Back in 2004, Blindside released their album About A Burning Fire. Their previous album Silence, is one of the most fun, energetic and still holds up quite well albums of the early 00’s. About A Burning Fire was not Silence Part 2, instead the band leaned forward and tried some new things and the experiment worked. There are a few things I really like about this album, one being the final song/title track. That’s one hell of a way to end an album. My favorite thing in particular is the song “Hooray It’s LA.” The song has a really rad vibe to it and then you add in the guitar playing of (and I’m sure some songwriting input) The Smashing Pumpkin’s Billy Corgan to it and you have yourself a really killer track! It’s been forever since we had a new Blindside album and that’s one I’d love to see in 2024 or at least they come back to the states for some shows!
It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of these so this one should be quite fun to see what you think. Two very different bands with the same name song. In one corner you have the great and highly influential Failure. And in the other corner you have Sweden’s Blindside. The song is entitled “Pitiful” and each band’s song is quite different from the others. Which one do you think is the best?
Since the trend started with bands playing albums in their entirety in concert, I’ve really come to enjoy it. Getting to hear the songs you normally wouldn’t hear during a normal set really takes the show up a few notches. Sunday night Blindside returned to Los Angeles for the first time since 2011 and they answered the call with such fire and passion that it was like yesterday they were here.
Opening the evening was Hearts Like Lions. This four piece from Los Angeles reminded me of a heavier Sunny Day Real Estate mixed with Sparta. Their set was electric and the right amount of energy to get the crowd into a frenzy for Blindside. Musically these gents were tight and full of great presence. Hearts Like Lions are one hell of a band live. So much so that the songs sound even better live than on recorded fashion, thus making their live show that much more exciting to watch. Check out these guys!!!
Blindside took the stage about 30 mins after the openers and came out swinging with “Caught A Glimpse.” Next up was “Pitiful,” which really got the crowd going. Throughout the entire night of the band playing their wonderful 2002 album Silence entirely, the crowd was singing along so loud that it really helped push the band to go all out. Even with a bit of a technical problem during “Sleepwalking,” singer Christian Lindskog used the audience participation to keep the flow of music going with chorus sing alongs. one of the highlights for me this evening was when they played “Thought Like Flames.” Blindside really delivered the good with their Silence set. Their encore was 4 classics and one new track entitled “Grave Digger.” Closing out the night was “About A Burning Fire,” and wow did they go out with a bang.
This was definitely a night to celebrate being a fan of Blindside. They played with so much fire and energy that it was like they haven’t left at all. I really can’t wait for what they come up with next and for their next LA show. Not only that but Hearts Like Lions really captivated me to put them on my bands to watch for in 2016.
Since The Smashing Pumpkins released their great new album Monuments To An Elegy late last year I’ve been on a huge Pumpkins kick. While on this journey I’ve looked into all the songs that Billy Corgan has been apart of with other bands, whether it’s co-writing, lending his vocals and guitar talents to. Here are a few of the songs that I found interesting that he guested on in someway.
AUDIOECLECTICA 