The time I saw Silkworm live (Grog Shop Cleveland, 1998 or so)
I remember when I saw them (at The Grog Shop in Cleveland, circa 1998 or so), they began by Michael Dahlquist walking onstage alone. He didn’t look up. He was only wearing a pair of gym shorts. No shirt, no shoes. Hairy chest and scruffy beard. Just walked behind his drum kit, sat down, and started playing one of the most massive drumbeats I’ve ever seen/heard live, short of Chavez’ James Lo. Memory is somewhat fuzzy, but I’m almost positive that it was the drumbeat that opens “Never Met A Man I Didn’t Like” (off the Developer album). Or maybe it was the drumbeat from "Firecracker" (off the Firewater album).
He kicked in to high gear from the first second when he started that drumbeat, as if he’d been warmed up and playing for 30 minutes straight already. It was truly a wonder to behold.
After about 3-5 minutes of just that massive drumbeat repeated long enough to pummel the entire crowd into submission (maybe my memories are playing tricks, but I think that even the chatterboxes at the bar shut up eventually), Tim and Andy walked out, picked up their guitars, and slipped effortlessly into the stream of Michael’s noise to launch into the song.
Great, great show.
He kicked in to high gear from the first second when he started that drumbeat, as if he’d been warmed up and playing for 30 minutes straight already. It was truly a wonder to behold.
After about 3-5 minutes of just that massive drumbeat repeated long enough to pummel the entire crowd into submission (maybe my memories are playing tricks, but I think that even the chatterboxes at the bar shut up eventually), Tim and Andy walked out, picked up their guitars, and slipped effortlessly into the stream of Michael’s noise to launch into the song.
Great, great show.