Exodus, or: HEALTH at The Smell//Monday, July 28th, 2008

First of all, let me preface by saying this: i legitimately thought i was going to die at least twice during HEALTH's performance on Monday. I have never been to a more intense, more outrageously loud, more unbearably hot show in my entire life. I was certain i was going to pass out and fall to the floor, where i would be trampled by the blind masses as HEALTH dealt the rest of the living their undeniably unique "blend" of loud, scratchy, eardrum-shattering, pissing-in-your-mouth, ambient death blasts. It sounds like a cat wrapped in saran wrap stuck in a blender, in the best possible way.

Before HEALTH even came on i was frightened near half to death by Mid Wife, easily the scariest anything to come out of Washington or h*ll or wherever they came from. At the time i hated them because between each "song" they had an ear-splitting feedback squeal coming from a horrible little grey box that made my world horrible for each eternal second they kept it on. However, after they were done, i realized they were quite alright. The best part about them was their James Chance-style saxophone playing (used for two underwhelmingly short songs).

Foot Village played before Mid Wife and were easily the night's most intriguingly stunning act. Four drummers screaming and chanting into megaphones is always a good thing. And they were incredibly drummers. Truly talented.

i would mention the first guy who played, but i couldn't explain to you anything further than his use of popular songs and transforming them into the loudest blasts of pure noise you've ever heard. My heart had a hard time keeping it's rhythm and i'm not just saying that.

Anyways, HEALTH was amazing and i realized i am too weak and scrawny to be in the same pit as people twice my weight or at least body fat percentage. I was scared and rightfully so. I loved HEALTH, but when one kid told them to keep playing, i had to ask him to stop saying anything, because i couldn't handle one more song. I was exhausted.

After the show the bassist//whatever sold me a shirt and a cd for only 20 bucks! SICK!

HEALTH - "CRIMEWAVE"