The last time I saw 90s shoegazer cult faves Swervedriver was in 1993, at the peak of their creative and commercial success. Opening for another practically unknown band at the time, Smashing Pumpkins, Swervedriver came on and delivered an aural assault that was almost impossible to top. Having been on hiatus for the last decade or so, could they possibly deliver something as hypnotic as the show I witnessed at the Omni New Daisy club in Memphis all those years ago?
Of course not. But that was partially my own fault for setting such lofty goals. Besides, I enjoyed the hell out of watching them try. Spacepop Brooklynites Longwave opened with a solid set of feedback-drenched love songs. Punctuated by driving bass lines and atmospheric guitar squeals, the band delivered a solid set, debuting some new songs in between more well-known fare like “There’s a Fire” and “Everywhere You Turn.”
There was a definite sense of contained enthusiasm in the room by the time Adam Franklin and co. hit the stage. Like yours truly, the majority of the evening’s patrons – primarily men, I might add – were in their mid-30s and no doubt reliving their college years. By no means immune to aging, Swervedriver have grown older like the rest of us in the crowd. Gone are the dreadlocks of yesteryear, replaced by moderately shaggy haircuts and, in Franklin’s case, a buzzcut and a light beard.
I’m by no means a sound tech, but it seemed there were sound issues early in the show, resulting in muffled guitars and almost indiscernible vocals for the first four or five songs, including Raise opening track “Sci-Flyer” and Mezcal Head pseudo-hit “Duel.” However, by the tempo-shifting “Sandblasted,” things had opened up immensely and Franklin’s vocals were in full force.
Although they didn’t unload the same level of ferocious distortion that I fondly remember from ’93, it was a joy to hear Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge’s guitars play beautifully off each other, and Graham Bonnar’s drum fills were jaw-dropping. The band finished with a triumvirate of awesomeness – “Rave Down,” “Never Lose That Feeling” and showstopper “Son of Mustang Ford” – before returning for a “Last Train to Satansville” encore.
Judging from the half-empty balcony and numerous open pockets in the crowd, it seems Swervedriver has lost a lot of its fan base to marriage and parenthood. But for those of us still holding on to that glimmer of nostalgia from our pasts, the memories came fast and furious. Now if we could just get a reunion album.
