Concert Review: Faith No More and Pollo Elastico 04.06 @ Speedway Cafe

“Salt Lake! You guys rock!”

“No, you rock!”

Such was the witty repartee between Pollo Elastico’s Brad Brooks and the Speedway crowd. The Tucson-based quintet rocked hard as they set the tone for Faith No More’s set. They have spandex, and they know how to use it.

Pollo Elastico were a big part of the show’s success as Brad took on Chris, the newest band member, in an all out, high impact workout. Chris—vocalist, percussionist and exercise leader—took over all the available spaces on the stage and made good use of them.

Filling out the line up, and making their own fashion statement with an array of exotic hats, were Eric Merrill on bass, Dave Germain on drums and Homes on guitar. Obvious Chili Peppers’ references apply but in limited instances. Pollo Elastico has the energy of the punk scene combined with the strength of metal.Watch for a return engagement of Pollo Elastico at the Speedway on May 4th.

Faith No More showed the Speedway audience just how much they cared as they stormed through one of the heaviest sets ever. The show found? Its base in FNM’s harder, metal edged songs, playing most of the new album as well as FNM perennial favorites. But FNM will not be labeled and shoved neatly into the heavy metal genre. The dreadlocked, hippie-haired monster of mish-mash metal draws raves from the likes of Guns N‘ Roses, Def Leppard and Metallica. But they take their music past the constraints of typical heavy metal modes—No make-up, spandex or tight leather within miles of the band. FNM’s influences range from jazz to funk, rap to punk, and it’sall blended together in a style and sound that belongs strictly to Faith No More.

New lead singer Mike Patton showed he can scream with the best of them. But he also handled the jazzy, drunken barroom-flavored songs, as well as the rich and creamy strains of the Nestle’s Chocolate theme, bursting into the group’s most energizing new song, “Surprise! You’re Dead!” But the band can hold their own too, dismissing Patton for an instrumental journey into the exotic “Woodpecker From Mars.”

The cross-over crowds mixed together, for the most part, with few altercations (at least until after the show). Headbangers thrashed their heads on the Speedway stage as “New Wavers” (whatever the hell that means) slammed into each other—East meets West, and Faith No More is the golden spike joining the two. Any band that could get a crowd to slam dance to, “War Pigs,” or bang their heads to the rapturous, “We Care A Lot,” has to be unique. FNM pulled it off easily, winning new followers and impressing longtime fans.

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