Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2009 > October > 03 > Entry
Live review: Them Crooked Vultures at ACL Fest
So maybe it just comes down to getting the reps. When you consider that hard rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures sprang into being over the summer and only crossed the dozen total performance mark (minus practices, of course) while partaking in three Austin City Limits-related shows this week, it’s not surprising that there’ve been quite a few rough edges fans have done their best to overlook while foaming at the mouth over the still-new band’s star power.
If Friday’s barreling thunder revue performance at Austin City Limits festival was any indication, the band (made up principally of Dave Grohl on drums, Josh Homme on guitar/vocals and John Paul Jones on bass/keys) has benefited greatly from three shows in as many days with each member’s parts linking together more smoothly than the night before.
There’s still a problem of songs like “Scumbag Blues,” “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” and “Reptile” sounding for the most part like Queens of the Stone Age (Homme’s main gig) weirdo riff rock cross pollinated with the ultra low end rumble Jones brought Led Zeppelin and not venturing too far from that template. Not a bad recipe for starters, though, and when all three (plus multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes) locked in there wasn’t a harder rocking act going anywhere in the 512 area code.
But the real fruits of this group will come when they start venturing forward musically as a group, rather than refashioning their already established musical identities. It’ll take time for that to happen, but what’s cool is that ACL and Austin-area crowds got to see some of that progression up close and for a few handfuls of moments it was riveting stuff.
Jay Janner photo
Follow Austin Music Source on Facebook and Twitter.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: ACL 2009: Friday, ACL Festival 2009
Comments
When commenting, we ask that you keep things civil and abide by our Visitor Agreement. To report comment abuse, click here.
By raul
October 4, 2009 10:01 AM | Link to this
absolutely awful, a waste of stagetime
By LJS
October 6, 2009 5:47 PM | Link to this
Was such a great show- one of my top 5 of the weekend! GROHL ROCKED THE KIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!