Before taking the stage at Alumni Arena, in a pre-show press conference, Queens of the Stone Age lead singer Josh Homme offered a prediction about what their performance would resemble.
"We like things to be like a party," Homme said.
A party is exactly what the band presented last Friday evening. The group performed with Zwan, the new rock outfit featuring former Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.
Fans and students packed the hard rock fiesta organized by the University Union Activities Board, which paired the two ex-Pumpkins with Queens of the Stone Age on the same bill for the first time since their previous tour together in 1998.
Ominous, red stage lighting provided the right atmosphere for Queens of the Stone Age as they tore into their opener, "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire." Bassist Nick Oliveri's seething vocals and the furious pace of the number set the tone for rock and roll madness.
But besides the noise, the versatility of the band stood out in their smooth transition to a more mellow rock number like "Monsters in the Parasol."
"This one's a little dance song," Homme said as he began to play the song's undistorted introduction. Vocally, the transition from Oliveri's ear-piercing screams to Homme's pleasant falsetto was a 180-degree shift. The two were also opposites in terms of stage persona. While Oliveri attacked the microphone like a rabid dog, Homme leaned back and displayed a relaxed attitude.
Before the band performed "Do It Again," Homme indicated to the crowd how much he was at ease.
"How y'all doing? God, I'm so drunk, man. We need more booze in this f---ing place. More drugs, more everything," Homme said. The singer's small quip provided appropriate context when Corgan would later refer to the band as "the kings of stoner rock" during Zwan's set.
About halfway through the Queens' performance, the band brought out a member probably unfamiliar to the group's newfound fans. The deep-voiced Mark Lanegen, formerly of Screaming Trees, sang on songs such as "Hangin' Tree" and "Another Love Song." His baritone/bass voice complemented the band's higher melodies, which, like Homme's vocals, contrasted to the rest of the Queens' chaotic style.
The Queens gracefully closed with their hit song, "No One Knows." Instead of serving up the familiar radio version, the Queens played a new, unexpected riff when the bass solo bridge began.
Homme later moaned, "Nicotine, Valium, Vicaden, Marijuana, Ecstasy and Alcohol," the crowd-pleasing chorus of their older song, "Feel Good Hit of the Summer." They came back to "No One Knows" after several minutes, and the crowd cheered when they finally heard the last portion of the tune.
Zwan took the stage while some members of the crowd shouted, "Billy! Billy!" This summed up the audience's response to Corgan's new band. Very few in the crowd gave the impression they knew much about Zwan other than that Corgan was in it.
More melodic in sound, Zwan opened their set with "Endless Summer" and "Lyric." The tuneful tone of the band had more to do with the band's unique lineup. The five-member band features three guitarists. For the UB show, Matt Sweeney played most of the rhythmic riffs, David Pajo provided sustained, ambient chords and Corgan did double duty by playing the solos and singing the lyrics.
Corgan's harsh vocals resonated through the ears of his listeners, especially when he crooned, "God don't want no part-time soldiers," lyrics to the song "God's Gonna Set This World On Fire," a track not featured on the American version of Zwan's premiere album, "Mary, Star of the Sea." After the novelty of seeing him in concert wore off, some of the audience packed it in and left, though most stayed until the encore.
Although many of the Corgan fans in the audience probably wanted to hear the lead singer engage in some on-stage banter with the crowd, Corgan said little, except for a few comments about signs that some fervent members of the audience carried.
"Thank you so much for coming out on a nice warm night. A nice warm Buffalo night. How's everybody doing, you all right? Thank you very much," Corgan said. "I like those guys and their good signs. They worked very hard. I'm glad you would celebrate the names of your mothers on those signs."
The signs, by the way, read, "P----" and "T--t."
Zwan - and Corgan in particular - displayed a lot of instrumental showmanship, jamming each track out longer than the recorded version. Corgan hammed up the show with many of the guitar solos, such as "Honestly" and "Settle Down." The extended instrumentals were likely due to the fact that Zwan is a new band that has only 14 songs on their domestic release, though the group recorded more tracks that were not featured on their current album.
It was clear that the band enjoyed the show. Corgan gave friendly waves and said many "thank yous" to the crowd. Bassist Paz Lenchantin, formerly of A Perfect Circle, danced and slowly grooved her rear when she occasionally turned her back away from the audience. Lenchantin also demonstrated unique skills by playing the violin on the mellow number, "Heartsong."
Besides the tracks off of "Mary Star of the Sea," Zwan also played a cover of the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down." Besides "Honestly," it was a one of the few songs that inspired the audience to sing along with Corgan.
After finishing with "Settle Down," though some of the audience left, fans cheered Zwan until they got back on to perform an encore. The band finished with two more songs before Corgan left with a simple "Thank you, goodnight."
Opening for the show was local band Grand National, who performed a rare acoustic set. They played a solid show of mid-tempo rock, thanking the crowd between nearly every song.
--Additional reporting by Gene Park
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
