Among the survivors of the 2015 Paris Bataclan massacre are the Eagles of Death Metal, who have carried on since that bloodshed with equal doses of sadness, shock, awe, argumentative finger pointing and apology.
From the glam-slamming, garage pop-crunching of EODM during a sold-out show at the Trocadero on Friday, it also seems as if the ensemble has continued with its roaring, hammy rocking aesthetic. “We’ve had a weird six-and-a-half months,” said mega-mustachioed, preacher-like bandleader Jesse Hughes, “but we feel loose tonight.” And they were.
Created by vocalist-guitarist Hughes and Queens of the Stone Age’s boss Josh Homme (drumming here, as opposed to his usual six-string slinging and singing), in the late 90s, their band was always meant to poke some fun at macho, riff-heavy blues rock. (To be clear, Homme has not been on tour with EODM as he’s currently gigging behind Iggy Pop for their joint album, Post Pop Depression. EODM’s current live skins-pounder is Jorma Vik).
At the Troc, choppy, slick and silly cracklers such as “Skin-Tight Boogie” and “Whorehoppin'” aptly portrayed EODM’s dippy, salacious roots with Hughes inbetween song moments flirting and talking goofily about sex. Utilizing second EODM guitarist and ZZ Top-lookalike “Diamond” Dave Catching as comic foil, Hughes – wearing signature red suspenders – was clearly in vaudeville schtick mode (perfect for the venerable Troc), a punk rock schmaltziness that, though over-the-top, was forgiven considering his band’s recent history. Besides, few guys put such fear-of-God brimstone into screeching and teaching as Hughes.
Bellowing over the fuzztone squeal of “Don’t Speak (I Came to Make a Bang)” and “I Only Want You,” showed a preacher-y Hughes ranting as if he was warding off demons. After exchanging T-shirts with an audience member, Hughes cackled in time through “The Reverend’s” toggle switch-twiddling staccato bursts of feedback, a very Mick Ronson guitar trick. Though a buzzing, thudding cover of Duran Duran’s “Save a Prayer” was wonkily off-key in terms of its group harmonies, EODM centered itself for its finale. The back-to-back handclapped boogie rave-ups of “Wannabe in L.A.” and “I Want You So Hard (Boy’s Bad News)” and chugging glam-blues encore cuts such as “I Love You All the Time” – complete with American flag waving and sweaty shirt doffing by show’s end – was winning and wild.