Clutch, Emily's Toybox, cause frenzy at Crowbar

Reviewed by JON FASSNACHT
Collegian Staff Writer

It was sweat, thugs and a very hard brand of rock 'n' roll.

Emily's Toybox, Drown and Clutch played a very energetic show Wednesday night at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave. Few people seemed to pay attention, though -- they were too busy slam-dancing into each other in a manic frenzy.

And those who did pay attention witnessed a pounding yet uneven performance.

Emily's Toybox was . . . an opening band. It was basic but did its job, which was to warm up the crowd.

The crowd-pleasing moment of the night came during the final song. Over a steady beat by the drummer, the band started chanting about a body part rhyming with Chap Stick. If you don't know which body part I'm referring to, you shouldn't be reading this paper.

Drown wasn't anything special, either. Much of its set left something to be desired.

The band played along to pre-recorded music and sound effects. Don't they know the meaning of the word "live?" To make matters worse, at times the recorded sound was so loud it drowned out the bass and guitar. Maybe that's what inspired the band's name.

Another thing lacking from Drown's set was musicianship. During one of the band's songs, the lead singer sang about boredom. He claimed he was so bored he wanted to pour kerosene on himself and light himself on fire. Here's a tip for the band -- rather than set yourself on fire, take some time and learn how to play your instruments.

Clutch was by far the best of the three acts. Many of those in attendance were there to see the band.

"I've listened to Clutch for a long time," Dave Green (junior-telecommunications) said. "The crowd was pumped and the music was great."

The music was great -- at times. The band was at its best when the guitar and bass players locked on a riff while the drummer played a strong beat underneath the wall of sound. This left the lead singer free to do whatever he wanted over the strong foundation of music. This is the sign of a good band.

However, the impact of the show was softened by solos. Every musician in the band took his turn. The only one in the band talented enough to pull off a solo was the drummer -- and even he turned in a lackluster effort.

This is the sign of a band trying to be something it's not. Imagine Rage Against the Machine trying to be Phish.

The show also ended on a sour note. After revving up its engines for the entire show, all Clutch had to do was end strong and tear out of Crowbar. Unfortunately, an overlong jam session stalled the momentum and the finale sputtered. This tarnished the overall effect of the show.

This wasn't the only thing that annoyed Clutch's fans.

"I thought they should've played more of what they're good at," Joe Brigandi (junior-journalism) said. "They didn't mix it up and play their older stuff."