I think I found out the show was happening about three hours before it started and I was absolutely determined to go.
I'm not really sure why I was so dead set on it. Local H has, for most of the time I've known of them, been one of those bands that I enjoy but never think about. I liked every song I'd heard by them but it never occured to me to really seek them out.
Until about a year and a half ago. I don't know why but something in my brain just decided "That's it, I love Local H now." Maybe it was having a bout of nostalgia for the 1990s and its music (which has been happening to me a lot lately), maybe it was just because I was reminded of a particularly cool song by them, I have no idea. But I went out and bought a few of their albums, listened to them a few times, picked out some songs I loved and then they kind of faded out of the picture again.
But when I saw that they were playing tonight, holy shit I had to go!
Missing Teens and Aeges were the opening bands and I liked them both very much. If I run across them again, I will most likely go to their shows.
Local H is a two person band, but they sound huge. Even with singer / guitarist Scott Lucas running on basically half a voice (he was choked and robbed in Russia recently and the assailant damaged his vocal chord) he still has a hell of a rock and roll scream. And he's grown his hair out long again, which is just fine with me. (I know I had a crush on him back in the video for Bound For The Floor. Watching that video now he looks like a child to me, but the long hair still suits him and he's aged very well indeed. ... It seems I develop crushes on people in every band I listen to. How teenagery of me.)
The point is, Local H fucking rocked! They were loud (my ears are still making that faint, hollow woosh sound that comes from being around too much noise) and they just ... they straight up rocked. There's no other word for what they do. They strike me as a very honest band; they don't seem to be trying to fit into a specific subgenre or do anything too off the wall. They just play music that's heavy on drums and guitar (...actually, it's nothing but drums and guitar) and screamy vocals.
About halfway through the show I was hit with the feeling that there aren't any other bands like Local H anymore. I didn't really get to go to concerts before the 2000s and I've always felt like I missed a lot of great shows by just straight up rock bands, but this concert made me feel like I was getting to witness something I had missed back then. There was a nostalgia to it. (Someone in the crowd described Local H as a grunge band. I don't know if they truly are or not (I'm terrible at categorizing music) but if they are, I think that explains about my strong nostalgic emotional reaction.)
I'm not badmouthing other bands who are off the wall or whatever; pretty much all my favorite bands are a little unusual in one way or another, fitting into specific subgenres or not remotely fitting into any genres at all. I tend to classify all the music I listen to as "rock music" because I don't know what else to call it.
But Local H truly are Rock Music and they're fucking good at it.
And any show that includes the singer duct taping a microphone to his face is always a good show in my book.
Afterward I bought a shirt and, because Scott Lucas runs the merch table himself, I got all tongue tied and froze up and probably said something stupid to him. I could tell my hands were trembling when I handed him the money. I'm certain, though, if I had been able to just walk up and say hi and buy a shirt, I would have been fine. Having to wait in line to do that, though, made me overthink the situation and get nervous. It was still cool to meet him and shake his hand, though, and I told him to take care of his voice. He smiled and said "I will." And it was cool that he smiled. 'Cause a lot of the time (in pictures and music videos, anyway) Scott Lucas looks like a surly dude. It's good to know he's not. (I guess if he were, he wouldn't run his own merchandise table. The line of people waiting to talk to him consisted of pretty much the entire audience. What a cool fucking guy, taking the time to sell them all shirts and CDs and say hello.)
On the way out I approached drummer Brian St. Clair and thanked him for the show and told him it was fantastic, and he was very smiley and appreciative, too.
So in addition to being one of the loudest bands I've seen in a while, they're also nice guys.
And, in case I didn't mention it before, they fucking rock! They played the five songs I was expecting (All The Kids Are Right, Bound For The Floor, California Songs, Eddie Vedder and High Fiving MF) as well as two of the five songs I would have requested if given the chance (Hands On The Bible and What Would You Have Me Do (my absolute favorite Local H song); the ones they didn't play were Fifth Avenue Crazy, Fine And Good and Mayonnaise And Malaise).
Basically what I'm saying is, I had a wonderful time. I danced like an idiot, the music was bitchin', I saw two dudes get in a fight (which was actually more distracting and annoying than cool) and if I have to complain, I'd say I would rather have heard Scott Lucas sing most of California Songs, rather than the audience, and I wish they had played all of What Would You Have Me Do, rather than just the ending bit as part of a medly.
But those complaints are minor and do not remotely tarnish my experience at the show.
If you get a chance to go see Local H, I highly recommend it. They're fantastic live, even with the singer nursing a wounded vocal chord.
End of line.
-Sally
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