LIVE REVIEW: The Men @ Rickshaw Stop, SF 4/21/14
Let’s get this out of the way: The Men are one of our favorite bands right now, and seeing them live, as they make their ascent, entering the primes of their music careers is something to behold. These guys put on a bad-ass show.
They tore up last year’s Outside Lands and the opportunity to see them at a small venue was something we circled on our calendars months before the show. The Rickshaw wasn’t showing it as a sell out, but it was pretty packed. The guys took the stage without much delay, and ripped through “Open Your Heart”. The energy from the band and crowd alike was frenetic and people started jumping into each other, forming a half hearted mosh pit. It’s a natural reaction when the music sounds like a cross between Neil Young and The Sex Pistols – you’re feeling aggressive, but you’re kind of pensive about it.
The ballad “I Saw Her Face” momentarily slowed down the pace and brought with it this crushing weight. Fists punched the air, heads nodded in unison. “Dark Waltz” from this year’s excellent Tomorrow’s Hits was great as well. Our ears are still ringing days after the show and it was totally worth it.