Friday, January 15, 1999
Finger Eleven drums up
fervent crowd
MUSIC: Lively hard rock band’s unexpectedly powerful sound,
presence electrify Viper Room
By Sumyi Khong
Daily Bruin Contributor
If it was an energy generating contest at the Viper Room on
Wednesday night, the Toronto-based, hard-rock band, Finger Eleven,
would have taken the glory hands down. The band’s sizzling set –
loaded with plucky attitude and sharp melodies over hard-driven
guitar riffs-outshone Deathray, the mellower Brit-poppy sounding
headliner.
As the curtain parted on the circular stage, guitarists Rick
Jackett and James Black (the latter sporting black-rimmed eyes and
a mesh stocking worn over his face, bank robber style) grabbed
immediate attention. Theatrically swaying zombie-like to the
throbbing beat, their dramatized demeanor suggested that the band
intended to give its audience a live show that would be as
arresting as its music.
Without so much as an introduction, the band ripped full-force
into its set. While Finger Eleven’s sound is loud, its music
possesses more substance than just mere noise. Although its
pulverizing style revealed its alliance to the likes of Tool and
Korn, Finger Eleven was also able to seamlessly intersperse its
pleasantly abrasive beats with sexy, groovy melodies to give its
songs a tuneful lilt.
As frontman Scott Anderson took center stage, his delicate,
wire-rimmed glasses and clean-cut hairstyle gave no warning of his
dynamic voice and punker spirit – a spirit which tore out of him
from under his conservative appearance. With the similar richness
and intensity of ex-Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, Anderson’s
incredibly strong voice resonated clearly over the pounding guitars
and full-assault drumming.
Beside the occasional gyration, Anderson stood still as his
guitarists bobbed furiously around him. Clearly the solid anchor of
the group, his powerful voice grounded the frenetic chord-thumping
of his talented bandmates.
While the band’s song "Quicksand" was the most recognized among
the crowd (and probably the most KROQ-friendly), the confidently
fragile sound of its title track, "Tip," was more musically
impressive. The song’s sharp intro tingled the audiences’ ears like
shards of glass before slipping into harder, more funky basslines
which got the intimate crowd bobbing to the beat. Like many of its
songs, the beautifully violent "Tip" captured textual complexities
rare in a hard-rock band.
Finger Eleven’s show, however, was not all about the music.
Black’s colorful stage presence brought drama to his guitar
playing; his deliberately jerky, robotic movements brought to mind
a tripped-out mime doing an android impression at some freak
circus. And in between Black’s rabid riffs, he swooned alongside
his guitar with artistic emotion. Having rehearsed six days a week
for seven months prior to their first west coast tour, the band
members’ vibes were tightly in sync with each other. The two
guitarists even lunged to the music in unison like some odd modern
dance performance piece, creating a visually commanding presence on
stage.
Finger Eleven’s confident, hard-hitting playing belied its
reservations toward its debut appearance in Los Angeles (especially
in the tough arena of the Viper Room where patrons are too hip to
let on their enjoyment). Nevertheless, Finger Eleven created more
than enough electricity for the whole room to be abuzz by the time
they ended its hour-long set.
Although not groundbreaking (its playing style sometimes doesn’t
stray far enough away from its influences), the bands’ dynamism and
edgy, melody making capabilities freshened the familiar sound.
Between Anderson’s smooth, low voice and the bands’ raging but
groovy rhythm, Finger Eleven’s music oozes with sexiness. Its
deliciously dirty sounds were discharged with great panache.
It is also uncommon for such a hard-beats driven band to put as
much attention to melodic structuring as they do. There was nothing
unheard of before, but as for the bands’ execution – its crisp yet
tender music makes Finger Eleven more than finger lickin’ good.
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