SOUL ASYLUM

Birmingham 6-19-98 review from Michael

I've just returned from seeing Soul Asylum at Birmingham's City Stages

Festival, and let me tell you that the show kicked major league ass!

I've seen them 3 other times (1988, 1993, 1998) and this was, by far,

the tightest I have seen them yet (although I liked that they were more

raw back in '88, but then we all get older, right?).

 

Their set went

something like this (maybe not in this exact order):

I Will Still be Laughing

See You Later (with kazoo)

Somebody to Shove

Close

Blood Into Wine

No Time For Waiting

Black Gold

Misery

Runaway Train

Lies of Hate

Just Like Anyone

Cradle Chain

Medley:Bodies (Sex Pistols) and some jammy Allman Brothers song (Jessica?-ed.)

Sweet Home Alabama

Ramblin' Rose

Candy From A Stranger

One of the highlights was during "Lies of Hate" when Dan smashed his

guitar a la Paul Stanley or Pete Townshend. Was this planned?? I was

surprised that the band, being the smart-asses that they are, didn't say

anything to the crowd about their constant moshing and crowd surfing.

What most of you probably don't know is that down here in Birmingham we

don't get many big bands here; let me correct myself; we don't get many

GOOD bands here, and so whenever any band comes to town, most of the

teens use that as an excuse to slam, mosh, pogo, whatever. I mean,

these kids were crowd-surfing during songs like "Close" and "Blood Into

Wine"! I'm sure the band appreciated it. Anyway, it was an AWESOME

show and I can't wait to see them again.