BLACK LIPS at the Horseshoe, Thursday, July 9. Rating: NNN
A packed crowd assembled at the Horseshoe to hear Atlanta garage-punk band Black Lips blast out their raucous tunes at the first of a two-night stint. (Friday’s show is sold out, with limited tickets at the door.)
The band has a reputation for onstage raucousness – former antics have included puking, urination, and nudity – but their set was fairly straightforward with no surprises, save for some stage-diving by lead singer Cole Alexander.
Alexander kept stage banter to a minimum, letting the music take precedence over gimmicks. Said tunes were executed with energy and sounded great. The band has a gift for making no-frills rock ’n’ roll that’s consistently cool and fun.
But with a show that’s now pretty tame, that’s all there is to say. Black Lips are the perfect band to lose yourself in live – to turn your brain off and dance to. And that’s all you really need from a garage band.
music@nowtoronto.com | @mattgeewilliams
