“Because where I’m going to now, no one can ever hurt me…”
“Because where I’m going to now, no one can ever hurt me…”
The lyrics above, cut from their rightful place amongst their brethren in Titus Andronicus’ anthemic hit, “A More Perfect Union”, faultlessly described the scene at Richmond’s “The Camel” on Sunday evening amongst a diverse crowd glowing with camaraderie and a common passion.
A paltrier crowd lined the walls of The Camel’s back room, mostly seated, as opening act “Baked” took the stage. The Brooklyn-based band had toured with Titus Andronicus on a previous tour leg and even provided the raw footage that would become the “Fatal Flaw” music video that accompanied Titus’ tour announcement across the blogosphere.
The “Baked Sale” sign that adorned the band’s merch table (mostly tie-dye shirts) hinted at the potential for some lyrical drollness, but any attempts would have been garbled beneath sheets of guitar and bass thicker than the seven-layer dip you consumed earlier at an NFL season kickoff party.
The band showed flashes of tuneful prowess, especially during the sole song that the keyboardist (Isabella Mingione) took a turn at lead vocals, but was otherwise unremarkable. A few more stints on the road might provide needed polish, but Baked (pictured above) turned in a performance that indicated they had a long way to go before they could bring the crowd less-hesitantly toward the stage.
Spider Bags (pictured below) provided a welcome transition from the harmonic murkiness of their predecessors.
Existing in some iteration or another since 2007, Titus’ Merge Records labelmates carried themselves with a sense of tested bravado that navigated them through some intricate melodic configurations. The band sounded congruent and practiced and emitted a presence that drew the crowd forward into the glow of the stage lights.
Frontman and founding member Dan McGee seemed humorously unaware of the intended length of the set. He repeatedly inquired how much time they had left, and the crowd was content in coaxing him and his bandmates to press on. Transitions, even seemingly between genres, were unobtrusive as the collective blended crackling, suppressing-fire riffs with more delicate and deliberate instrumentals. Finally sure of himself, McGee announced the band’s final song and afterwards exited the front of the stage to an uproarious ovation.
The intimacy and lack of ceremony that characterize a Titus Andronicus show provide a stark contrast to the vast scope and pageantry of their records, especially the band’s most recent triple-LP rock opera, “The Most Lamentable Tragedy.” The fans that now packed the confined spaces of The Camel wouldn’t have it any other way.
The band’s everyman charisma, along with their penchant for a quality anthem, is what endears them to their loyal following. The casual fashion with which Patrick Stickles took to the stage, adorned in a Titus Andronicus t-shirt, embodied that spirit and effectively broke down the habitual barriers, be they physical or not, that subsist between audience and entertainer.
Before jumping headlong into a blitzkrieg of some of Titus’ fastest, most frantic material early in the set, Stickles expounded on the inherently nonviolent nature of punk music and stressed the significance of maintaining a safe and respectful environment amongst the mass. This declaration seemingly congealed the sense of community within the crowd that would carry throughout the entirety of the 90+ minute set. The most excitable individuals remained physically expressive, but everyone intrinsically knew their boundaries.
The set was altogether uncompromising as the six members and their respective equipment (3 guitars, bass, drums and keyboard) appeared impossible to contain on the Camel’s finite stage. Stickles’ trademark sandpaper vocals pierced through the crowd and each attendee was grateful for every uttered puncture. Their setlist leaned heavy on new material, but considering The Most Lamentable Tragedy is a 29-song epic; this didn’t come as a surprise.
What was surprising, though, was Stickles’ ability to thrash about the stage like a worm breaking free from the Earth all the while impeccably executing arduous guitar rhythms and phrases.
One expects a level of impreciseness when that kind of physicality is on display but it just wasn’t present here.
Stickles paused to “call an audible” on the setlist as he expressed his gratification for a fan (also named Patrick) that approached the band outside and stated his fervent admiration for a not-so-frequent request. The ensemble subsequently catapulted into the brief, frenzied “Food Fight,” from the 2012 “Local Business” LP and followed it with the food-averse track “My Eating Disorder.”
Other highlights from the set included the band’s newest singles “Dimed Out” and “Fired Up,” the latter of which Stickles proclaimed to be a rip-off from a certain legendary Garden State alumnus to whom the band is tirelessly compared. “Come for me, old man,” the singer beckoned.
Energy levels peaked towards the conclusion of the set with the advent of the opening drum fill to Titus Andronicus’ biggest hit, “A More Perfect Union.” More specifically, the evening’s pinnacle came at the end of the first verse as the entire room bellowed, “Tramps like us, baby we were born to die!”
The evening concluded with two more “The Monitor” era songs, “Four Score and Seven” and finally, “Titus Andronicus Forever.” Though the crowd left chanting, “The enemy is everywhere,” it was well understood that the like-minded collective were amongst allies.
