd participation was given.
The design on the stage was fairly elaborate (a large hanging banner and flags on either side). This was, by far, no contest, the most intense light show I have ever seen at a concert. The strobes and the pans were second to none. There were moments where I was too paralyzed by what I was seeing to even move. It was a very overwhelming experience (in a good way). There were other moments where my heart was pounding in my chest by the events taking place on stage. All in all, an incredibly performance in every sense of the word. // 10
Impression: Providence, Rhode Island, USA, Lupos Heartbreak Hotel, May 10th 2006. For a paltry $15, you got four bands and close to five hours worth of music. The opening band was the Red Jumpsuit Aparatus (who was decent with some good stage presence), Who my brother apropriately described as "about as emo as it gets." Keating was up next. The lead singer was extremely greatful to even be out there, which I found endearing. I think his constant thanking of the crowd may have turned off some (kind of shows a lack of confidence on his part). But it was all unnecessary because they put on a good show and were just fine. Then came Men, Women, and Children, one of the more entertaining opening bands I've seen. They sound kind of like Franz Ferdinand meets the Velvet Underground. I won't spoil anything about it because they will be doing some solo dates this summer, as well as opening up for Brand New, but I highly, highly recommend sticking around for them. I would personally love to see 30 Seconds to Mars headline a show in a much larger venue (Lupos is sadly restrictive in its size, but it adds intamacy). Everything they do just screams arena and if they manage to continue with their success (fingers crossed), they will turn into one of the best live acts out there, but they're already well on their way to that. For the money, it's impossible to beat a show like this. // 10
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