Let it officially be stated for the record that Guitar Wolf remain the most lethal live rock band on the planet, even on a Tuesday. The Japanese trio made that clear last week at Chop Suey, as they bashed out their three-chord garage punk to a sweaty and appreciative house.
After 25 years delivering Jet Rock and Roll, it’s not surprising that Guitar Wolf’s got their presentation down to an art form. Singer/guitarist Seiji flailed, swaggered, and attacked his guitar with broad punk-hero gestures and gravity-defying energy; drummer Toru and bass player U.G. generated a rhythm section that sounds like cavemen pounding on oil drums with big-ass clubs; and all three band members resemble anime versions of the Ramones, replete with primitive rock hooks, shades, and leather-jacketed whippet-thin cool. Their act remains exhilarating rock theatre, in large part because they continue to deliver it with the fierce, go-for-broke commitment of true believers.
Guitar Wolf wielded enough showmanship for any twelve lesser live bands, so the awesomeness of the opening acts provided an unexpected bonus. The Coathangers‘ slashing, sloppy pop smeared lipstick all over post-punk minimalism, while Coward laid out some swaggering arena rock with an indie twist. Best of the openers was Seattle band Trash Fire, who combined breakneck tempos and minute-long songs with just the right pinch of power-pop tunefulness — Cheap Trick, accidentally dosing on some wicked meth.
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