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SHOW REVIEW: The Moste Potente Potions

Posted by: Necci – Aug 18, 2011

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The Moste Potente Potions, The Diamond Center, The Milkstains, and Tyrannosaurus Awesome
Thursday, August 11 at Strange Matter

A funny thing happens when creative people move away from a prominent music scene. People like Chris Terry of Light the Fuse and Run as well as Jeff Grant from Pink Razors come to mind; Richmond will always be a home to these scene pioneers. When they return, some sort of performance is inevitably in the offing, either displaying a new project to the old hometown, or a reunion of a previous endeavor (or maybe even both, as with the recent return of former Richmonder Jeff Byers). This past Thursday marked a Richmond homecoming for another such creative former resident, Justin Spivey, whose former band Moste Potente Potions reunited for the occasion. Everyone entered Strange Matter grinning, finding smoke machines waiting to go off and a room that was ridiculously packed for a weekday show. Spivey’s return offered an opportunity for several Richmond favorites to show what they’d been up to since the Moste Potente Potions broke up by performing some of their best sets in recent memory.

Tyrannosaurus Awesome started off the evening. I grow more and more impressed by the efforts of Robert Barrow and Allison Hancock each time I see them play. Oddly enough, I am more familiar with their acoustic efforts in this group as a result of the Belle Isle events of the past two years. Their sound was pristine on this evening and tunes like “Teenage Emotion” sounded phenomenal. Barrow displays such a genuine love for fuzzy garage rock with direct punk influences that it helps the audience fall for whichever outfit he may be performing with. It may seem like the tiniest element, but it makes all the difference when you can detect the enthusiasm of the group performing, and the sentiment will affect the way you reflect on the band afterwards. Tyrannosaurus Awesome are more than just awesome, they are rock incarnate, and should continue to impress audiences around the city for as long as they remain around.

When did the Milkstains get really good? I was always familiar with their instrumental jams, and I thought they pulled that off well. Now they have energized their material with a level of intensity that makes the focus of the group explosive. The greatest change to which this improvement can be attributed is John Sizemore becoming a bit more of the leader of the group. By escaping the trend of just playing surf-rock instrumentals, the Milkstains are a bit more direct, and the rhythm section benefits as well. Drummer Raphael Katchinoff was destroying his kit and bassist Gabe Lopez kept up in stride. Perhaps it was just a matter of time before this group improved. I’m excited to see what the future has in store for the Milkstains.

I have probably seen the Diamond Center more than most Richmond bands, and I’ve never seen them play anything that could be considered a terrible set. They should pride themselves on how stellar they are as performers. They decided to start things off with “Dos Fridas,” and I think that was a quality choice. In the past, they have chosen to start with “WTT” and “20-Twin” most of the time. Selecting these songs allows the group to create an ominous buildup of percussion and floating harmonies. It's wonderful, but going for a more rocking opener seemed to benefit the set as a whole. If anything, going straight into “20-Twin” afterwards made more sense in the long run. Their set was more rock-fueled throughout. It helped vary the dynamic of the evening, and to deter the common expectations of a Diamond Center show (of which there should be very few). I enjoy getting to see the Diamond Center as frequently as I do. I just hope their non-stop itinerary doesn't divert the group’s attention from developing new material. If getting a new full-length or even a new EP meant I wouldn’t get to see them play out for a while, I’d be content with the wait.

I had no past experience with the Most Potente Potions besides hearing accolades from my peers. I didn’t even realize that the group featured members of the Milkstains, Harsh Realm, The Color Kittens and Baby Help Me Forget. Then again, I don’t think there is such a thing as a band that Jamie Lay isn’t in, so it came as no surprise. With three guitars laying the epic groundwork, Lay's frantic drumming, and the great vibes emanating from lead singer Spivey, there was little to not love about the group. They exceeded all expectations I could possibly have had, and did the two things that all reunion shows should accomplish--it made me wish I had paid more attention to the group when they were active, and it made me long to get to see them play out again.

As the night came to a close, Spivey exclaimed about how wonderful it was to see everyone and how amazing the bands that played before them had been. All in attendance shared this sentiment and agreed that this was a rare event worth beholding.

Words by Shannon Cleary
Images by PJ Sykes


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