Some people are afraid that rock is dead. I appreciate the populist concern. I remember the childhood confidence of feeling like the whole wold was behind me in my love for Terminator 2, Nirvana and NES games in the early 90s. It's scary to think that the world has turned and seems to have turned a blind eye to rock for the past decade or so. But as long as folks like Elder are around, I don't think we need to worry. Sure, you won't hear this in the mall like you did with Guns 'N Roses, but, do you really need to? It's pretty simple. If a band like Elder shows up in your town, buy a ticket and watch them live. The band will have some revenue, you'll have a story to tell to your friends and rock and roll will keep chugging away against adversity.
Bruce Burns yeah great point. I think rock is better off in this era when it isn’t so mainstream. Now hip hop has their ridiculous preening Axl Rose types (not that there’s anything wrong with hip-hop) and bands like Elder and Mastodon are doing it for the love of the music. Rock is the new jazz. Less mainstream but more significant.
Rock and roll itself as a style is pretty dead, it left a lot of innovation, but it has moved on into metal and progressive rock. Rock and roll (Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, Link Wray etc.) is now more in bands that do the whole revival thing, like 60s psychedelia, but it never really gets anywhere, and that's not bad, it's just different now, not better or worse, that's not how evolution works, it's just different. But in the context that is meant by "Rock is dead", that's nonsense, it's still very popular and innovating a lot, Queens of the Stone Age and Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys etc. Are prime examples of this, Gojira, Lamb Of God are other examples. It's mainly just humans that can't accept that change happens and that their favourite bands growing up are no longer really relevant for the most part (Deep Purple is exempt from this, Metallica, Maiden etc.), just like many of this generation's bands won't be relevant in 50years, and that's fine, it will be nice to hear what is, if I live that long, or if music recording is even applicable then.
Rock now is about youtube kids throwing impossible tapping licks from their bedrooms. when you've been growing comfortably in your daddies home with all kind of first world privileges, there's no much message to deliver other than my PC doesn't run the latest AAA game in ultra mode. Yes, this sound so boomer, so what?
I am usually the guy who stands at the back doing polite headnods while nursing a beer but I got whiplash from the last time I saw Elder. This audience seems to be hearing them for the first time or something. Bassplayer is insane.
These guys are badass!!! End of story. Sxsw can drop the ball all they want. When bands like this surface... They gain ground on their own. They don't need a corporate sponsor. They're elder!!!!
Never heard of them till they opened for Tool In January what a sick band dead roots stirring def my fav album so far makes a really good soundtrack to AC Valhalla lol
HOLY SHIIIIT that was like an endless slide on a waterfall and then melting and ascending again. Its like he plays 2 - 3 sets or 3 - 2 and then its suddenly 6 4 3 5 2232134235423523 and I slip n fly away xD
The biggest problem is it's only one guitar. The recordings on the albums always feature two guitars. Since their latest record they have finally a second guitar player for concerts.
@@TonyRedgrave1501 They never needed a rhythm guitar as most exceptional 3 pieces have a bass player who fills that role. The real problem is you guitar happy sycophants.
other than the guitar needing to be turned up a little bit in the mix this was an AMAZING performance and I agree that the audience wasn't giving this band the gratitude/energy they deserved. Too much "pop" crap going on at SXSW apparently left them with their minds exploding when an actual phenomenal rock band played in front of them.
+Fuzz Preacher Well, it was their third show in Austin that week during SXSW and this show was on Sat night and there are only a bajillion other bands playing in Austin that night...
***** Well, its SXSW. There are 60+ venues with music on Fri and Sat night (4-6 bands each). I dont remember the big shows this past year. Unfortunately the stonerrock vibe isnt as strong during SXSW as it was a decade ago.
The masses mostly neither have the intellect or the capacity to handle this kind of spiritual mind journey of sound; so it's only meant for a smallish audience. Consider yourself blessed that you can comprehend this sound journey; whereas the masses, intoxicated by rap and pop that the corporate media feeds them, well....they cannot!
Are you kidding me? That is EXACTLY where I want to hear a band like this (or any other band). The North Door is a great venue by the way. Good sound, good space, bartenders pour heavy, great taps. And you want to listen to Doppler warble while you wait in the piss line at a stadium drinking lukewarm Lite swill. Newb
I don’t think his vocals are bad, per se, but yeah they were definitely way too loud in this performance. Honestly all the mixing seemed pretty off overall, bass was way too quiet and the guitar was barely breaking through. Still love Elder though 🤘
