The best concerts seem more like religious experiences than
rock shows – the gathered speaking in tongues known only to the faithful,
crying tears born of shared pain and ecstasy and generally carrying on as if
rock n’ roll can and did save their wretched lives. Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers’
show upstairs at the Waiting Room was definitely one of these events; wet-eyed,
open-throated and hands-aloft, the crowd responded to every song as if they had
waited their entire lives to hear them.
Against Me! is no stranger to these parts, having played the Buffalo
area several times in the last decade, but this iteration of Grace’s musical
vehicle (consisting of stalwart drummer Atom Willard and bassist Marc Hudson)
was something special to behold.
Alternating between songs from her catalog and reading from
journals and an upcoming autobiography, the evening had the feel of a
particularly great episode of VH1’s old “Storytellers” series, with Grace highlighting
the maddening gender dysphoria which clearly plagued her from an early
age. This through-line – of alienation,
shame and not feeling like you belong in your own skin – was palpably poignant. Lit solely by strings of Christmas lights
that were strung to their mic stands, Grace’s journey of self-discovery through
song hit all of the high notes of her estimable catalog: older favorites like “Pints
of Guinness Make You Strong” and “Tonight We’re Gonna Give It 35%” cuddled up
nicely next to tracks from 2014’s watershed, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” but
it was perhaps the passionate cover of the Replacements’ “Androgynous” that
served best as the Rosetta Stone for understanding not only where Grace came
from, but also where she is going. Thrashing
away at her acoustic guitar as Willard shuffled behind her, the DNA for most of
Against Me!’s best songs could be found in Westerberg’s plaintive plea to
outsider, mid-80s, queer politics. Fists pumped along and couples along every
part of the gender spectrum swayed in her thrall, and it was exactly as it
should be. Her new album, reportedly
ready for release later this year, should be a fascinating look at the here and
now of an artist who continues to blaze her own trail.
As for the opener, poor Dave Dondero. He played a set of sterling blues-indebted
folk tunes, similar in tone to Peter Case’s recent stuff or early 70s
Dylan. He’s a tremendous songwriter, and
sadly his music was drowned out by the overly-enthusiastic fans of the
headliner (a fact that seemed to cause him some consternation, commenting on it
throughout the set and ultimately cutting it short). A damn shame, and the sad price of opening
for someone with such a fervent following.
