Last night we went back a couple of decades and I finally felt like the teenager I never quite allowed myself to be. Suzie and I made a surprise appearance for my brother’s birthday at the Still Remains show, and we finally got to see his band play after this all-too-brief visit the last time they had a performance. It is with great relief that I don’t have to write a barely-veiled snarky review because it was a genuinely enjoyable show, and it reminded me of how on our very best nights it is music that can still bring people together, inspiring some joy and euphoria in these dark times.
Billed as Amsterdam’s only alternative/grunge band, Still Remains performed a solid collection of 90’s covers and an original song or two that fit right into those celebrated melodies. From the timeless vibes of Jesus Jones’s ‘Right Here, Right Now’ through a magnificent mash-up that found The Who’s ‘Teenage Wasteland’ morphing into the brilliant ending of Guns N’ Roses’ ‘November Rain’, it was a cohesive show that bridged multiple decades and somehow felt entirely of the moment.
It was also a night on which the full moon was in full effect, and in the face of a fire alarm, microphone mishap, and the usual bar-room ruckus of a live venue, Still Remains put on a stellar show. It may have taken at least three starts, but when the driving might of The Cranberries and their classic ‘Dreams’ finally took off, April Payan’s vocals soared, while Rancid’s ‘Ruby Soho’ was a crowd-pleasing anthem, full moon be damned. Throughout the two-part set, the band reminded an adoring audience of friends and family of some indelible 90’s gems, dragging them into modern-day relevance, such as in the primal, visceral ferocity of Alanis Morrisette’s ‘You Oughta Know’ and the barn-burning finale of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. They even managed to remake Madonna’s ‘Open Your Heart’ into a grittier demand for love courtesy of Payan’s vocals; Suzie said the great thing about that was that it managed to be very Madonna while still being very true to Still Remains.
Front-man Joe Leone mentioned how old some of these songs were, calling out his own age and returning to this theme several times during the evening – a topic echoed by references to my brother’s impending birthday the next day, and the remnants of nostalgia that some of the music rekindled in my own mind. It was a timely – and timeless – reminder of how great songs, and great bands, defy the passing of time, existing to bring together all ages and all sorts of people in the name of music, our greatest artistic unifier.
{Still Remains is made up of Joe Leone on guitars and vocals, Paul Ilagan on guitar and turntables, Jay Tatlock on bass, Dave Gahr on drums and April Payan on vocals. For more on the band, including future performances, check out their website here and FaceBook page here.}
