BEST OPENING ACTS

Opening acts are tricky. Sometimes you see a set that absolutely blows you away and converts you for live. Other times a thirty minute period of time feels like an eternity. It’s also always worse if the headliner is eagerly anticipated. Today we’re going to discuss five stand outs I’ve seen, and what made them so wonderful.  

Death from Above 1979
OPENED FOR: Nine Inch Nails & Queens of the Stone Age
Easily one of the best shows I’ve ever been too. Definitely one of the best packaged shows I've ever seen. DFA is more in line with Queens musically, but the contrast among all three proved to be a surreal night. I had only heard a few tracks from tem before, that night, but after that I was completely hooked and still am.

Dredg
OPENED FOR: Deftones

You might not understand why this works at first glance, but for fans of both bands it makes perfect sense. Dredg to me is able to pull of an intricate balance of uptempo and moody and slow in the same way the deftones do, but just to a lesser degree. Much f of the crowd was feverishly waiting for the main event, but for those with an open mind, Dredg really delivered.

Liars
OPENED FOR: Interpol
I’ve heard people who loved this band, and those who thought it was the worst thing ever. For me, they were amazing and fun and totally weirded the crowd out with their multitude of sounds. One thing that's great about Liars is every albums sounds completely different, so they can tailor their set to a specific audience if so inclined.

Meshuggah
OPENED FOR: Tool
I don’t think I’ve ever seen two bands together who compliment the other more precisely than Tool and Swedish juggernauts Meshuggah. Both can be very introspective and deep, but they also both are masters of their instruments, which is the most important thing. I got to see this pair three times together and all of them were incredible and heavy.

Washed Out
OPENED FOR: Yeasayer
One instance of a band opening and being much better than the headlining act. When I saw Washed Out they blew away Yeasayer, which in the years since has made me wane on YS and gradually fall in love with Washed Out’s super chill and textured sound. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does it’s certainly interesting.

Thanks for reading, see you Wednesday!