Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Terminal 5

Brian Jonestown Massacre
@ Terminal 5
New York, NY - July 25, 2008

By all logic and reason, this band should not exist. The band is essentially the work of one man, Anton Newcombe, with an assortment of friends backing him up. The band plays great and Anton's songs are structured wonderfully. The pop/rock melodies that drive most of the numbers are extremely well done. So why shouldn't this band exist? Those melodies go nowhere. They are often forsaken for boring psychedelic jams. Anton himself seems irrelevant as he sings terribly, stands way off to the side of the stage, and contributes nothing instrumentally of merit on guitar. He is the worst member of his own band.

Then there is this whole other thing. Anton is notoriously crazy. But more than crazy, he's a jerk. An outright jerk. And he can't control his jerkdom. In one of the most bizarre relationships in rock, Anton is frequently heckled and challenged by his own fans and he takes the bait. And it is no joke. And it has been like this for over ten years. Tonight, Anton wanted to dedicate a song to a "friend" of his who died today. He didn't sound very sincere in his sadness and he even bashed the deceased as being "an asshole". So someone heckled him and of course Anton responded. But he kind of deserved it. And to make this all crazier, this nonsense is actually to be expected and enjoyed by Anton's fans and his band. The man is more or less exploited by everyone around him for their own amusement. It's beyond comprehension.

But take heart Anton. You're still better than the Dandy Warhols.