Helmet - 08/09 @ The Station in Lafayette

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They're opening for Filter who drew maybe 30 people at the Varsity last year. I'll still go for Helmet though.

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Well that sucks. Filter is horrible. Can't fathom how they are the headliner over Helmet. I'd only be going for Helmet also.

I freaking LOVE Helmet. In fact I only found this thread through a search. Missed it the first time around. They'll be here in J-ville in two nights. Can't wait!! Kinda hard to find setlists for them for this tour. Have only found one. I'm thinking it may be a fairly Betty heavy set, since they're doing the Betty 20 year anniversary tour in Europe this fall. The setlist I saw had six Betty songs out of 14 total, including five of the last six they played. I would definitely be down for that.

As a big Helmet fan I feel quite lucky. I saw them three times from '93 to '95 here in Jax and in Tampa. Then NOTHING. They went through the breakups and lineup changes. I figured I'd probably never see them again. Then out of the blue, I saw they had a show coming up here at a small venue in October 2011. GREAT fricking show it was too. I got to meet Page in fact afterward and had a good ten minute conversation with him. Super cool guy. Friendly as hell. Then just nine months later they played a cool dive here on that tour with the Toadies. So shite. After going 16 years between and thinking I'd never see 'em again, suddenly I'll be seeing them three times in less than three years.

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Isn't Local H on this bill as well

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Yes they are. Plus two local bands here. Guy at the venue told me Saturday that Helmet probably won't go on until 10:30 or 11. Fine by me.

Great news gentlemen. When I got the venue last night, I found out that for some reason Filter was no longer on the bill. Pretty strange for a headliner but boy was I ecstatic!!! Obviously it meant Helmet was now the headliner.

***Super crazy side note: I wouldn't be ridiculous enough to call it a premonition because I don't really believe in such things and silly random thoughts pop into my head quite often but usually don't actually happen. But the day before the show I did find myself thinking how cool it would be if I rolled up to find that Filter was off and Helmet was now headlining. Crazy but true***

So anyway, it was super easy to get my favorite spot, which is right up front, since I opted not to drink last night, which meant no constant trips to the bar. Went on up front before Local H took the stage.

Now when the setlists for Helmet were taped to the floor after Local H, I did get a little worried. Still only fourteen songs, which were as follows:

1) Role Model
2) So Long
3) Renovation
4) Welcome to Algiers
5) Blacktop
6) Exactly What You Wanted
7) Unsung
8) Birth Defect
9) Broadcast Emotion
10) Ironhead
11) Turned Out
12) Better
13) Driving Nowhere
14) Milquetoast

So I was wrong when thinking it might be a pretty Betty heavy set. More Meantime and Aftertaste, not that there's a thing wrong with that!!!

Wasn't sure what to think as they got closer to the end, and obviously, for Helmet, this would be a pretty quick set since their songs don't run very long. I felt pretty good that Page didn't say anything before Milquetoast indicating that it would be their last song. When it ended he said "Okay, well that was our last song.........But we'll play more". So they pulled out a few classics. Here's the rest.

15) Sinatra
16) Just Another Victim
17) Tic
18) Wilma's Rainbow
19) In The Meantime

Awesome flurry of songs there to round it out. The crowd took a little bit to get really into but from Unsung on, it was rowdy as hell.

Even with three bands before them, Helmet went on just before 10:00 and played til about 11:20. So not too bad for those of you travelling back to Baton Rouge after the show in three nights. I am assuming the tour will go on. Never found out exactly what happened with Filter and I am also kind of assuming they're done with the tour. But who knows, maybe it was a one night deal due to sickness or something. Page didn't say that though, he just apologized for inconveniences. If someone was sick or something, I'm sure he would've said so.

Have a great time Broseph and anybody else going.

Freebird is a GREAT venue. They don't get quite as many heavy shows as I might like but I've seen Clutch there twice, COC and Crowbar together, Soulfly, Cannibal Corpse, and a few more. So they do bring some heaviness, but not in great numbers. They bring a lot of different genres though. So there have been many great shows there for all different kinds of fans. Don't know if you've been in there yet but I love the setup. Fair amount of room on the floor with a wrap around balcony up top where you can line the rail and watch from. VERY intimate and perfect for a group like Clutch. Capacity is 700.

I've seen a number of great shows at a much smaller place too, called Jackrabbits. It's in San Marco. Capacity of 300. Complete dive but with better sound than you'd think walking in the door. They've pulled some really good shows for their size. I saw Helmet open up for the Toadies there two years ago. The last two times Exodus has been to town this is where they played. Fishbone has been through, just to name a very few.

The place Helmet played last night is called Underbelly. It was my first time there. They're really just now starting to bring in bigger name groups. It's right downtown on Bay St. The place itself seems pretty cool. I liked it. Helmet did have some pretty significant sound issues through the first half of their set. Don't know what to attribute that to. But I think this place has promise.

There's a place called Brewster's Megaplex. On University right by Arlington Expressway. Haven't been there yet. From what I've heard, I'm not sure it's managed very well.

And as with most towns I'm sure, a number of other venues (good and bad) have come and gone over the years.

This is by no means all the venues in town. But as far as bands like Helmet, most likely it would be one of these places.

Yep. In fact I was gonna volunteer that info to you next. We do have a local group. We've moved around a few times over the last 10 years. We had spent two and a half seasons at Hurricane Grill & Wings until we had a falling out with management during the Florida game last season (manager was an arse). We watched the rest of the games at Sneakers Sports Grille across Baymeadows from Hurricanes (8133 Point Meadows / right off of Baymeadows and I-295). It hasn't been my favorite venue we've used and I was thinking we were going to search over the off-season for a new home, but I've seen nothing yet, so I guess we'll be there again. You can e-mail the club at firstcoastigers@gmail.com and ask to be put on the e-mail list. President's name is Lynn and I think she would be the one to see it and put you on it. She's cool.

The turnout is usually pretty decent. Sometimes a little sparse but sometimes pretty big and fun. I would suspect that the turnout for Wisconsin will be good. First game usually is. Let me know if you'll be going. I'll keep an eye out and introduce myself.