If you're like me and you grew up watching Jackass and playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, then you're probably no stranger to cKy. Last night they came to Houston (for the first time since 2005 if I'm not mistaken) and they KILLED. Where was I? Front row, center. Literally less than two feet from the stage (and at one point, ON stage, but more on that later).
The opening acts were good and had decent sets for being opening bands. Each band had their own individual faults though for some reason. First up was Fall From Grace, a band out of Seattle. On the whole, they sounded great, but I really can't help but mention their lead guitarist. This guy was a complete tool. Guitar spins are pretty fun to watch, but this guy was tossing his guitar two or three times per song. It really kills the spectacle of it. He then proceeds to clumsily knock over his microphone stand (not in a "FUCK THIS MIC STAND, THIS IS ROCK! way, more like a dopey "Derr, WHOOPSY-DAISY" way). Factor in the face he kept making the whole time and his wicked bad comb-over: you've got yourself a genuine douche. The band sounded great though and their drummer was FANTASTIC. He was way into it and was good at what he did. He was by far the most entertaining person behind a kit the whole night.
Next we got ASG, from North Carolina. The band played their music really well, the best (in my opinion) of the opening bands, musically. The problem with ASG was that their vocals were COMPLETELY inaudible. Zero. Nothing. I didn't hear a single word Jason Shi was singing. He played the SHIT out of that guitar and so did their bass player on his weapon of choice. Overall, damn good heavy metal sound, great guitar riffs: good show.
Last of the opening acts was a band from Sweden called Graveyard. These guys had some INTENSELY slick looking gear. The lead singer had a beautiful vintage guitar of a brand I didn't catch, and bassist Rikard Edlund had a gorgeous Rickenbacker four-string that looked just as good as it sounded when he played it. They were all great musicians and had a good and somewhat unique sound. Good set from them overall, though I was distracted by one tiny thing. Girl pants. All of them wore girl pants. And not the "I'm wearing tight pants for the hell of it" guys-wearing-girl-pants look, these were fully hip-hugging, curvy, bell-bottomed girl pants. It didn't take away from the music, but it was a tad distracting....
Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for: cKy took the stage. ...Ok, so maybe they took the stage after a 30-minute soundcheck, but the wait was well worth it. They all looked great and happy to not only be together, but to be in our shithole of a city (which they wrote as "Hew Stin Tey Hass" on a setlist my friend ended up getting autographed after it was given to him). They opened with Escape From Hellview, which is one of my favorites, so right from the get-go I was stoked. Fuck that, I was stoked before they even got on stage. I'd see little things, like a piece of equipment with Chad Ginsburg's initials on it, or Jess Margera standing side-stage while Graveyard was playing their set and point them out like some fucking tourist seeing celebrities on Hollywood Blvd.
Chad I. Ginsburg, as much as he already was, is even-moreso my fucking hero. He was the life of the show, and had great chemistry with Deron on-stage. Halfway through the set he started playing on his iconic cKy guitar (while Deron has a custom cKy axe himself this tour, depicting the album artwork from Carver City on it). At random points through the show, Chad would begin playing audio samples of explicitly gay music (Cher, random pop music and one specific song we'll get to in a bit). It was hilarious. He kept egging the crowd on to make "so much noise you can't HEAR this shit anymore," to which the crowd would oblige, drowning out Cher with chants of "CKY! CKY! CKY!"
Though Matt Deis has only been with cKy since '05, I can no longer imagine cKy as the trio it once was (switching bass players, to having no bass player etc.). Deis made his presence known and played a hell of a good bass (the only 5-string of the evening). He genuinely looked like he was having the time of his life up there. Here's hoping Deis sticks around longer than those before him (though he stuck around through their brief falling out these past few years). He truly is part of the cKy family now, and, if he hadn't already, he proved it to everyone in attendance last night.
Deron looked and sang great (with a gorgeous guitar to go with it all). As with any band, I had concerns that they wouldn't be as good live as they are on their albums. I was especially concerned because I knew Deron would have to change his vocal style to bring certain songs to life on stage (which he did). Did changing the vocals threaten the quality? Fuck no. Deron ROCKED that place when he needed to and sang soulfully when it was called for. I'm a huge cKy fan, so I was there two feet from him singing right along with him through every single song.
Jess was Jess. Just as laid back and chill as I've always seen him in interviews, on TV or on Radio Bam. Where I was standing, I was right in front of Deron. Deron was right in front of Jess. For most of the show, I didn't get a great look at Jess doing his thing, but I heard it and it was just as great as I'd imagined it would be. At one point in the show, the band seemed to be leaving the stage to take a break at which point Jess (while the crowd chanted) played a small bit of solo drumwork to the rhythm of the chanting. Once he got up to take a break, Chad I. Ginsburg took his place and just started hitting shit. It got everybody laughing.
The band retook the stage to play a few more songs, and shortly after going back on stage, my night went from excellent to FUCKINGEXCELLENT. As you may know, if you know me, I listen to a wide variety of music. Most recently, I've taken the time to learn the lyrics (or at least the chorus) of Britney Spears' Womanizer, with intentions of shooting a parody music video for the website. After they get done playing a song, Chad resorts back to his joke of playing some gay song instead of playing more cKy. The song? You guessed it. When Womanizer began playing, Chad Starts talking to the front row. "C'mon, I know you guys know THIS song. You there," he said, pointing to my friend right beside me. "c'mon you know it!" My friend replied, "I don't, but uhh, he does," pointing to me. I leaned as far out as I could and screamed "Fuck yeah I do! I know this song!" At which point (brace yourself, because I'm not sure what amount of acid you'd have to drop for this to sound believable) I was invited on-stage to dance with cKy to Womanizer. Dance I did. Now, I am not a good dancer, by any means. I know that, and everyone who went knows that. Is that going to stop me from getting on stage with one of my favorite fucking bands of all time? Hell no. I danced my fat-ass off up there (and even unbuttoned my shirt for the ladies.... Ok, so maybe they weren't interested, but still). After they stopped playing Britney, Chad said "Good job!" and Deron asked the crowd to give me a round of applause. I shook Chad's hand, hugged him and Chad asked "What do you want us to play?" Flustered and kind of light-headed from it all, I dopily asked him for an autograph (honestly, the fuck was I thinking?). After comprehending that he was asking ME what THEY should play, it was a no brainer. As I was escorted off the stage, they began playing, at my request, Inhuman Creation Station (a song I later found wasn't even on their setlist that night, which somehow makes the whole thing that much cooler).
I got back in the crowd (not in my front-row spot I'd secured earlier, but fucking Christ, you don't get closer than ON-STAGE) and they played a few more songs, ending the night with Beat It, in tribute to the late Michel Jackson (Chad was also wearing a Michael Jackson t-shirt). Anything I could write to sum up the show would be an understatement. It was by far the time of my FUCKING LIFE. My only concern about the show was that they didn't play much from their latest album, Carver City, but even more concerning than that is that the crowd didn't seem to give a shit. When given the choice between a new song, Hellions On Parade and an old song Knee Deep (which Deron himself reminded the crowd only has one line in it) the crowd chose Knee Deep. It's a good song, but this IS the Carver City tour. This is their chance to play their new music live for the FIRST TIME to many in attendance. I'm not sure how it happened, but they also began playing Old Carver's Bones and then switched to Flesh Into Gear. Whether they were simply teasing Bones, or they played Flesh by request, I'm not sure, but I do know I'd've loved to have heard them play Old Carver's Bones.
All in all though, I have zero complaints. I had, like I said, the time of my fucking life. I met and got an autograph from Jess, got a guitar pick and had a once-in-a-lifetime dance-off. My only regret is that we didn't stick around longer, as I now know other members of the band made social appearances (including CIG, who I'm totally bummed about not getting an autograph, but fuck it. Next time. I shook his hand and danced on stage at his request, that's good for a lifetime).
Good fucking show. Best in my life, so far. Here's to cKy! Hope you guys come back to Houston soon and ROCK the Meridian off its foundation.
-Joshua Cox
*Stick around for a complete setlist and photos of the concert from myself and my friend Jesse. For now, I leave you with THIS: "Womanizer," ala Josh Cox and cKy
The opening acts were good and had decent sets for being opening bands. Each band had their own individual faults though for some reason. First up was Fall From Grace, a band out of Seattle. On the whole, they sounded great, but I really can't help but mention their lead guitarist. This guy was a complete tool. Guitar spins are pretty fun to watch, but this guy was tossing his guitar two or three times per song. It really kills the spectacle of it. He then proceeds to clumsily knock over his microphone stand (not in a "FUCK THIS MIC STAND, THIS IS ROCK! way, more like a dopey "Derr, WHOOPSY-DAISY" way). Factor in the face he kept making the whole time and his wicked bad comb-over: you've got yourself a genuine douche. The band sounded great though and their drummer was FANTASTIC. He was way into it and was good at what he did. He was by far the most entertaining person behind a kit the whole night.
Next we got ASG, from North Carolina. The band played their music really well, the best (in my opinion) of the opening bands, musically. The problem with ASG was that their vocals were COMPLETELY inaudible. Zero. Nothing. I didn't hear a single word Jason Shi was singing. He played the SHIT out of that guitar and so did their bass player on his weapon of choice. Overall, damn good heavy metal sound, great guitar riffs: good show.
Last of the opening acts was a band from Sweden called Graveyard. These guys had some INTENSELY slick looking gear. The lead singer had a beautiful vintage guitar of a brand I didn't catch, and bassist Rikard Edlund had a gorgeous Rickenbacker four-string that looked just as good as it sounded when he played it. They were all great musicians and had a good and somewhat unique sound. Good set from them overall, though I was distracted by one tiny thing. Girl pants. All of them wore girl pants. And not the "I'm wearing tight pants for the hell of it" guys-wearing-girl-pants look, these were fully hip-hugging, curvy, bell-bottomed girl pants. It didn't take away from the music, but it was a tad distracting....
Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for: cKy took the stage. ...Ok, so maybe they took the stage after a 30-minute soundcheck, but the wait was well worth it. They all looked great and happy to not only be together, but to be in our shithole of a city (which they wrote as "Hew Stin Tey Hass" on a setlist my friend ended up getting autographed after it was given to him). They opened with Escape From Hellview, which is one of my favorites, so right from the get-go I was stoked. Fuck that, I was stoked before they even got on stage. I'd see little things, like a piece of equipment with Chad Ginsburg's initials on it, or Jess Margera standing side-stage while Graveyard was playing their set and point them out like some fucking tourist seeing celebrities on Hollywood Blvd.
Chad I. Ginsburg, as much as he already was, is even-moreso my fucking hero. He was the life of the show, and had great chemistry with Deron on-stage. Halfway through the set he started playing on his iconic cKy guitar (while Deron has a custom cKy axe himself this tour, depicting the album artwork from Carver City on it). At random points through the show, Chad would begin playing audio samples of explicitly gay music (Cher, random pop music and one specific song we'll get to in a bit). It was hilarious. He kept egging the crowd on to make "so much noise you can't HEAR this shit anymore," to which the crowd would oblige, drowning out Cher with chants of "CKY! CKY! CKY!"
Though Matt Deis has only been with cKy since '05, I can no longer imagine cKy as the trio it once was (switching bass players, to having no bass player etc.). Deis made his presence known and played a hell of a good bass (the only 5-string of the evening). He genuinely looked like he was having the time of his life up there. Here's hoping Deis sticks around longer than those before him (though he stuck around through their brief falling out these past few years). He truly is part of the cKy family now, and, if he hadn't already, he proved it to everyone in attendance last night.
Deron looked and sang great (with a gorgeous guitar to go with it all). As with any band, I had concerns that they wouldn't be as good live as they are on their albums. I was especially concerned because I knew Deron would have to change his vocal style to bring certain songs to life on stage (which he did). Did changing the vocals threaten the quality? Fuck no. Deron ROCKED that place when he needed to and sang soulfully when it was called for. I'm a huge cKy fan, so I was there two feet from him singing right along with him through every single song.
Jess was Jess. Just as laid back and chill as I've always seen him in interviews, on TV or on Radio Bam. Where I was standing, I was right in front of Deron. Deron was right in front of Jess. For most of the show, I didn't get a great look at Jess doing his thing, but I heard it and it was just as great as I'd imagined it would be. At one point in the show, the band seemed to be leaving the stage to take a break at which point Jess (while the crowd chanted) played a small bit of solo drumwork to the rhythm of the chanting. Once he got up to take a break, Chad I. Ginsburg took his place and just started hitting shit. It got everybody laughing.
The band retook the stage to play a few more songs, and shortly after going back on stage, my night went from excellent to FUCKINGEXCELLENT. As you may know, if you know me, I listen to a wide variety of music. Most recently, I've taken the time to learn the lyrics (or at least the chorus) of Britney Spears' Womanizer, with intentions of shooting a parody music video for the website. After they get done playing a song, Chad resorts back to his joke of playing some gay song instead of playing more cKy. The song? You guessed it. When Womanizer began playing, Chad Starts talking to the front row. "C'mon, I know you guys know THIS song. You there," he said, pointing to my friend right beside me. "c'mon you know it!" My friend replied, "I don't, but uhh, he does," pointing to me. I leaned as far out as I could and screamed "Fuck yeah I do! I know this song!" At which point (brace yourself, because I'm not sure what amount of acid you'd have to drop for this to sound believable) I was invited on-stage to dance with cKy to Womanizer. Dance I did. Now, I am not a good dancer, by any means. I know that, and everyone who went knows that. Is that going to stop me from getting on stage with one of my favorite fucking bands of all time? Hell no. I danced my fat-ass off up there (and even unbuttoned my shirt for the ladies.... Ok, so maybe they weren't interested, but still). After they stopped playing Britney, Chad said "Good job!" and Deron asked the crowd to give me a round of applause. I shook Chad's hand, hugged him and Chad asked "What do you want us to play?" Flustered and kind of light-headed from it all, I dopily asked him for an autograph (honestly, the fuck was I thinking?). After comprehending that he was asking ME what THEY should play, it was a no brainer. As I was escorted off the stage, they began playing, at my request, Inhuman Creation Station (a song I later found wasn't even on their setlist that night, which somehow makes the whole thing that much cooler).
I got back in the crowd (not in my front-row spot I'd secured earlier, but fucking Christ, you don't get closer than ON-STAGE) and they played a few more songs, ending the night with Beat It, in tribute to the late Michel Jackson (Chad was also wearing a Michael Jackson t-shirt). Anything I could write to sum up the show would be an understatement. It was by far the time of my FUCKING LIFE. My only concern about the show was that they didn't play much from their latest album, Carver City, but even more concerning than that is that the crowd didn't seem to give a shit. When given the choice between a new song, Hellions On Parade and an old song Knee Deep (which Deron himself reminded the crowd only has one line in it) the crowd chose Knee Deep. It's a good song, but this IS the Carver City tour. This is their chance to play their new music live for the FIRST TIME to many in attendance. I'm not sure how it happened, but they also began playing Old Carver's Bones and then switched to Flesh Into Gear. Whether they were simply teasing Bones, or they played Flesh by request, I'm not sure, but I do know I'd've loved to have heard them play Old Carver's Bones.
All in all though, I have zero complaints. I had, like I said, the time of my fucking life. I met and got an autograph from Jess, got a guitar pick and had a once-in-a-lifetime dance-off. My only regret is that we didn't stick around longer, as I now know other members of the band made social appearances (including CIG, who I'm totally bummed about not getting an autograph, but fuck it. Next time. I shook his hand and danced on stage at his request, that's good for a lifetime).
Good fucking show. Best in my life, so far. Here's to cKy! Hope you guys come back to Houston soon and ROCK the Meridian off its foundation.
-Joshua Cox
*Stick around for a complete setlist and photos of the concert from myself and my friend Jesse. For now, I leave you with THIS: "Womanizer," ala Josh Cox and cKy
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