Olospo’s 300th Show

by By Cory Bernstein

What can I say? Olospo gets around to playing show #300 and I'm still alive to tell the tale. Things have changed a bit from the past. The faces are different, the music is different, but the way I feel about the band and their music has not changed.

Here was the setlist...

In The Flesh?@->

Under The Bus

Thief

Step Up&@->

Reconsider This

Wishful Sinking->

The Green@->

Blackhearted#

Good Luck

Stone Cold Bush

WTC

Melting Walls->

Punchy->

Breaking

A Quick One

William and Aaron@

Franks and Beans@

Rock the Casbah@

Choking on Pills->

The Shocker

Misty Mountain Hop@

Journeyman Butcher

E1: Mr. Brownstone

E2: Watching The Detectives?

Run Like Hell@

Are You Listening?

I Can't Explain

@ - 1st time played by new lineup

# - New, short version

& - Dedicated to Dirk Nowitzki

? - Not exactly sure if this is where it was placed in the setlist

Phewwwww...That took a while to write out!

So the band took the stage for their 300th show and things got off to a big start. The band brought back Floyd's "In The Flesh?", possibly in reference to their infamous Club Dada live CD. It was a great way for Olospo to get things started. The song didn't finish, instead during the feedback ending, the band slammed into "Under The Bus" a great choice to fit into the 2nd spot. Here is one of the first times that you can notice the lineup change, as Eric Neal takes over Chris Holt's solo duties on the song ..Let me add that he played it perfectly. After the new song "Thief," one of the nights many highlights popped its head out. "Step Up" -> Reconsider This "Step Up" was dedicated to Dirk Nowitzki, and though he may have gotten the advice a couple of days late, it looks like Chris' dedication to him did wonders.

"Reconsider This" is one of my new favorites. It's got a fantastic groove and really sounds different from everything else Olospo has in their repertoire at this point. Another big section followed here, as the band brought us through "Wishful Sinking" (another fantastic new tune) "The Green" (first time the new lineup has played this song) and the new and improved SHORT, "Blackhearted". I love it and I hope it stays. (They took out a long winded jam that a lot of times, really didn't go anywhere) In my humble opinion, I think they perfected the song. Next came "Good Luck" a beautiful song off Chris's solo cd "Summer Reverb". It is a perfect fit for Olospo and I hope that it stays in the rotation for quite sometime.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Stone Cold Bush" followed and I think there may still be people working on the roof of Club Dada after this one. Holy Sh*t, it was on fire. This was, is, and has always been one of spo's best covers and I'm so happy to see it back and played with such mind-numbing ferocity. After another new amazing song, "WTC", the band kicked into "Melting Walls" another wonderful song off "Summer Reverb" that I feely quite strongly about. One of my all time favorites, "Punchy" followed here and there is just something about this song that gets me going everytime. Soon after the song "Breaking" the band started up "A Quick One". What a great song to add into the setlist, "A Quick One" is a Who cover off the album Live At Leeds. And its NOT a quick one. Its a downright nasty 10 minute song, with about 8 different typical Pete Townshend composed sections. This lit up people at ATX festival and it did as well at the 300th show. Great choice Chris!

I do need a new paragraph to complete this review, just as a baby needs a new diaper when it poops itself. What followed (starting with "A Quick One") to end the 2nd set was the nastiest, most off the hook run of songs I have ever seen Olospo perform. "William and Aaron" was played gorgeously. Steve handled all of Britt's old key parts like a man and the band executed the changes flawlessly. Next came the monster of all spo songs "Franks and Beans". Anyone who has seen Olospo at any point has had their skulls mashed by the "Franks and Beans" and this night was no different. One of the best covers ever, "Rock The Casbah" followed and I think the crwod up in the front was getting down hardest during this. (if you come see Spo, you better watch out for my elbows during Casbah ;) A loud, intense "Choking on Pills" followed and this slammed straight into "The Shocker". The title of this song is all you need to know about what it may possibly sound like. Chris, you can give me the shocker anytime brutha. After I went to the restroom to screw my skull back on, the band started up Zeppelin's "Misty Mountain Hop". This could be the most jaw dropping cover of the night. Please keep this song in the rotation, I don't care if its nearly impossible to hit Plant's high notes! The one the only "Journeyman Butcher" reared its ugly head to close the show and this has always been Olospo's best show closer. (other then Sack Of Grapes, but we will get to that at another time) Im still slowly recovering from the last 8 songs of that set and I think I may always compare other setlists to that little section of the 300th show setlist. Just looking back at it makes me laugh.

The band came out to encore with "Mr Brownstone" from Guns and Roses (which is always amazing.)

Then the band figured they were done, but after some prying and begging, we were able to get them back on stage for a 2nd encore. This is where my brain gets a tad bit fuzzy. I KNOW they played "Watching The Detectives" but I'm not exactly sure where it fit in the setlist. That is why you see all the question marks around it in the above setlist. Next came Floyd's "Run Like Hell" which I assumed would be the bookend closer for the band, but NO!!! they opt to play another classic off of "Summer Reverb", "Are You Listening?" This was great placement for the song and once again, I thought the band was going to end things, but no, they had one more song in store for us. The Who's "I Can't Explain" brought the house down one last time and sent us all onto Elm Street a glow.

Olospo shows pack intensity from within their amazing repertoire of original songs and the fantastic covers they choose to play. I have now seen this band close to 40 times (40 out of 300 is not so bad) and I choose to say that as much as I loved the old lineup, I am just as much a fan of the new lineup. Keep rocking it guys, no matter what, the music is amazing and I want to keep hearing it for a long time to come. Chris you are amazing, keep writing and playing. Steve you are great and doing a fantastic job. Eric is really becoming one with the sound. As for my favorite Rhythm section of Tom and Nick, I have nary said a bad word about you guys, and Im not going to. You guys are as solid as they come.

Long Live the Spo...