MASTODON @ THE ROSELAND BALLROOM 5/18/07: NO ENCORE, THANKFULLY

Mastodon must be really difficult for agents and record label types to find bands to tour with, because every time they go on tour they are paired with bands that seemingly have nothing to do with them musically. Last night was no different; emo-shittards Against Me! (what’s with the exclamation point, assholes?) played before Mastodon, dividing the audience in two — Mastodon fans in the back, pseudo-circle-pit-emo-moshers in the front. Thankfully when Against Me! stopped my ears from bleeding by finishing their set, their fans exited the building as well.

There really isn’t a whole lot more to say about Mastodon’s show that I didn’t already say when we saw them at the Starland Ballroom in New Jersey back in February; this band is awesome live. Though they might not do hair-mills like In Flames or choreographed jumps like Sevendust, they do enough and play well enough to keep it interesting. The sound was a little sub-par, but that’s my only real complaint. The energy was all there, both from the stage and from the crowd. Also, kudos to Mastodon for not playing the compulsory encore. Like Idolator, we are tired of this bullshit. When Mastodon finished, they walked off the stage like pros and the house lights and music came on just the way it should be.

-VN