War Zone

I knew Fucked Up borrowed heavily from The Jesus Lizard playbook, but having now seen both bands at the Phoenix on Thursday nights in the last four months, it's shocking just how similar their shows really are. The key difference is the temperament -- and physical condition -- of their respective front men. Whereas FU's Damian Abraham (aka Pink Eyes) is large and friendly, Jesus Lizard vocalist David Yow is unpredictably strange/drunk, wily and physically fit enough to send himself flying through the air at any time.

In an interesting deviation from club show tradition, The Jesus Lizard set up their gear behind a pair of curtains. When these curtains opened and the music began, Yow was calmly seated in the middle of the stage. Within seconds, he leapt to his feet and jumped into the crowd, surfing through much of the song. This continued throughout the night with Yow diving into the crowd no less than five times (but probably more).

In most cases, the audience would drop Yow, but they'd either lift him back above their heads or he'd continue exploring the crowd on foot, while also fulfilling his vocal responsibilities. As Yow wandered, the audience did their part by holding up his microphone cord, presumably to prevent audience injury and help facilitate Yow's eventual return to the stage. It was a surprisingly civilized gesture for one of the sweatiest, hairiest and most visibly intoxicated crowds I've come across in a long time.

It should be noted that the similarities between Fucked Up and The Jesus Lizard aren't limited to their singers' penchant for audience exploration. Like Fucked Up, The Jesus Lizard delivers an incredibly tight, well-honed musical assault in their live performances. With the exception of their singers, both bands are relatively stoic in their delivery, but the musicianship on display is amazingly assured in both cases. Jesus Lizard bass player David Wm Sims is particularly impressive, playing his occasionally quite melodic bass lines with speed and precision, while maintaining an Eli-Roth-in-Inglourious-Basterds-style look of concentrated menace on his face at all times.

Sure, The Jesus Lizard's music can be a bit repetetive and this can be a weakness on their albums, but you really can't judge this band until you've seen them live. You'd have to turn your stereo up pretty damn loud to get any sense of the power this four-piece is capable of delivering -- and you'd still be missing out on the main ingredient: an energized, interactive and even somewhat threatening physical experience. -- Jonathan Doyle