If it feels like deja vu all over again, it’s because we did see this same touring lineup at the same venue about a year and a half ago… not that I’m complaining! Windhand and Satan’s Satyrs are two of Virginia’s finest exports, and I definitely don’t mind seeing them on the same stage for the second time. This being a muthafuckin’ Monday night, there were no local opening acts, which gave Satyn’s Satyrs (according to the chalkboard outside the venue) a reasonably lengthy set.
Satan’s Satyrs opened up with a few tunes from their latest record, coming off as a cross between The Sweet, Grand Funk and The Dark Lord Lucifer himself. Y’know, kinda what you wish Ghost sounded like instead of bad Blue Oyster Cult B Sides (not that there’s anything wrong with a little B.O.C.)! A few technical difficulties resulted in an extended instro jam near the end, which might not have been planned, but still melted faces…
Now, Windhand’s latest album is definitely lighter than some of their previous work, but they still brought the heavy on stage. I think its lukewarm leadoff single “Grey Garden” sounds a lot better through all those amps, put it that way. And while there were still some mellower moments that almost detracted from the overall experience, they certainly left no head un-banged and no eardrum unpunished this evening.
