So there I was at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ with my friend Doc, all decked out with my favorite Hawkwind shirt on, and I was 2 heads from the edge of the stage. The energy and anticipation of the crowd just before Monster Magnet took the floor probably overloaded every cell phone and camera in the building! Intense is an understatement!
Dave Wyndorf and the rest of the band came out on stage; the crowd got really loud and literally went nuts ... and with an evil grin, and devious twinkle in his eye... Dave very calmly said, "Were gonna start this off slow and build our way up." They started the set off with some Psych-drenched, Tube-amp feedback' ish sounds... and went into "Nod Scene," (3rd track from the 1992 cult-status album Spine Of God) and the groove of that song quickly got the crowd right where it needed to be, much like throwing a juicy steak to a pack of wolves ready to devour ...anything!
"Nod Scene," was coming to a close... just when I thought the energy of the crowd was ever so slightly satisfied, and at a safe-for-human level, Monster Magnet went into "Tractor!" It was a hell-ride frenzy of metal mayhem from the bull gods, fists & devil horns in the air all night long!
As this Monster Magnet fueled, untamed cyclone, psych-metal evening continued, we got to hear a decade and a half of eclectic tracks from Superjudge to Mastermind, some fan-favorites included: "Dopes To Infinity," "Medicine," "Dinosaur Vacume," "Look To Your Orb For the Warning," plus the Captain Lockheed & The Starfighters’ (Hawkwind) cover, "The Right Stuff."
Just when I thought I had heard it all, and there were no more surprises Monster Magnet went into their 1998 world hit, "Spacelord." Dave had every soul in Starland singing the lyrics and dropping the F-bomb! They closed the set with the current single "Gods & Punks," and “Bored with Sorcery," then ended the set with "Crop Circle," and "Powertrip."
Wyndorf commanded the spectacle with an angry, intense, powerful voice that has never sounded better! Caivano's guitar wizardry was legendary; Baglino & Pantella maintained a rhythm section that was as solid as a rock wall. Unfortunately, 18-year guitarist Ed Mundell left Monster Magnet in November of 2010; however the unknown replacement did a good job of filling some really big shoes on guitar.
Overall, Monster Magnet performed an epic set, I had been waiting to see that show for over 17 years, and it was as great, if not better, than I expected. I left the building wanting more!