Ours show 2/28/07 Review

My eyes were heavy all day yesterday with tiredness as a result of the evening before. I was quite weary all day, and ready to just go home and watch television and take some tums. At about 4:45pm, fifteen minutes before the end of my work day, my friend Dan gave me a call and said that Ours is playing a last minute show that evening. This band is and has been one of my favorite bands for the last four years. My body told me not to cave in and go to the show. Fortunately, I denied that urge.

We arrived at the Walnut Room at 7:45pm and grabbed a drink and a sandwich. I must commend this venue on its impeccable service (my sandwich wasn’t half bad either!). After chilling there for a bit with the boys, we made our way into the actual concert room and secured our seats. We were literally sitting on a table right next to the stage.

The first band got started at around 9 o’clock. I am struggling to remember their name, but they were truly professional. My only complaint was that they did a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Good Times, Bad Times. They pulled it off just fine, I just think that seems a little sac religious. I talked with their guitar player after the show, and he said they were all on 3 hours of sleep because they had to drive through a horrible snow storm to make it in. I definitely could not tell they were tired based on their stage show!

After what seemed like a very brief set change, Ours finally took the stage. I cannot express how in control they are of their show. From the moment the first note was struck on the guitar, Jimmy had hypnotized the audience. He was wearing all leather, which could seem extremely cheesy, but he pulled it off. They started the set with four new songs to be on the upcoming album that does not have a release date quite yet. I won’t go into the exact set list since I can’t remember it exactly. I would say that the hour and a half performance consisted of about 70% new songs and 30% old. Normally, I would be a little disappointed in that breakdown, but this is not the case here. The new songs sounded immaculate. It’s hard for me to express how intensely excited I am for the new album. In case you are wondering, Jimmy hit every note perfectly live. I would even go as far to say that he was better live. The intensity of his voice never ceases to amaze me. For me, the highlight of the performance was when the band stripped everything down musically, and Jimmy sang the standard “Ave Maria” which he tied in with a new song called “God Only Wants”. I felt as I watched this show, that I was watching an opera or a delicate story line put into song. There was not one moment in the hour and a half that I felt bored or lost interest. After the set had concluded, the band spent time with the fans. I spoke with all of the members, and every one of them treated me like I had known them their whole life. They were very personal and fan-oriented. Jimmy told us that his voice was weak that night because of the previous evening and a bottle of Makers Mark. If that is the case, I don’t know if I could handle him at 100%.

To sum up this entry, you need to see Ours play. If you know me, you know that I have been to many shows in my lifetime. I can say with confidence and clarity that this was the best one. I know that is a hefty claim, but I truly believe it. The whole time, I felt like I was watching a piece of rock and roll history unfold right before my eyes. I am tired again today from going to bed late, but I can’t wipe this smile off my face as a result of the performance last night.

Links:

Official Ours Website:
http://www.ours2.net/

Great fan site with a ton of bootlegs and album info:
http://www.killtheband.com/