PEPPER SHOW REVIEW

with The Expendables & Passafire

Showbox (Seattle)

6 December 2007

Nothing beats a sold out show at the Showbox in Seattle, except maybe when the band being featured is Pepper. One security guy in particular even made special mention to me that I should expect some fine ladies in the house. Just like everyone else, he was obviously excited for tonight.

Luckily for us in attendance and as always Pepper had organized two excellent opening acts to get proceedings started in the right fashion. First up was Law Records latest signing Passafire. This was my first chance to see these guys perform and I wasn't disappointed. Playing for a tight 30 minutes, Passafire delighted the already packed venue with some bouncy reggae and some even bigger funky grooves. You could tell that those there who had not previously been exposed to the band had discovered something new and amazing.

On the band's latest record, Submersible, recent new recruit bassist Adam Kubley is a creative force, live that creativity is funneled into an explosive energy. It was a damn shame the band did not have the opportunity to play longer, as they ended with the epic Reverie.

Fortunately it was easy to get over when you have a band like The Expendables coming on next. This Santa Cruz outfit has played up here in the North West quite regularly this past year and therefore has developed a strong and enthusiastic following. The Expendables really are the complete package, great songs, great showsmanship and judging by the screaming girls behind me as I was taking photos, they also possess a smoking front man in Geoff 'Cash Cow' Weers.

Playing a good mix of songs from all its albums, The Expendables are masters at keeping your full attention. This is mainly achieved through sudden song changes - reggae to metal to punk and whatever else the guys feel like throwing in there. Ending with the one-two knock out punch of sing-along favorite Bowl for Two and the reggae metal anthem Sacrifice, The Expendables had taken the night to a new level.

You have got to love Pepper's intensity! Ripping their shirts off as they made their way onto stage, the boys from Pepper were pumped and as an audience member it is almost impossible not to be captured by that energy. To be honest, the first few songs were a blur, as the band would merge one song straight into another. It was orchestrated chaos.

All three members of Pepper play so well together and the Kaleo and Bret vocal/leader tag team has to be one of the best going around in the live arena today. Not to forget the ever reliable Yesod holding all the shit down. The boys are so done to earth and are clearly having the time of their lives on stage how could anyone begrudge them. That's why it is easy to see why they were such a hit on the Warped Tour earlier this year.

The only disappointment of the night for me was I saw Pepper at the same venue earlier this year and besides the arrangement of songs it was a pretty similar set list, as the band has not released another album in that time. So a few times through out the night I had a little sense of déjà vu. Even still though it was hard not to be swept up in the massive crowd singalongs to songs like Ashes or Pepper's cover of Pennywise's Bro Hymn. Supervillains sax player, Smally, made a surprise guest appearance and added a little more groove to Love Affair and Expendables drummer Adam Patterson helped spice things up with his vocal contributions on Give it Up.

By the time the all-in encore came around, it was a hands-down victory! Anyone that was there could not have got a better night's entertainment for their money. Mahalo Pepper and crew.

Reviewed by Pilipo

Special thanks to Yesod & Chris for hooking up the Photo-pass. I got some great shots.