Cortez/Worshipper/Curse The Son Live 11/22/24
Live at Deep Cuts in Medford, Massachusetts, USA *November 22nd 2024*
Deep Cuts in Medford, Massachusetts is about an hour and ten minute drive from where I live. I have never been to this particular club before and was excited about this show. The drive to the place was no problem, it was close off of the highway and easy to find. However, the parking situation was a bit tricky. I was able to find a parking lot across from the club but finding a spot was a little bit difficult. Lo and behold, after circling around a couple of times, I was able to find a spot. Inside of Deep Cuts was cool. They had an area for the bands to sell their merch and a nice room for food and drinks. They had a separate room for the stage and music to happen. It was a nice little spot and pretty clean too.
The lineup to this show was great! I was wanting to see Cortez play live now for many years. Different circumstances didn’t allow for that to happen until now, in which I was grateful for. This was their record release show for their latest, Thieves And Charlatans (review here) which came out last month on Ripple Music. I was able to chat with the guys in Cortez before the show started and they were super cool and very friendly. They seemed very excited to play the show and grateful for everyone that was there.
CURSE THE SON
Curse The Son, from New Haven, Connecticut was the opening band, and they went on promptly at 8:00pm. There wasn’t a lot of people watching when they started, which was a bit of a shame because they completely destroyed! They sounded incredible and very tight throughout their five song set. The band opened with “Liste Of The Dead” which is the last song on their latest Ripple Music release album Delirium (review here). They then played “Deliberate Cruelty (The Extermination Song)” also off of Delirium. The three piece band has a very thick and doom laden sound that pays homage to the mighty Black Sabbath. Nothing fancy, just devastating riffs and heavy and thunderous drumming. The band has a cool father and son dynamic going on. The originator/ songwriter Ron Vanacore plays guitars and vocals and his fifteen year old son Logan plays the drums. The lineup is completed with Dan Weeden on bass.
The third song was from 2012’s Psychache album called “Spider Stole The Weed”. I wasn’t too familiar with that one but it ripped nonetheless. The fourth cut was the title track from their latest called “Delirium”. Another crushing song that cemented their brutal set. Finally, the band closed with “Isolator”, the lead off track from their 2017 release Isolator. The first and last time I saw Curse The Son play live was in Manchester, NH in 2017. The lineup was totally different back then except for Ron Vanacore. I had a good conversation with them at the end of the show and was pleased that they were really friendly and cool as hell.
WORSHIPPER
The next band that played was Boston’s own Worshipper. They formed in 2014 and have released a few albums including 2016’s Shadow Hymns, 2019’s Light In The Wire, and their latest Magnetic Eye Records release, 2024’s One Way Trip. The band consists of singer and guitarist John Brookhouse, drummer Dave Jarvis, and bassist and backing vocalist Bob Maloney. To be honest, the band never really connected with me. It’s possible that one day they will but they just don’t really do it for me, with my particular and peculiar musical interests. With that being said, they played a very tight set and sounded good. The crowd was digging it and the band seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. I definitely respect them for their talent as musicians and they seem to be really cool guys too.
CORTEZ
The moment I have been waiting for! I planted myself in the front of the stage eagerly waiting for the band to perform. The quintet features Matt Harrington on vocals, Scott O’Dowd on guitar, Alasdair Swan on guitar, Jay Furlo on bass and Kyle Rasmussen on drums. Their latest album Thieves and Charlatans has been growing on me since it was released last month. With every listen, I enjoy the record more and more and hear things about it that I didn’t pick up on previous listens. For me, those are the best albums that never get old because the density of the music and each song is so elaborate, that it just sinks in deeper and deeper every time. This has been my experience with Cortez’s Thieves And Charlatans. It’s a fantastic record that needs to be played many times for the full audio experience and effect.
To my delight, Cortez played the album in its entirety, from start to finish. It was absolutely amazing! From the first notes of “Gimme Danger”, I knew I was in for a treat! The sound was phenomenal! The band played these songs very precise to what beholds on the record. “Leaders Of Nobody” and “Stove Up” rocked with absolute conviction and energy. Matt Harrington’s vocals sounded fantastic throughout the set and the double guitar attack from Scott O’Dowd and Alasdair Swan was scorching. The riffs and leads were delivered beautifully and each guitarist nailed their parts with confidence and conviction. Also, let’s not forget the awesome rhythm section of bassist Jay Furlo and drummer Kyle Rasmussen. Heavy and solid throughout the eight song set, they were tight and on point.
“No Heros”, “Levels”, and “Liminal Spaces” all connected with me and the crowd. Cortez is the type of live band that brings out their recorded material with a new dynamic and energy. I always marveled at bands that sound better live than on their recordings and Cortez is definitely this type of band. Again, it’s the sheer energy that comes out of the band that ignites the whole club ablaze. One of my all time favorite bands, Only Living Witness was also like that. Totally electrifying and leading the charge in an outstanding performance. By the time the last song “Solace” came on, I was blown away. I am so grateful for the band in deciding to play Thieves And Charlatans as is. It augmented my love for the album and made me realize how great of a band that Cortez is.
