ANTiSEEN--The 20 Year Anniversary Show
TKO 2004
In the grand scheme of things, if a band lasts around five years/three albums, most people consider it a triumph. Well, what about when a band holds together for twenty years, with practically every stitch of music they ever laid down remaining as fresh, vital, and important as the day it dropped? That, friends, is the stuff of immortality. ANTiSEEN have indeed earned every reverent adjective one could use to describe them, over their two decade long legacy. This DVD of The 20 Year Anniversary Show serves as proof ANTiSEEN are bigger, uglier, and more powerful than ever. It also demonstrates few others know how to celebrate like these guys do.
There are many great points to The 20 Year Anniversary Show DVD. First off, the setlist is stacked like never before, covering every step of ANTiSEEN's musical journey. As such, standouts will vary person to person, but from this perspective include older classics such as "Hippy Punk" and "Twisted Brain," newer gems like "Guns Ablazin'," as well as amazing covers of Roky Erickson's "Two Headed Dog" and an absolutely awe inspiring rendition of "Beat On The Brat" by the Ramones. Another huge selling point for diehards will be the returns of past members Tom O'Keefe, Greg Clayton, Doug Throgmorton, Tripp McNeill, and Dale Duncan, playing on select songs from their respective ears with ANTiSEEN. There are a lot of smiles and obvious delight on the faces from the stage--seeing the performers revel in it all so much puts an already flawless view over the top.
ANTiSEEN always had it all over the average punk rock band, because they've never shied away from the "show" aspects of live performance. On The 20 Year Anniversary Show, they really outdo themselves. This performance comes off as a cross between an Alice Cooper show from his 70's heyday and an especially bloody wrestling card from the old ECW Arena. This vibe is enhanced by "The Wall Of Barbed Wire," which is exactly what the name implies--the band look like the houseband of hell's seediest roadside honky tonk playing behind this flesh tearing front stage barrier. That said, as always, the focal point of the "show" is frontman Jeff Clayton. He delivers legdrops onto steel garbage cans, sentons through flaming tables, and blades himself with a broken beer bottle. These acts definitely highten the excitement level of it all, but it's his sheer stage presence that's most impressive--imagine if Mick Foley and the late Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy had shared a groupie after an old World Class card, their juices mixing to synergy, a child being born of it, then abandoned and raised to adulthood by Black Oak Arkansas roadies out on the road, finally taking to the stage himself on a mission to save your soul with rock n' roll. Jeff Clayton stalks the stage like that. Yes, what's going on here is really somthing special.
For ANTiSEEN novice and expert alike, The 20 Year Anniversary Show is a must own. Whether you're just now getting schooled or reliving the glory once more, this is a brutally fun time. If you've been waiting/hoping for these guys to implode all along, this DVD will have you gritting your teeth down to nubs--the proof is in the pudding and it's looking like this Destructo Rock machine will still be mowing down poseurs in another 20 years. All hail the undisputed heavyweight champs--they're here to stay.
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Return to the Smutlight on ANTiSEEN main menu
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