The Queens of the Stone Age aren’t playing it safe for the fair-weather fans on their current tour. Instead, they’re leaning into their theatrical side with the closest thing to a rock opera we can expect from a band that continues to evolve nearly thirty years in. The band is currently in the midst of a small run of historic theater shows that started on their home turf in the desert landscape of Joshua Tree, California, and on Monday, April 27th, they brought the Catacombs Tour to the ornate Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon.
The first thing that stood out from the crowd who came out on a Monday to catch this special performance was the attire. Amidst the usual flannel and earth tones of your typical Portland rock show crowd, there were women in striking dresses and even the occasional tuxedo or smoking jacket-donning man. The band had recommended dressing up for the occasion, hoping to make the experience as different as the reworking of their material. Indeed, anyone expecting a classic Queens of the Stone Age barnburner rock-and-roll show may have been disappointed when the band took the stage to pitch-black, the literal sound of crickets, and opened with the strikingly intimate combination of “Running Joke” and “Paper Machete.” Here we saw Josh Homme crooning serenading the audience with devilish glee as if performing in a scene in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, while his bandmates were joined by a small string section to layer in darkly gothic, exotic sounds. The show was booked in three acts, with the songs in act one leaning favoring minimal instrumentation and Homme’s vocals. Ever dapper, Homme strutted across the stage and into the audience as he sang almost unrecognizable versions of “Kalopsia” and “Suture Up Your Future.” These songs were slower and beautifully tense, with sparse instrumentation that allowed the vocals to shine.
“It’s nice to be in a place that flies its freak flag so fucking high,” said Homme as he addressed the audience several songs into the performance. Basking in freakiness was clearly part of the mission, with act two beginning with an ominous throbbing horn sound that soon gave way to a small orchestra playing behind the curtain. The dramatic combination of “Someone’s in the Wolf, “A Song for the Deaf,” and “Straight Jacket Fitting” was heightened by Homme wielding a cleaver in one hand and his microphone in the other. On songs like the regal and almost medieval-sounding “Mosquito Song” and a version of “Keep Your Eyes Peeled that was given almost a trip-hop soundtrack with lucious tuba driving it all, the string and horn sections were able to show off. The pinnacle of this came during a version of Them Crooked Vultures’ “Spinning In Daffodils” that included an eloquent piano solo before the onslaught of evil carnival orchestral sounds.
After Homme had stormed the stage with a cigarette and a glass of wine in hand to aid his harmonizing with Michael Shuman, it was clear the time to cut loose had arrived, and act three would be the rock and roll portion of the show. This started with the classic groover “You Got A Killer Scene There, Man… “ loaded with devious percussion and a whiff of rockabilly. “The Vampyre of Time and Memory” was one of the most powerful numbers of the night, with Homme playing keys, while tunes like “Auto Pilot” and “Fortress” simmered with guitar-driven force, as the orchestra of Portland musicians added rich textures to the heaviness.
By the time the band and their new musical compadres took a bow, they had shown the audience another dimension of Queens of the Stone Age. While this tour will surely have a few fans grumbling over the more subdued, warped presentation of the songs, it felt like a theatrical tour de force that captured the band’s spirit while presenting their music in a new light. In Portland, it was evident that perhaps they would never do this again, giving the audience all the more reason to savor the entire experience.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
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