- April 19, 2006 - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
- 30 Seconds To Mars, or 30STM to save space. There are bands who one likes, and bands who people might just listen to on the radio, and maybe see in concert because their friends are there. But then there are a scant few bands who, once you “get it,” you cannot wait to be a part of. That’s the case with 30STM. I had personally waited to see this band perform live since I first viewed them on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show almost three years back. That TV performance stuck in my head like almost no other. It was during the introductions after the song that I realized who it was. When Jay introduced actor Jared Leto, my heart almost sunk with the fear of what the press might do maliciously in their frenzy to just create a scandal about “another public figure/rock star.” Luckily, 30STM stuck to its guns and didn’t let that happen. I remember listening to the first CD release over and over in my car for days on end, and then again the following week the same. Finally had come a band whose music really could promote aural mental escapism. The textures and sounds and layers just let the mind go free. I couldn’t wait to see what they could do when performing live. And now, I finally had gotten the chance. It’s not that they haven’t played around a lot, they have. It’s just that I personally had not seen them yet until this night. And so, unlike so many shows were you go to just be entertained, I went to be blown away. And that’s exactly what happened.
We got to The Catalyst in Santa Cruz early enough before the show, during traffic hours, and yet somehow got a parking space literally across the street from the front door of the club. A sign indeed. We weren’t sure how cold it would be, but found out quickly that it was quite warm. So, not unlike girls in a 1980s Cinderella music video, us guys ran into Quizno’s (sandwich shop) to change, so we wouldn’t be sweating pigs inside. Lucky that we did so, as the crowd itself warmed the club up adequately. So off we went to check out the opening bands and chat with 30STM themselves. As it turned out though, we got into the rather lengthy conversation with the different band members and pretty much missed all of the opening sets. No matter, as their thoughts were just as fascinating as the music.
In between the support band and 30STM came on, we trotted out around the corner to Tacqueria Vallarte to grab a quesadilla. While returning across the street, I was approached by a rather honest stranger who, in fast-talking manner, asked for some spare change for a beer and a blowup doll, so he could “pretend he had a date.” I guess you get those types everywhere - lonely guys, I mean.
So back at The Catalyst, the lights dimmed and the announcer Double G, DJ for X 103.9 came on to announce the band. After playing what seems to be the now industry-standard heavy metal concert intro, “Carmen Burana” (an Ozzy Osbourne staple), 30 Seconds To Mars hit the stage. The crowd cheered and screamed as Tomo, Matt, and Shannon made their way onstage, and swooned, screaming louder as Jared finally walked out center. I guess the girls like him. Big mystery (sarcasm flowing here). The honey of the hottie market began singing and the crowed helped him along. If anything, 30STM has some truly loyal fans. They even have a name - Echelon. And these fans are dedicated, looking the part and singing along to the songs.
I myself had been waiting almost 3 years to see the band perform live, and was not disappointed. The playing was tight and loud, the vocals on par, and the show had the air of mystery and depth. The stage was a bit dark for the majority of the performance, using mostly backlighting. From a photographer’s point of view, it’s a nightmare, but from a staging ideal, it lent itself to the dark complexities of the music. I guess those are the theatrics of their liking. For a smaller venue, the staging was done well replete with skull-themed backdrop, emphasis on darker blues and reds for lighting, and several light beam showers. In a way, the show is more goth-themed than the band actually is musically. But that just added to the overall experience. A nice mix of styles.
- The band played for just over one hour - but put enough into that time frame to make it seem longer. The songs themselves have that layering to them that makes one four-minute tune last for quite a while. If anything, I would say that I had actually hoped to hear a bit more off of the first CD, but was glad to hear the new material too. Amongst my personal favorite tunes of the evening was "Buddha For Mary." What works well for 30STM is their sound. It conveys both mystery, as well as a dark familiarity. This is something that people can escape in while attending the show. Now for the snippy comment, sort of. For myself having seen just about every vein of rock, metal, and punk shows over the past decade or two - including plenty of Mötley Crüe shows - I have to wonder just how many times one singer can fit the term “motherfucker” into a show. A one-hour show at that. Well, the answer - although I didn’t actually count them out - is, a lot. I somehow missed the artistic integrity in all the “MF” commentary, but hey, if the kids like it... Hmm... kids, in the crowd. Always good to swear at the kids in the crowd. It really helps them grow, and achieve their dreams of verbally competing against truck drivers and Navy men. Ah well. But in seriousness, I wonder what was the point of that particular diatribe of terminology placed at any opportune moment. And wait, there’s more... Calling the female fans “bitches,” I thought added a nice touch as well - if you were at a hardcore hip-hop show. Maybe I missed the point. But, to each his own.
The overall thought for the night was that I myself was really glad to have finally seen 30STM and hope to see them again, perhaps in a larger, more deserved venue. This is not a band to be stuck into a tiny box. They definitely offer much more than that and are not a bar band. From this point alone, one can definitely see what directions are possible with 30STM, and most of those directions are best served on a big stage in front of a large audience. This band rocks. And they shine upon their early progressive rock roots, and goth flourishes. Again, at just over one hour, this show was short, sweet, and to the point, but no one left feeling like they missed something. That was most obvious as the majority of the crowd stayed to get autographs from the band members. Which brings up one final note - 30STM is certainly a band who shows its appreciation. The members all stayed to sign every last autograph and shake every last hand. That shows class and consideration. Notes to take for many other bands who would rather play, and then forget about the show. Not 30STM. They take care of business.
As a side note - While standing near the meet ‘n’ greet line for 30STM, one female fan commented that, although she had not really known about the band before this evening’s show, she described the show as “emotional rock.” Another comment heard was that Jared Leto’s voice sounds a bit akin to an early Bon Jovi, which apparently was meant in a complimentary vein considering the music. Opinions carry across the board at any show.
