Last night’s VAST concert can only be adequately summed up with one single word.
Orgasmic.
Like seriously. Fucking orgasmic.
To begin with…why have I never attended one of their shows in Sacramento before? Aside from the annoying fact that people in Sacramento have serious issues with having other people standing right next to them in a crowd (trying to pack in close to the stage was a lesson in futility), it was the most wondrous experience of my whole small-venue-concertgoing life. With the exception of the obnoxious skunk-haired lady who hooted and shrieked and gyrated through most of VAST’s performance, everyone in attendance behaved beautifully. No drunken shouting matches, no vomitfests, no accidentally-on-purpose ass-gropings…just a bunch of folks who were there to see a good live show. I’m so never going back to SF for a concert ever again.
VAST themselves were just in great form. As they took the stage, Jon informed us that the set would be almost entirely accoustic since they were having equipment issues, and while they had a set list, they would be taking any requests from the audience all night. With their guitars being the only electronics on stage, the band pounded through song after incredible song, picking up suggestions here and there and giving birth to fascinating new arrangements of old VAST standards. My favorite all night had to be, of course, “Flames”…this being the first time I’ve seen them peform it with the cello present, and the bonus of a violin as well! It was tingle-inducing. Makes me wish I’d had the presence of mind to take a video camera with me.
And as someone put it so eloquently on the RealVast message board, it was nice being one of only three people in attendance who knew the words to “Frog.” Remind me to post that file for y’all when I get the time. It’s lovely and eco-conscious. w00t.
It saddens me that their fan club and their message board are so shittily run nowadays. Otherwise I’d become one of their freakish groupies and stalk them at their regular Austin gigs.
And BOOYEAH. Got me another hoodie. For thirty bucks. Beats the pants off the $85 Tool was asking for their uglyass hoodie at Marysville last year…
I think I shall wear this hoodie until it rots off my body.