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On July 31, Pelican played a show with Big Business and Destroy Destroy Destroy at The Muse in Nashville, TN.

It would be harder to select a stranger combination of music for a single show. Synthesizer death metal and noisecore preceded Pelican's haunting, epic instrumental rock. Destroy Destroy Destroy was the first onstage, and they brought with them a generic if not wholly unpleasant brand of constant headbanging noise, as well as a lead singer wearing a speedo, gauntlets, and wielding a battle axe. The band was trailed by a number of fans that left shortly after their short, frenetic set. According to the band, they're "evil."

Big Business followed, bringing along its own group of dedicated fans as the duo unleashed one distorted bass and one loud drum set. Each of their songs was virtually indistinguishable from the next, and their performance, combined with Destroy Destroy Destroy's antics, made for a relatively unpleasant two hours.

Pelican made up for their abysmal stage-mates, however. Showing a professional style that seemed positively uncanny given the situation, they played a solid hour and a half of quite remarkable music that struck me as a combination of Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, and pure cool. They played a smattering of songs including a few from their new full-length, The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw. In contrast to the openers, they were positively phenomenal, and, indeed, this might have been their plan: to find two bands so bad, so incomprehensibly unremarkable, that, by comparison, their own unearthly sounds would blow the crowd away. This they did.






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    Posted by karasu on 2005-08-08 09:23:48

    "What is with people on here knowing absolutely nothing about music? If you honestly believe this then please do us all a favor and stop talking about music for the rest of your life, you will save yourself some embarassment."

    Exactly.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 7, 2005 at 12:26 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "Pelican was fantastic live in New York. "March Into The Sea" was phenomenal live"

    Best song off the new album. Can't wait to see these guys in Chicago. My friend hasn't stopped talking about their live set since he say them open for Cursive in Chicago over a year ago. Some guy standing next to him left after Pelican. That really cracked me up.

    Jim

    Posted by mikeandrews on 2005-08-06 17:00:38
    My Score:

    scores for not making an isis reference.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 at 4:55 PM (EDT)

    pelican is quite a good band

    Posted by Russe11 on 2005-08-05 12:52:16

    The contrast to Mogwai and Explosions in the sky leaves a bit to be desired considering that they are alot heavier then both of them. I'd say more along the lines of godspeed and explosions in the sky and maybe some isis.

    Posted by LMChc on 2005-08-05 12:30:41

    i so wanted this to be a Bad Business review

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 at 9:33 AM (EDT)

    "Big Business was better back when they were Lightning Bolt."

    What is with people on here knowing absolutely nothing about music? If you honestly believe this then please do us all a favor and stop talking about music for the rest of your life, you will save yourself some embarassment.

    Posted by Allular on 2005-08-05 02:09:35

    Big Business' songs may be indistinguishable, they still freakin' SLAY.

    Can't wait to see Pelican in Salt Lake at a venue that actually has good sound. I saw them a year and a half ago at a venue that had AWFUL sound. I couldn't hear any drums at all. I'm stoked.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 at 2:07 AM (EDT)

    Big Business was better back when they were Lightning Bolt.

    Posted by stevejonestherealbones on 2005-08-05 02:02:20

    i like the big business cd..never seen em live though

    i like the new pelican quite a bit..never seen em live though

    - jones the bones

    - stevejones8770@yahoo.com

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 at 1:51 AM (EDT)

    i'm really bummed that i'm going to be out of town when this tour hits SF. even more so because red sparows are opening our date. fuck do i wanna see pelican.

    p.s. big business sounds NOTHING like mastodon.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 at 1:43 AM (EDT)

    Pelican was fantastic live in New York. "March Into The Sea" was phenomenal live.

    Ramo
    (Awesomeness)

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 5, 2005 at 1:06 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    This score is for Pelican. Hey Big Business-Mastodon called they want you to give them their style back.

    Barkley

    Posted by primeevil7 on 2005-08-05 00:46:10

    I'm seeing these guys in Chicago. Pelican, that is.

    Posted by etwiels88 on 2005-08-05 00:33:29

    I heard so many good things about Big Business before seeing them live. I was pretty let down. Like you said, most of their songs are indistinguishable.

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