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Music

Saint Vitus Played A Bar Named After Them

The godfathers of doom metal still know their way around a riff.

Saint Vitus, the godfathers of doom metal, played a sold out show at Brooklyn club Saint Vitus Tuesday night with Southern sludge bands Weedeater and Sourvein. Reunion tours always run the risk of suffering the dreaded "nostalgia act" label, leaving many long-time fans wishing the band had stayed broken up. Musicians are supposed to be ageless, especially in the more aggressive music scene. Seeing a old chubby grandfather singer wheel through some hardcore songs is painful. Luckily, this show was of the more lethargic side of metal. If anything, these musicians have finally aged into their sound.

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Sludge metal's best dancers Sourvein opened the show with a full arsenal of tinnitus-inducing riffs and excellent stage presence—well, floor presence—as the lead singer took a more "intimate" approach to his set-up. A brilliant idea, considering they're the only band on the bill that's not headliner status. T-Roy boogied to his own tunes, expressed his lyrics with his hands, and even lead a march. Did I mention they had the bassist from Dystopia and the drummer from Buzz*Oven? Sludge supergroup, indeed.

How do you describe Weedeater? Like being tied to the whipping post, .38 special pressed against your head, while your friend squeals like a pig at the mercy of the General Lee. “Dixie” Dave, the bassist and singer, is the epitome of southern fried madness. With a disappearing handle of Evan Williams in hand and a plastic bottle of god-knows-what taped to his cabinet, Dave proved that “too drunk to…” is just a petty excuse. “God Luck and Good Speed,” clearly a crowd favorite, brought on the most devastating pit of the night—quite a feat, considering their music never exceeds 80 beats per minute.

The opportunity to have Saint Vitus play St. Vitus was one that many of us have been waiting for since the bar opened their doors in 2011, and one that Saint Vitus commented on immediately after taking the stage. “Who would've ever thought,” chuckled Dave Chandler on guitar, “all these years ago…we would have never thought there would be a bar named Saint Vitus!”

Scott “Wino” Weinrich, Saint Vitus' "classic" (though not original) frontman, was back on vocals, alongside original bassist Mark Adams and newcomer Henry Vasquez, who took over on drums after Armando Acosta died in 2010. Although the trio is currently touring to promote their new album Lillie: F-65, their performance pulled from more than just new material. While the venue was packed full of Vitus "fans" who probably haven't heard anything beyond Born Too Late or V (which they stole off of Mediafire last week in preparation for this show), no one was left out of the loop for long. Just before the encore, in response to everyone demanding five more songs, Chandler asked the crowd, “Now, would you look like to hear two songs that will last just as long as ten by modern metal standards?” Playing a solid hour set with a two song encore, Vitus proved that they still know their way around a riff.