If you follow rock music in the media, you’ve undoubtedly heard something like the following from rock musicians hundreds of times: “We play this kind of music because we love this music.”
Sure they do.
Generally, rock musicians are more attuned to which way the proverbial wind is blowing than sailors or weather forecasters. The slightest change in popular taste will “inspire” bands to alter their haircuts, wardrobes and musical style in a heartbeat.
That’s what makes Pantera so surprising. At a time when heavy metal’s commercial credibility is swirling into the sewer, the Dallas-based band is sticking with it. What’s more, Pantera’s commitment has been paying off.
“Heavy metal has a bad name because people hear the term and think of metal in 1988: leather and spikes, dungeons and dragons, big hair and all that,” Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul explains with a Texas twang. “Real metal has always had a street vibe. It’s always down to earth.”
While the thrash-metal scene — which spawned Pantera — isn’t without its own stylistic trappings, Pantera’s new LP, “The Great Southern Trendkill,” is as earthy as grub worms and dung beetles.
Lyrically, the record is an unremitting barrage of hostility aimed at an industry the band believes has abandoned its brand of rock. And drummer Paul doesn’t buy the notion that record labels, radio stations and MTV reflect rather than dictate changes in popular taste.
“I see radio station charts that we get from our record company,” says Paul. “And they’ll show that we’re the No. 1 requested band at a particular station, yet that station only plays our songs twice a week at four o’clock in the morning. So, yeah, I feel rejected and P.O.’d about it.”
Still, Pantera can derive a rare satisfaction from the industry’s indifference.
“It’s great knowing that I’m not gonna be on MTV or most radio stations, yet we’ll play for 8,000 to 10,000 people almost every night.”
Pantera co-headlines with White Zombie on Friday at the Rosemont Horizon. 6920 Mannheim Rd., Rosemont; 312-559-1212.
All items by Rick Reger unless otherwise noted.
Celine Dion, Sunday at the New World Music Theatre: Proving that the world’s universal language isn’t music or math but schmaltz, Celine Dion racks up international record sales of staggering proportions. While her latest opus, “Falling Into You,” boasts some better-than-average Adult Contemporary tracks, it mostly ladles out satiny fluff. If this stuff doesn’t induce a gag reflex, you’re either a “Love Boat” fanatic or a character from “All My Children.” I-80 and Harlem Avenue, Tinley Park; 708-614-1616.
Phish, Saturday at Alpine Valley: Phish is the Rich Little of rock. Listening to the band’s kaleidoscopic jams and medleys, one hears wonderful impersonations of the Dead, Sea Level, the Meters and even Frank Zappa. Yet that’s all you get: approximations. The Dead’s organic inventiveness, the Meters’ rhythmic interplay and Zappa’s avant-garde, anti-social bite are nowhere to be found in Phish’s exuberant concoctions. Shadow without substance. Highway D and Highway 120, East Troy, Wis.; 414-642-4400.
The Cranberries, Thursday at the New World Music Theatre: True to their name, the Cranberries have grown increasingly tart in recent years. While the band’s debut LP charmed with its winsome and wistful guitar pop, ensuing records have brandished a more hardened attack. The band’s latest effort, “To The Faithful Departed,” presents a series of elegiac songs in settings both tuneful and tough. But the music is notable more for its melancholy tone and Dolores O’Riordan’s strident singing than for its melodies. I-80 and Harlem Avenue, Tinley Park; 708-614-1616.
Beck, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 16 at the Metro: Where many hip-hop/pop hybrids do little more than tack canned rhythms onto standard rock songs or sample classic ax riffs into straight-ahead raps, Beck delivers a perfectly balanced union of the two genres. He’s still a far better sound painter than songwriter, but he fuses styles with real imagination. On his new album, “Odelay,” he vividly mottles rap-rock-folk-blues tunes with evocative samples that create sounds both classic and cutting-edge. (Sold out.) 3730 N. Clark St.; 312-549-0203.
No Doubt, Friday at the Metro: Ocean fisherman toss chum — chunks of various kinds of fish — into the water to lure leviathans to their hooks. No Doubt baits the airwaves with a musical chum of ska, punk, New Wave and anything else that just might sell. But the band’s abject commercialism doesn’t stop there. From singer Gwen Stefani’s pouty boy-toy shtick to drummer Adrian Young’s hair-sculpted devil horns, this band hasn’t met a gimmick it doesn’t like. No thanks. (Sold out.) 3730 N. Clark St.; 312-549-0203.
John Prine, Tuesday at the Navy Pier Skyline Stage: Neither the hardest working man in show biz nor the most lavishly gifted, Prine periodically comes up with folky tunes where great melodies, poignant story-telling and a wry delivery all converge into undeniably classic songcraft. His most recent release, “Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings,” wanders leisurely between folk, blues, country and syrupy ballads, and, as usual, kicks out a handful of keepers. Illinois Street and Lake Shore Drive; 312-559-1212.
Jars of Clay, Friday at the Double Door: Since forming in 1993 at Greenville College in downstate Illinois, Jars of Clay has achieved the kind of first-album success that most bands, Christian or secular, can only dream of. Dan Haseltine’s lead vocals and telling lyrics explore the darker sides of life — addiction, child abuse, guilt and pride — illuminated through his Christian faith. It hasn’t scared off record buyers or modern-rock radio programmers; the band’s self-titled album recently went gold and its acoustic alternative sound is still a staple on stations like Q-101 FM. 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 312-489-3160.
– Lou Carlozo
World Fest II, Saturday at the New World Music Theatre: World Fest II unites Christian music’s heavyweights and proves the genre has outgrown its wallpaper-music infancy. Michael W. Smith’s “I’ll Lead You Home” is produced by Madonna alumnus Patrick Leonard; DC Talk’s “Jesus Freak” successfully melds hip-hop, grunge and harmony; and Rich Mullins’ new greatest-hits package shows his songwriting prowess. Look out for the newcomers, though, including grungemeisters Audio Adrenaline and the pop-abilly This Train, and the standout second-stage acts from San Francisco’s Five Minute Walk label, including Black Eyed Sceva and Seven Day Jesus. I-80 and Harlem Avenue, Tinley Park; 708-614-1616.
– Lou Carlozo
Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Friday at FitzGerald’s: A veteran of the zydeco and Cajun club circuit, Carrier and his band let loose with a brisk, contemporary brand of zydeco layered with rock, blues and R&B. The presence of covers like War’s “The Cisco Kid” and the Who’s “Squeeze Box” on the band’s latest record, “Who Stole the Hot Sauce?” gives you an idea of Carrier’s zyde-pop inclinations. 6615 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn; 708-788-2118.
Buck Owens Tribute, Monday at Schubas: This now-annual “Buckfest” brings together a range of local talent to pay tribute to the man who helped create the legendary Bakersfield brand of honky-tonk. Among the luminaries scheduled to perform are Otis Clay, Nicholas Tremulis, Jon Langford, Paul Cebar, Tony Ocean, Robbie Fulks, members of the Insiders, Bad Examples, Dolly Varden and more. 3159 N. Southport Ave., 312-525-2508.
D Generation, Sunday at Lounge Ax: Since Rancid hit paydirt resuscitating the sound of the Clash, D Generation makes a similar journey through the past to the Big Apple circa 1977. Studding its hooks with the raw sizzle and nihilistic imagery of the Dead Boys and the Voidoids, D Generation comes up with its own version of catchy, old-is-new punk. The band’s “No Lunch” CD even taps original scenesters Alan Vega and Ric Ocasek for contributions. Fun, if you’re into reruns. 2438 N. Lincoln Ave., 312-525-6620.
Northhalsted Market Days, Saturday and Sunday: Besides the two days of food, arts and crafts, this annual street fair offers three stages of music, featuring performers like Jill Sobule, Steven Kawolczyk, Geggy Tah, Poe, Wedge, Miss Lady Bunny, Triple Fast Action, Skapone, the Why Store and lots more. On Halsted Street between Belmont Avenue and Addison Street; 312-868-3010.
