It seems almost impossible that it’s been two years since I’ve seen Queens of the Stone Age for the first two times. I still feel like I’m functioning on pandemic time…
Anyway, I got to see Queens of the Stone Age again! They are still out here playing In Times New Roman… but I have no qualms with that! It’s a fantastic album that deserves to be paraded around as long as they see fit. And given how short their touring cycles usually are, they’re making their way across cities they didn’t hit the first time around. Plus, I’m sure we’ve got another several years before we’re gifted a new album.
It is interesting that this concert came off the heels of their Live from the Paris Catacombs concert movie that just dropped less than two weeks ago. You know I got tickets to watch that magic. It was very interesting because I was trying to think of how they could possibly play their songs in the catacombs without rattling all of the old ass bones in there. Well, playing it almost acoustically is how. Duh. The concert itself was a short one, though very atmospheric. And if you ever had any doubts about the talent these guys possess, then you need to find a way to watch this performance, or just listen to the audio. Doubts dispelled! Admittedly, I wasn’t as familiar with the setlist chosen for this performance, but it seemed to fit the circumstances very well.
Thankfully, the concert last night was chalk full of songs that I know and love. “Smooth Sailing” and “If I Had a Tail” are just so damn good in a live setting. Heck, all of their songs are because there is virtually no difference between them and the recorded versions! “Carnavoyeur” remains one of my favorite songs and it’s just goosebump inducing once that bass line kicks in along with Josh’s haunting vocals. The evening was also a bit loose in it’s setlist, as there were a few times where Josh asked the audience what they’d like to hear. That means instead of “The Way You Used to Do” we got “The Sky is Fallin'” from their first album, and “3’s & 7’s” instead of “Sick, Sick, Sick.” I’ll be honest when I say I was a little bummed about the latter.
Still, I did get to hear plenty of other songs I love all from the corner of the front row! I couldn’t quite make out the drummer, but I had an unobstructed view otherwise, and that’s all a short girl can ask for! I wish I would have gotten there just a little bit earlier to squeeze in a little closer to the middle, but I’m still pleased with where I landed. If you get the chance to catch them on this leg of their tour – do it already!
