Black Pus Stokes The Crowd For The Boredoms, Starlight Ballroom, Last Night
1. As with altitude sickness, you might expect to slowly acclimate to the stomach-flipping level of insanity in the room with the passage of time — let’s say, as the opening bands perform. This is would be foolish, as they are called Black Pus and if that’s not icky enough, they are all about the 10-foot-high walls of amplifiers, mind-bending drum gymnastics, and gimp masks a la Pulp Fiction. About this point it will hit you like a ton of bricks: I have ALWAYS been insane. This is just a pleasant reminder.
2. Once the Boredoms takes the stage, you probably won’t understand any of the words bellowed at you. This is because the words are partially Japanese and partially bowel-shaking primal screams.
3. Your brain may stop working, or simply explode inside of your head. This is to be expected with The Boredoms, or a comparable three-drummer band in full possession of a seven-neck guitar that they are not afraid to use. For the record: there are no such comparable bands.
4. Don’t be surprised if you have one of the most musically life-changing nights of your entire life. Also, don’t be surprised when you have no idea how to explain it to your friends beyond: All I could do was smile.
5. Some measure deafness may result, use only as directed.
TEXT & PHOTO BY MICHAEL DONOVAN