Courtney Love @ Emos East (SHOW REVIEW)

Courtney Love Show Review – Emo’s East

It was in rare, composed form that über-femme rocker Courtney Love put on a tour-de-force performance at Emo’s on Saturday night. Courtney injected a torrential amount of vitriol and vigor into her nostalgic 90’s anthems that would instantly kill any shred of doubt as to whether Courtney was ‘slowing down.’ Her wanton demeanor, erratic onstage antics and iconic banshee scream, have all but cemented her as the reigning dark, demonic diva of rock and roll.

Courtney Love appeared onstage in grandiose fashion, along with her new band, while royal processional horns played over the PA, as if to not-so-subtly announce that the ‘queen’ had arrived. Courtney assumed her throne by immediately ripping into the riff-heavy “Plump,” opening the set with a furious burst of unadulterated grunge.

It didn’t take long for Courtney to start pushing the boundaries of ridiculousness. After the first song she went on a rant to the audience. “How many of you know about my fucked up parents? They made me get a sex change operation when I was six. They had this doctor from Switzerland do it and got rid of my Adam’s apple, look! Too bad that doctor is now fucking dead!”

Courtney then launched into a Fleetwood Mac cover of “Gold Dust Woman,” which was a raw but incredible rendition that featured plenty of Madonna-esque crotch grabbing. The Fleetwood cover was a treat, since Hole was actually formed under an advert, posted by Courtney in the summer of 1989, citing her search for musicians for her band with similar influences to groups like Big Black, Sonic Youth, and Fleetwood Mac.
The setlist was an eclectic and powerful mix of the popular and the obscure, with Courtney quarterbacking the show. She called out songs to her band-at-ready, admitting early on, “I fucking hate sticking to a setlist!” The band plowed through big hits like “Malibu,” “Violet,” and “Celebrity Skin,” while also incorporating more intimate songs like “Letter To God,” and a song called “I Will Never Go Hungry Again.” Written in rehab, she called the song her ‘Dylan Moment.’

Courtney bared it all to the crowd Saturday night. Literally. She incessantly threw herself into the crowd, almost punched a groping fan, and lifted her dress up for a quick peak of her 48-year-old under-parts. She went on rants about her all-inclusive drug history, disgruntled ex-Hole members and the anomaly of Austin’s political leanings within Texas. Courtney was enjoying herself, constantly lighting up cigarettes, teasing her band, doling out “titty twisters,” and doting on how much she had enjoyed her day in Austin.

“I loved your city today. You can ask the guys. I usually never go out! But I went out today and did some shopping, and Tarantino told me to go the Bat Bridge. This city is so cool. I could definitely see myself living here!”

Courtney’s encore was almost as long as her set-list, including powerhouse songs like “Petals,” “Dying,” “Reasons to be Beautiful,” and “Awful.” She wanted to continue playing more songs and told the crowd to buckle in.

“This is our second to last show on the tour, so all of the pussies go home now. We are going to keep playing”

The concert ended abruptly around 1:30 a.m., with Courtney walking off the stage, blaming her departure on an ‘idiot’ in the crowd who wore a Nirvana shirt, as well as apparently having been sprayed by a thrown water bottle.

Much like the whole of Courtney Love’s existence, Saturday night’s show was explosive, gritty and brutally beautiful in every way. More importantly, it was a refreshing reinforcement of the pure anti-authoritarian spirit of rock and roll that seems to have been ironed out of many of today’s self-serious rock groups.

Courtney’s persona blends seamlessly into her music, and after 25 years of rocking she still gives all of herself under the lights of a stage, undoubtedly earning her crown as the “Queen of Rock.” -Lee Ackerley