I
have finally seen Torche live. It was on the list.
For
full disclosure, although I listen to Torche I am not really visually familiar
with them, and I had no prior knowledge of the other bands. Dante's is not a
large venue, so I saw some members and
was pretty sure it was them, but I also wasn't sure what order the bands were
playing in. Therefore, as Torche took the stage I was still not certain they
were Torche. Then they started playing.
The
music hit me, setting off vibrations down my throat and into my gut, and yeah,
that's them.
It
was still revelatory to see them play.
Watching
bassist Jonathan Nuñez waiting to go on, he reminded me a little of Tom Morello
- a little bit for physical resemblance but much more for the sense of pent up
energy below the surface.
That
feeling remained when he took center stage, but it was then surprising when he
began to play with so much fluidity. His arms and neck were loose! Taking in
the whole scene I saw that guitarists Andrew Elstner and Steve Brooks also had
similar playing styles. There is a tightness and hardness to the sound that was
not visible. The wall of rock still blasts you audibly, but you see much more flow
than you would expect of sludge. And I didn't expect that, but amazing me is
what they always do anyway, so it fit.
I
did not have a good view of drummer Rick Smith for most of their set, but I
have a picture of him from the House of Lighting set immediately before. I need
to give him credit for that. The only other musician I have known to tour with
himself is Steve Perry when he does both White Hot Odyssey and Cherry Poppin'
Daddies.
It
was a really good show all around, so I would be glad I was there anyway, but
it was Torche I'd been waiting for and they did not disappoint.
Seeing
them is a thrill.
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