All the Pretty Horses / Filthy Divine / Stateline Motel - Friday, 5/6/05 - Triple Rock

Having had a sneak preview of the “new” Filthy Divine a few weeks back in La Crosse, WI, I knew what to expect. However, I was extremely curious to find out how the Filthy Faithful would react to its much different sound. The band had spent the last several months writing new songs and tirelessly revamping its stage show, and now it was time to reveal it to the local masses. Singer Viva Long, in but jeans and a t-shirt, was dressed down from her usual bold, sultry attire (this was adequately compensated by the vivid red-and-black-striped pants of guitarist Nick “ El Gato” Torres). Eager to jump into its set, the band unfurled its banner and dive-bombed into… pop music? Pop, followed by a disco ditty, followed by a happy dance song? I looked around to catch as many expressions as possible. Almost universally, the large crowd was into it, many even (gasp!) dancing vigorously. A star if there ever was one, Viva used her many voices with overpowering effect. Utilizing low, seductive growls to forceful impassioned screams (like in “America”), she held nothing back. And the audience followed her every move and hung onto her every note. But she wasn’t alone in the stage entertainment. Scott Albreck thrashed around on his punchy-sounding electronic kit and, along with bass player Marcus Hall, nourished and flourished the catchy grooves and driving rhythms. Nick and his colorful pants were secondary to his guitar gyrations and classic-rock sounding licks. The newest full-fledged member of the FD crew, Amy Tobin provided dazzling violin accompaniments and added new layers with her soothing background vocals. These new harmonies added much to the thickness and overall power of the new Filthy sound. Ending the show with several good-old hard rock tunes of the band’s past, it’s safe to say by the crowd response that the new Filthy Divine is an improved Filthy Divine.
A great show, and All the Pretty Horses next! Can’t complain about this Friday night. Although I’ve seen ATPH many, many times, there’s always something cathartic about witnessing their “shows.” It’s akin to being thrown into a flaming amplifier and being purified by black leather and goth splendor. Venus and her band have songs that will stir you up and kick you down, and others that will put you into a mesmerized, hypnotic state. They take you on a journey through the multitude of emotions, always either sucking you in or blowing you out. And of course anyone who has ever witnessed an ATPH show knows about its total grandiose production: go-go dancers Shannon Blowtorch and Kat dancing demonically, grinding fire (when the club lets them), violent strobes, Venus playing the guitar while doing an aerobic workout, bassist Tempest jumping off stage in her high heels, Jendeen assaulting her drums like a banshee and making every other drummer in the room shrink in their inadequateness. Other than that, it’s your average rock show. No? Masculine and feminine, dark and light, ATPH is the epitome of the total concert experience, a definition of the word “show.” Despite missing most of the first band, Stateline Motel, and its set, I could tell from the few songs I heard that they were a very entertaining garage punk band with Clash influences and a confident stage presence. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to hear more from them in the future. Other than an embarrassing episode of briefly forgetting about the no smoking rule in downtown clubs, it was an unblemished night of great rock ‘n’ roll at the Triple Rock.      By Tony Ziebol     May 06, 2005