The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nails & Dangers @ Center For The Arts, Eagle Rock. 1/18/2011.

destroyers!

Best show of the year. I know it's still January but really, I'd have to be invited onstage by Slayer or have Refused unite in my living room or some shit for anything to top this. I've already said many times before, but The Dillinger Escape Plan is my favorite band and in fact, this here blog is named after their song, "Jim Fear." Anyways....it had been a long while since I last saw Dillinger perform a headlining show, and never in a venue like this.

The show took place inside the Eagle Rock Center for The Arts. The place was meant to house art exhibits, yoga classes, community meetings and now, sweaty mosh pits. We arrived just as the first opening band finished up. Dangers, was up next. This was my first time seeing these guys live and they did not disappoint. Fast paced hardcore meets rock & roll vibes, with lots of energy on stage and some witty stage banter to boot.


My losing streak finally came to an end. After 3 failed attempts, I finally got to see Nails live. Their music is fast, ugly and ridiculously heavy. Like a monolithic slab of caveman brutality. The area in front of the stage, affectionately referred to as...the pit, started getting nasty during during their performance. If Dillinger wasn't immediately following them onstage, I wouldn't have wanted Nails set to end.


And then there was Dillinger. This was my 11th time seeing them live since 2004 and it's safe to say that this show stands as one of my favorites. The venue's small floor area kept the crowd's energy high, and it's high ceilings gave the band some more room to work on their acrobatics. They opened with "Panasonic Youth" and my sanity/better judgement went out the window.


I knew I shouldn't have stayed down in the front like I did. I had work the next morning and should have stayed with my pals on the sidelines. Of course with the songs like "Good Neighbor" blaring through the speakers, and watching singer/riot inciter Greg literally climbing the walls, I forgot I wasn't 18 anymore and decided to stay on the front lines. Sure, my camera got knocked around, causing the battery to stop functioning properly, and some dude collided into my wrist, causing me to now wear a splint/brace and type reeeeeeeally slowly, but that was but a small price to pay to witness the Dillinger spectacle up close and personal.


I dug their set list. All killer, no filler some would say. Surprised I still had a voice the next day after singing along to crowd favorites, "Milk Lizard" and "Gold Teeth on a Bum." It's funny, those songs got the best reaction from the Deftones' audience when Dillinger opened up for them last summer and although they may be more "streamlined" than the usual DEP fare, all their hardcore fans love em just the same. I guess people really do like just singing along to their favorite tunes. Cause in point, the final onslaught of "Sunshine The Werewolf" and "43% Burnt" back to back. People soaked in sweat and utterly devoid of energy, screaming their lungs out for the "DESTOOOOOOOOYER!" breakdown part like they'd never live to see another day. I would know, I was one of them.

Did you see that? Clip is kind of long and audio is a little sketchy at times but man, just imagine being in the center of that. I was on the stage, sprained wrist and all. Bumping into Ben's guitar, hitting Billy's china cymbal with my (good) hand, and screaming with Greg at different times.

Dillinger played another show, this time a free 21+ gig in Fullerton the next night. I planed on going but was now nursing a sprained wrist and decided to stay home and watch the show streaming live from the band's website. It looked like fun, but just not as wild as the Center For The Arts gig!