Though it began life as a car dealership in the 1920s, the building at 6212 Maple Street in the heart of the Benson neighborhood that now houses The Waiting Room Lounge is no stranger to hosting live music. Through the 1980s and into the early 90s the same address was home to the now legendary Lift Ticket Lounge, it was the winter of 2010 when the club finally began to take shape as more than just a bar with a stage and 1% Productions vision of a premier, full-time music venue would be more fully realized.
The Waiting Room Lounge has played host to every genre of music, from early, career defining performances from future stars like Matt & Kim, Imagine Dragons, and Yelawolf, legendary icons including The Psychedelic Furs, Helmet, Dinosaur Jr., Johnny Marr, and Living Colour, to contemporary acts including Yeasayer, Built to Spill, and Yo La Tengo. After a start like that, one can only imagine what 1% Productions and The Waiting Room have in store for the next ten years and beyond.
Starcrawler took the stage donned in their customary pink garb, with their pink instruments that were being manipulated with their pink pedals, and pink microphones that were being blasted through their pink amplifiers. Right from the start Starcrawler put on a show, the likes of which The Waiting Room hasn’t seen. The bands lead attractions were vocalist Arrow de Wilde and lead guitarist Henri Cash.
De Wilde was especially animated, as several times she would flop to the floor and begin undulating, even doing complete backbends. Her theatrics would have her jump off the stage and into the crowd where she would pull fans toward her. There were moments when she would spit and fling water onto as many of the patrons as possible. Even between lyrics, her facial expressions were entertaining and sometimes frightening. Cash was a superb guitar player and although not quite as active on stage as Arrow, he was still constantly moving about. He also jumped in the crowd and made his way to the back of the venue where he jumped up onto the bar, guitar in hand.
“Learn to Say Goodbye” is Starcrawlers newest single. This is an independent release that was recorded at the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606. It is a departure of sorts from their punk and metal sound. You can check out the song here:
If you get the opportunity to see this band, please do so. You can “Bet your Brain” you will come away impressed.
Starcrawler Band Members
Arrow de Wilde – Vocals
Henri Cash – Lead Guitar
Tim Franco – Bass
Seth Carolina – Drums
Bill Cash – Pedal Steel/Guitar
Starcrawler Set List was not available
Back in November of 1998, Boris released the album Amplifier Worship. This current tour has them playing this album in its entirety. The band slowly took the stage surrounded in smoke and back-lighting. The feel of it was sinister and mesmerizing. The set began with “Huge,” which was the lead track off the album. The beginning of the song seems to float in but eventually gives way to a crushing bass line and over modulated guitar work. By the time the drums kick in, the entire venue has been engulfed in vibrations that quickly become ingested by the crowd.
The rest of the performance would be just as intense as the sound of doom would linger throughout the night. Since the bass and guitar work was so loud it was understandable to see the stage set up with double drum kits which faced each other. This only added to the bombastic sound that emanated from the stage. When the final song had finished the crowd slowly departed. They had to move slowly as their entire bodies were still shaking from the vibrations that were launched into their internal organs. Boris is a great band that can literally pound you into submission with their music. That is not something every band can do, but it is something every true fan wants done to them.
Here is a quick taste of Boris at the Waiting Room:
Boris Band Members
Atsuo – Vocals and Drummer
Takeshi – Bass and Guitar
Wata – Guitar and Keyboard
Muchio – Guest Drummer
Boris Set List
1. Huge
2. Ganbou-Ki
3. Hama
4. Scar Box
5. Mass Mercury
6. Kuruimizu
7. Vomitself
Encore:
8. Loveless
A big thank you to everyone at The Waiting Room. I can’t think of a more professionally run venue.
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Wasn’t good enough to be on stage as a performer, so the next best thing was to photograph the people who are. Shooting my R6’s is nearly as great as holding my Strat. Getting up close to an artist and feeding off the crowd is exhilarating. Concert photography allows me the opportunity to capture a once in a lifetime live moment and then share it socially.