Happy ROCTOBER everyone! My favorite month of the year! Watching old horror movies, crisp fall weather, and usually a lot great rock shows! The pandemic's obviously put a damper in things, but live music is picking up again. I think masks and vax cards required is going to be the new normal for gigs, not ideal, but I'll take it.
So yesterday I posted about the 30th Anniversary of Swervedriver's brilliant debut record, Raise. A lot of people responded with so much love and affection for Swervedriver. I believe this can be attested to not only the quality of their music, but to just what genuinely gracious, warm, and kind people they are.
I've seen Adam and Jimi many times over the years and they always take the time to speak with their fans, have a beer with them after the show, sign records, etc. That goes a long way to building an endearing reputation.
With that said, I've always been blown away by Swervedriver, especially live. When I first saw them at the Fox Theater in Portland in 1992, and they encored with their amazing track, "Jesus" I was hooked. Their mix of melody and white noise was thrilling, and their music had such power and energy. I was compelled to catch them every time they came to the States after that, and I think I've seen them on just about every tour since.
I think what sets them apart from other "shoegaze" bands, if you have to label them as such, is the richness, warmth, and soulfulness in their music. Other bands of that era, My Bloody Valentine, comes to my mind, while I enjoy MBV, their music has a certain chill, a coldness which can be impenetrable at times. The Swervies have no such problem. Their music is so warm and relatable, just like they are as people.
So in honor of Swervedriver and their 30 year reign, I dug up some footage of the from 2019, that I filmed at the 930 club in DC. I was testing out a new Osmo camera and the results were mixed. It has a built in steadycam, but the battery life wasn't great, and it didn't offer a lot of control or zoom for the matter. But I got great sound and so I thought I'd share a little bit of of what I captured that night. Please excuse the lack of video at the beginning of the first track, Sunset, and then the video cutting out half way through Duel. The audio is great throughout, so I thought it was worth posting! Hope you enjoy! xx M
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