The last few times I went to see a show at Madison Square Garden, they were spectacles with full sets and excellent visuals. So I was a little surprised that when Queens of the Stone Age hit the stage on Tuesday, Oct. 24th, it was with minimal lighting. About 10 long light tubes that look like light sabers surrounded the band and I wondered if that was enough visual entertainment to keep the audience engaged. It was.
Because this wasn't a light show, this was a rock show, and Queens of the Stone Age came with the rocking boots on.
All throughout the night, frontman Josh Homme would preach, almost, about how this isn't the place for fighting and politics and disagreeing, this is the place to dance, drink and fuck to QOTSA music. And the audience obliged. At one point, a fight broke up in the pit, and leave it to the grand peacemaker, Homme, to calm everybody down. His speech couldn't be more perfect:
What’s going on? Is this something like a fight? We’re not here to fight. If you want to fight, stick your head up your ass and fight for air – and get the fuck out.
We’re here to dance, everybody’s going to get laid, and we don’t want security to be all over the place – they’re already really tight here. My point is this: we can show up exactly how we should be, right? So don’t be a dick… we’re not the soundtrack to you fighting, we’re the soundtrack to you fucking. If you don’t like that, get the fuck out.
The band played for over an hour, with a heavy focus on material from their new album, Villains, which sounds even dancier in person than on the record.
But the band made sure to bring out some hits. Notable tunes like "No One Knows," "Little Sister," "Sick, Sick, Sick" and "Go With The Flow" kept the crowd energized throughout the night.
This was my first time seeing the Queens, and while it was an excellent time, as a longtime fan, I wished they pulled some older cuts from Rated-R or their self titled, but I'm not going to complain. It was an excellent time, and if Queens of the Stone Age come to your town, go see them.
