100 Shows of 2010 - #93: The Ferocious Few @ 9:30 Club, 11/27/10

Sometimes I find myself way, way, way more excited about an opening band than a headliner. Either a band I'm totally digging or curious about gets added to a random major act's bill, or a band I'm totally digging or curious about is opening for some other indie band. It's not an everyday occurance, but it does happen quite a bit. And it happened recently, when I went to witness the live fury of those two dear San Franciscans Daniel and Francisco known to one and all as The Ferocious Few. Most of the packed house was quite possibly there specifically for the main event, Miss Cyndi Lauper (who Chris reviewed a few days ago), but yours truly was there for naught but the Few. And my friends, do they ever put on one heck of a rock&roll show.

MINI RECAP: The Ferocious Few = Wolfishly Fierce! Overall Score: B+

Sometimes touring with a major musical force must be a little bit of a challenge. After all, you've got to deal with the hordes of people who are attending this show solely for the purpose of seeing their beloved headliner, and have no interest whatsoever in whatsoever opening band is warming up on whatsoever evening. In such cases, the bands have to work terribly hard to turn heads and open ears. Luckily, I think The Ferocious Few was up to the challenge of winning over all of those 80s nostalgists (and their kids!), and I saw quite a few bobbing heads and attentive eyes directed their way during their (not nearly long enough!) set.

Many of you will know how much I loved (i.e. LOVED) the record Juices, the fine, fine filthy rock outing by these Ferocious Few. That raw, predatory straight-up rock of theirs sends shivers up my spine and then some. And mercy me, it did the same dang thing to me in the flesh. And then some. "Me And The Devil", one of my most favorite tracks off Juices, was rampantly on-edge, showing off the Few's (un)holy trinity of Francisco's impossibly perfect vocals, razor-sharp guitars, and Daniel's skin-lashing drumming. It's simple, but classic. Sometimes it does only take two to make a thing go very, very right. I was also particularly fond of "The San Francisco Song", just Francisco and his guitar, prettily-strummed and provoking of thought ("I got no desire to be a fly-by-night radio sensation").

I got one heck of a kick out of Francisco's introduction to the snarling "Gasoline & Cocaine", as he smirkingly called it a "song about sustainability." Daniel's arms and legs were furiously akimbo during this song in particular, giving him an almost Gumby-ian presence behind his kit as he smashed the drums with animalistic strikes. They closed it down with "Crazy Love", the perfect song for those ragged tinges in Francisco's tremendous yet tender voice, fierce and lonely all at once.

As good as they were, and believe you me little loves they were very good indeed, I can't wait to see these two live in a smaller venue, headlining in their own right. I can't even imagine the levels of awesome that might be reached.

mp3: Porcelain Doll (The Ferocious Few from Juices) (song from the most excellent Bay Bridged)