Queens of the Stone Age - House of Blues, March 26, 2011

Queens of the Stone Age
House of Blues, Boston MA
Saturday, March 26, 2011

Support - The Dough Rollers

We've got a dozen here. Saturday night Queens of the Stone Age rumbled through the House of Blues in Boston. They haven't been on the road in the US since 2007 so its been some time. The dozen? Oh, that just means this was the twelfth time I have seen the band live.

Currently on tour performing their debut album in full the band blasted through the album and a six song, two encore 90 minute set. Arriving on stage right at 8pm singer Josh Homme took center stage and it was off to the races. To his right was Troy Van Leeuwen on guitars and keyboards, Dean Fertita on guitar and keyboards. Behind Josh was, what is long term for QOTSA, drummer Joey Castillo and to the left of Josh was bassist Michael Shuman. Shuman was in top form all night. He was constantly in motion and the bass was high in the mix with the sludgy stoner drone that everyone wanted.

The band tore through the first few songs and Fertita and Van Leeuwen would swap from guitar to keyboards to hand held percussive instruments. Castillo would hit the drums as hard as he could, but cut back and be more methodic on intros to tunes like "If Only". Homme told the audience to never go to Mexico, but to go to Mexico to check it out before the track "Mexicola" was played then right before "Hispanic Impressions" he said "here is another song about Mexicans" The "album" set was focused and very well played. They didn't stray and only extended a solo on occasion, but the bulk was a very strong replaying of the record.

Just about 9pm the band left the stage and came back for a five song encore. Striking hard had fast with Sick Sick Sick and then rolling right in to "Go With the Flow" the audience was a in a frenzy. Heads bobbed, and as silly as it is, bodies got up to crowd surf. Homme didn't have a ton of banter with the audience like he is known for. Most were short, local references. He talked about their first show at the Middle East in Cambridge Ma and then a referenced to the Salem Witches at the start of "Burn the Witch". He was on a mission, to get the songs in as quick as he could.

The band would leave the stage once more and did come back for the final song of the evening "No One Knows".

Here is the set:
1.Regular John
2.Avon
3.If Only
4.Walkin' on the Sidewalks
5.You Would Know
6.How to Handle a Rope (A Lesson in the Lariat)
7.Mexicola
8.Hispanic Impression
9.The Bronze
10.Give the Mule What He Wants
11.I Was a Teenage Hand Model
12.You Can't Quit Me Baby

Encore 1:
13.Sick, Sick, Sick
14.Go With the Flow
15.Into the Hollow
16.Little Sister
17.Burn the Witch

Encore 2:
18.No One Knows

Overall I was very pleased. I like the band very much, as well as 99% of their material. In the early days the band was a rotating cast and it would change between an album and live dates. The current band has been together for some time (since at least 2007) so they know one another and their tendencies which only makes for a stronger set and potentially stronger studio albums.

A few live shots..thanks to James for taking and sharing: