Review: Blues Explosion offers its own blast

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Oct. 7, 2002 | 8:24 a.m.

For nearly two decades, Jon Spencer has been dogged by criticism that his live shows place a higher premium on style than on substance.

During his days in seminal 1980s sleaze-rock band Pussy Galore, and then during the past 12 years with his Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the guitarist/ vocalist has gained a reputation more for his showmanship than his skills as a musician.

Friday night at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, however, Spencer served notice those days might finally be behind him. Spencer's trio blitzed through a raucous set of straight-ahead rock 'n' roll, relying on few stage theatrics to supplement their performance.

Formed in 1990 when Pussy Galore disbanded after five years together, the New York City-based Blues Explosion has been a fixture in the indie rock scene since then, releasing eight studio albums, several remix and rarities CDs and enough vinyl-only material to keep even the most rabid record collector satisfied.

But with its latest release, this year's "Plastic Fang," the band has created a treasure trove of material that stands up just as well in a live setting.

Friday night, the Blues Explosion drew heavily from that album, performing nine of its 12 tracks. And though it's a safe assumption most in the crowd of approximately 850 have yet to familiarize themselves with "Plastic Fang's" charms, they nonetheless reacted enthusiastically to the new music.

While in large part a throwback to the druggy, blues-based sounds of the early 1970s (think "Exile on Main Street"-era Rolling Stones), the Blues Explosion bucks one significant rock 'n' roll trend: The band features no bass guitar.

Instead, the trio's layered music relies on the twin guitar interplay between Spencer and Judah Bauer, backed up by Russell Simins, a powerhouse drummer in the John Bonham tradition.

Acoustically, all three men came through loud and clear, creating a thunderous roar that managed to sound intricate yet tossed-off, an oft-elusive formula for the band's many contemporaries.

Spencer's voice, most notable for its sneering, Elvis-esque quality, was farther back in the mix, but that was likely by design, with the Blues Explosion's lyrical content generally secondary to its instrumental prowess.

"She Said," the first single off "Plastic Fang," and old favorite "Blues X Man" from 1994's "Orange" stood out as highlights, though the way the band tore through one number after another -- usually without pausing -- it was sometimes challenging to determine where one song ended and the next began.

Of course, Spencer couldn't say goodnight without reaching into his goody bag for some of the over-the-top onstage antics for which he's become famous. Clothed in leather pants, Spencer (who, by most sketchy accounts of his past, is about 37 years old) screeched into his mike, jumped wildly in place and even took a brief shot at dropping to his knees to mimic Jimi Hendrix's famous make-love-to-your-guitar pose.

But on the whole, that type of behavior -- even Spencer's insistence on yelling out "Blues Explosion" during at least half the evening's numbers -- failed to detract from the music.

The only significant criticism stemmed from the band's tendency toward monotony. Though spirited and intense, the music sounded relatively similar from start to finish, leaving fans without much change of pace to catch their breath or take stock of the trio's talents.

The overall duration of the main set, clocking in at just under an hour, threatened to send concert-goers home a bit miffed. But Spencer and crew made amends with a long encore segment featuring some of the band's most heartfelt jams of the night.

Considering the ticket price of $15, it also gave the audience an opportunity to witness two other touted New York City acts -- Liars and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- the show came off as one of the year's biggest bargains.

Both opening bands rocked hard, serving notice they could soon be joining buzz-bands like the Strokes and White Stripes in the public consciousness.

But when the three-plus hour concert let out, there was little doubt which of the evening's three acts was the proven, road-tested commodity: a Jon Spencer Blues Explosion that is letting its music speak for itself these days.