Q101 Block Party Day One (Hot Hot Heat, Interpol, and Queens of the Stone Age), 6.03.05

Always well done, this year's opening Q101 show should prove that rock is not dead after all...

The show began with a modest effort by Hot Hot Heat, a band while not new in any way they have yet to exercise a certain clout that veteran rockers like Queens of the Stone Age and (while relatively new themselves) Interpol carry. That's not to say that Hot Hot Heat is amateurish, they are just still on the brink of finding themselves it seems. An example is that while on album Steve Bays vocals, while never entirely pleasing, do get the job done and serve quite well with the rest of the band. In concert however, Bays tends to oversing, almost attempting to overpower the sound of his band through his nearly-incoherent screeching. The band was at their best (and appeared their most comfortable) when performing their singles "Bandages," "Goodnight Goodnight," and "You Owe Me an IOU."

★★★☆☆

Although Interpol had to restart their opener of "Next Exit" due to technical difficulties, the band effortlessly went through their set which appeased many of the fans in attendance and also engaged those who either originally did not like Interpol or were unfamiliar with them. While their sound (especially in studio) is undoubtedly mellow, the sheer confidence and presence of the group is what made their performance so engaging. While each of the songs performed were equally special in their own right some of the highlights were "PDA," "Evil," "Narc," "Stella...", and finally "Not Even Jail."

★★★★½

Queens of the Stone Age, who appeared on the side of the stage to enjoy Interpol's performance came back out later and, as always, were ready to rock. When singer/guitarist Josh Homme wasn't poking fun at or hilariously reprimanding crowd members, he was leading QOTSA in a very energetic performance that featured stellar guitar work and also some exceptional drum solos that would make even David Grohl proud. They played a very balance setlist of old and new songs, and also mixed in their hits of "No One Knows," "The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret," and the newer "Little Sister" with the all out rock jams of "Song For The Dead" and "Monsters In The Perisol." All in all, it was a very solid set that proved, in case anyone had forgotten, that while such new acts like the Hives, White Stripes and others get much of the press, Queens of the Stone Age still rock, and rock hard... and they'll also kick your ass.

★★★★¾