Last Night: Them Crooked Vultures at the Paramount

Justin Dylan Renney

Them Crooked Vultures played The Paramount on Saturday, November 21.

​As Keeper frontman Andrew Chapman and I walked towards the Paramount shortly after 9 p.m. last night, we were both hit with the strange awareness that we were about to see the bass player of Led Zeppelin in a live context. I realize this makes us sound like dense fools with amnesia, but staring at the marquee was what finally made us realize we were about to watch something so historical. Chapman and I have attended approximately 9 zillion shows together, including My Bloody Valentine's stateside return at All Tomorrow's Parties in 2008, so for us to dork out so hard on the moment is significant.

We walked through the doors just as Josh Homme, John Paul Jones, Queens of the Stone Age alum Alain Johannes and Dave Grohl launched into "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I", the opening track from the band's self-titled new release. We practically ran headfirst into Visqueen leader Rachel Flotard, who was as obviously overjoyed as we were at what we were witnessing.

Once we got deeper into the room and secured a spot with a decent vantage point, I was immediately struck by how ridiculously good the room sounded, which was a relief considering that the Paramount's gorgeous architecture can often be in stark contrast with its periodically cold or muffled sound. Separation was distinct, so it was easy to pick out each player's contributions, something particularly satisfying given the caliber of the performers on the stage.

I haven't seen that much crowd-surfing at the Paramount since a Ministry show there a good ten years ago; people were pretty much going apeshit. Thanks to early internet leaks and the band's decision a couple of weeks ago to stream the entirety of Them Crooked Vultures on Youtube, the audience was singing along with nearly every song. Perhaps even more heartwarming than the crowd's over-the-top jubilation was watching the mutual appreciation happening on stage. If someone had told Homme or Grohl when they were 16 that they'd someday share the stage with Jones, they would have guffawed, but here it was happening, and that showed on their faces.

I had heard extremely negative reports about their show last week in Austin, but I couldn't have been more please with the set, which hit its peak during "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" and took a strange, but endearing turn during the languidly-paced "Interlude With Ludes", during which time Jones busted out a MIDI keytar and Homme felt compelled to semi-waltz around the stage while serenading the crowd. Set list below:

No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
Dead End Friends
Scumbag Blues
Elephants
Highway One
New Fang
Gunman
Bandoliers
Mind Eraser, No Chaser
Caligulove
Interlude with Ludes
Spinning in Daffodils
Reptiles
Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up