Failure and Hum keep the 90s torch burning bright at the Electric Factory

Failure | Photo by Matthew Shaver | brightloud.com

I don’t wanna be accused of hyperbole here, but the 90’s may have been the greatest decade for music in the history of time (yes,  including the 60’s).  John Vettese is doing a swell job of proving that with his show What’s The Frequency??? #WTFXPN (full disclosure: he’s my editor).  What could be a more wonderful way to celebrate the 90’s than on ‘Frequency’ Friday with a pair of woefully underplayed acts of the 90’s?

Failure began as so many behemoths did, with Steve Albini behind the boards.  Some touring with Tool and they should have been next up roster after Soundgarden.  Twas not to be, and they reached the status of popular bands that never quite broke through the surface (see Far and Quicksand).  Hum was a one hit wonder (if you let the charts tell you what a hit is) and much more expansive than that title implies.  More dynamic and dirty than their contemporaries, with a tendency to drone on a bit, and make the unpolished feel polished.

Hum was up first, with not a missed step in over a decade of silence.  They were an economy of conversation, and a wealth of sonic memory.  Though age may have taken a physical toll (quips about doing this all with “an enlarged prostate” were both funny and sobering) the racket itself holds up well.  A large portion of the crowd was probably toddlers when the last Hum album came out, but new the words with a fervor and passion of seasoned fans. Matt Talbott may have to be back at work on Wednesday, but I can’t thank him enough for taking a few days off for us.

Failure racked up some bonus points for their set.  Feature a sweet light show (well, not sweet if you like clear pictures of faces), theirs was a solid mixture of nostalgic sounds and modern aesthetics.  Playing a host of hits from their stunning 2015 release, The Heart Is A Monster (seriously, listen, now), they also crushed a decent portion of their criminally under represented back catalog.  While most of grunge got older and (tried to) evolve, Failure shows us that, when done right, it is timeless.

Philly alt rockers Nothing were a perfect fit for the opening slot.  Not sure they were gonna show, they had to cancel the previous show due to personal matters, but they came out strong.  Domenic Palermo has a bit of a checkered past, and that seems to have solidified music as his savior and reason for being here.  Nothing is a love note to times gone by, but also a shining example that shoe gaze infused post-grunge is not a niche market, but rather a complex genre deserving of more attention.

It was a grand night, indeed.  I would think maybe even a last in a lifetime experience, unless the internet works some more magic at reviving bands whose time in the light was much too brief.  If anything, the inspiring acts will hopefully spark renewed interest enough to pass the music down for a few more decades.

Failure setlist
Hot Traveler
AM Amnesia
Wet Gravity
Another Space Song
Atom City Queen
Counterfeit Sky
Mulholland Dr.
Saturday Savior
Sergeant Politeness
Segue 1
Solaris
Smoking Umbrellas
The Nurse Who Loved Me

Encore
Stuck On You
Heliotropic
Daylight

Hum setlist
Afternoon With The Axolotls
Comin Home
Green To Me
Iron Clad Lou
Little Dipper
The Pod
Scraper
Suicide Machine
Inklings
Stars
I Hate It Too

Encore:
The Scientists