Mayhem, musicality meet during Sevendust set

Geoff Carter

Thursday, Aug. 19, 1999 | 9:47 a.m.

They'll have to build a bigger club. On Tuesday night Atlanta metal outfit Sevendust -- along with supporting acts Staind and Skunk Anansie -- sold out the House of Blues. Imagine a room full of angry, shirtless 18- to 34-year-olds shoving each other, then add another 200 angry, shirtless guys and a couple of topless girls and you're still nowhere close. Bouncers broke up fights by the dozen; drunk and disorderly types were hustled out so frequently you could set your watch by it.

Concurrently: I'd like to announce that this is the last time -- and I mean the last time, junior -- that I'm mixing with the kids on the floor at these thrash showcases. Next time seat me in the balcony, or nowhere at all. These kids -- they're kooky.

Not that this was Sevendust's fault, or even its idea of a good time. At its very root, the band's message is one of unconditional tolerance. The band's music is intelligent and (relatively) easygoing; think Tool after a few cognacs. In "Home," the band looks for comfort in a world that has had precious little to offer of late ("Home is where you hide"), while "Waffle" finds Sevendust treading on in search of that higher level ("Make my life worth something more"). Hitting people in the head while listening to this band seems counterintuitive. Yes, they rock like fiends, but can't everybody just, you know, kind of shake their heads a bit, and keep their fists to themselves?

If Sevendust notices that its audience is bent on destroying each other, it doesn't hold it against them. The band's love for its audience -- and just about everybody else -- is expressed loudly and often, punctuated always by a friendly "y'all." Local rock station KXTE 107.5-FM (Extreme Radio) pretty much built Sevendust's Vegas fan base; the band thanks them every chance it gets. The band members thank the audience, they thank the opening bands (profusely), they even thank people who have supplied them with "the kindest weed."

Such is the warmth of their manner that you want them to succeed to the point that you can't see them any more: You want them to grow to stadium size, even though that will remove the intimacy the band works so hard to maintain. It will be interesting to see how these fresh-out-of the-box rock stars grow into superstar status -- and believe me, they will. Sevendust is that hot and that good.

Also of note was Skunk Anansie. The British band opened with the raucous "Selling Jesus" and whipped through a set that was entirely too short. (Conversely, Staind's coldly detached set seemed longer than "Eyes Wide Shut.") Vocalist Skin leaped as if paid by the bounce, and even joined Sevendust vocalist Lajon for a duet on the latter band's new "Licking Cream."

"I wish you weren't so beautiful in my eyes," the two charismatic performers sang to each other, as the bouncers dragged another six guys out. If there was any more love in that room, somebody might have gotten killed. Y'all be cool.