URGE OVERKILL

Saturday night I went to see Chicago's own Urge Overkill at the Renegade Craft Fair, a block party of sorts over on Division Street (just a few blocks from my apartment). For those of you unfamiliar with Urge they're best known for their most excellent 1993 album "Saturation", as well as their cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon", which became a breakthrough hit after Quentin Tarantino included it on the soundtrack for "Pulp Fiction" in 1994. They followed "Saturation" with an intentionally under-produced, rather Stonesy gem of an album called "Exit The Dragon" in 1995. Unfortunately, "Exit The Dragon" didn't do very well critically or commericially and the brand fractured not long after it's release in a haze of the sort of drug fuelled infighting that's spelled the doom of so many great bands, before officially calling it quits in 1997. Seeing Urge this weekend was a particularly nostalgic experience for me personally as my very first concert featured The Frogs, Urge and Pearl Jam at the old Chicago Stadium back in March of '94.

There actually wasn't quite as many people there as I thought there would be so me and my buddy Scott were easily able to park ourselves in front of the stage (though the crowd behind us did eventually fill up by the time Urge came on). Shortly before nine founding members Nash Kato and Ed "King" Roeser hit the stage to a warm applause from the hometown crowd with their new rhythm section and touring keyboardist in tow. They've toned down their stage attire a bit in recent years, but they still looked every inch the rock stars they were always destined to be as they launched into a rousing version of "Need Some Air". What followed was an hour plus set that drew heavily from "Saturation" as well as a handful of choice cuts from "Exit The Dragon" (a criminally underrated album as far as I'm concerned). The sound was thicker and fuller than before with spot on interplay between Nash and Ed's guitars. Nash attacked his guitar with such force that by the end of the set blood oozed from his right hand (something of a trademark of his). Meanwhile, a slimmed down Ed bounced around the stage and deftly handled the lion's share of the lead work. They played with a conviction befitting a band reborn. A band with something to prove. Highlights included "Sister Havana", "Positive Bleeding", "Back On Me", "Bottle Of Fur", "Erica Kane", "Somebody Else's Body", "Take Me" and "Last Night". They also knocked out two new songs very much in the classic Urge mold.

After the show me, Scott and the other fella standing up front with us went back behind the stage to greet the band which was pretty exciting for me, as I really looked up to these guys as a kid. I was even sporting one of my old UO shirts for the occasion, which I proudly showed off to them in my admittedly drunken state. They could have totally blown us off but instead they really were as gracious as could be. Nothing like the local gossip mongers have made them out to be over the years. I got to chat with Nash for awhile and when asked about the new songs he said that yes, they are currently recording a new album, which I was pleased to hear. I eventually gave him a copy of my CD and posed for a couple pics with him and Ed both. I musta thanked him twenty times for putting up with all my drunken gushing and what not. I think he got a kick out of it though. Then before I was leaving I was greeted by the drummer from Thunderwing, a local band we opened for at Elbo Room in June. In addition to knowing my mom it turns out he knows Nash to. So that was cool. After that me and Scott headed down the street to Phyllis' and partied the night away. It was one helluva night!