Wolfmother House of Blues May 12, 2014
To be a successful rock band these days you need a signature sound, one that makes you stand out above the rest. People need to identify with you, which is impossible if you're just another band going through the motions after becoming big on your lead single.
Wolfmother have that kind of sound, and were lucky enough to have that breakout single. But they're not the type of band to hide behind said single. They have a whole bunch more to say, which they proved with a career-spanning two-plus hour set that kept the Monday night crowd at House of Blues alive and kicking (much less violently than Solange, of course) from start to finish.
The Australians made it big on the scene thanks to their song "Woman," which was featured in just about every video game and commercial in the mid-2000s. On the strength of the rest of their material, they've seen a huge growth in their fanbase in the decade they've been active.
But like all bands, a discovery period had to happen to allow them to keep going. At one point Andrew Stockdale, curly-fro'ed front man and the group's guiding force, disbanded Wolfmother, only bringing them back because of so many fan requests. While they have had several personnel changes over the years, their latest incarnation seems to be locked into a groove.
That much is evident with the release of their latest highly anticipated record, one that was five years in the making. With so many changes throughout the years, Stockdale almost went out on his own, but knowing the strength of the music Wolfmother had already created, it would have been a shame to lose such a solid discography to time. And he saw that, which is why they are still rocking stages to this very day.
And rock they did, for a long time. "Woman" was the third song they played, but it felt like the tenth. By the time they got to "Apple Tree," which was only four songs later, it was already an hour and 20 minutes into the show. Seven songs took 70 minutes.
Which was far from a bad thing. They extended grooves that could have lasted all night. The rhythm section was never letting up, especially bassist Ian Peres bouncing around the stage and never missing a beat. Drummer Vin Steele, whose name perfectly describes his look, was locked in tight throughout the entire show as well.
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