Soul Asylum / Juliana Hatfield Three

Soul Asylum Leave Their Mark, Slowly But Shirley in Homer, NY

***Soul Asylum – Center for the Arts, Homer, NY***

Long time running alternative rock band Soul Asylum played to a sold out crowd Friday night in Homer, NY. Having just released the album, Slowly But Shirley, just 4 weeks earlier, they have been out on a headline tour supporting its deliverance with fellow 90’s rockers Julianna Hatfield Three.

Having just finished a run of dates as openers for the Stone Temple Pilots / Live tour, it was nice to see Soul Asylum as the headliners. In my opinion, they have too vast of a solid catalog to showcase in an opening slot. The extended stage time allows for singer/guitarist and founding member Dave Pirner, guitarist Ryan Smith, bass player Jeremy Tappero, and drummer Jerry Pentecost to really shine through as more than just a 90’s band.

There was once a time you couldn’t turn on MTV {or the radio} and not see / hear “Runaway Train” from the band’s brilliant breakthrough album, Gravedancers Union. However, there is much more to the band as they proved with new songs such as Freak Accident and The Only Thing I’m Missing. Of course they delighted the audience with fan favorites such as Somebody to Shove, Without A Trace, and Misery.

Pirner, having aged like all of us, still sings with the same vigor and performance wise does not seem to have been slowed down any by time. The crowd seemed to enjoy being transported back in time, at least for the evening. Overall, the performance was exceptional and well the new material was extremely well received by the crowd.

Personally think their 13th album is definitely one of their best, it has a gritty punk rock vibe to it, as they say lucky number 13. I am anticipating that we will see another great run in the new year for this album, and I look forward to catching it, as should all of you.

Juliana Hatfield Three, who were celebrating the 30-ish year anniversary of Become What You Are album, opened the show. In celebration of the event, they decided to perform the album in it’s near completeness, with exception to the song A Dame With a Rod. In it’s place the trio performed Fleur de Lys, off the Only Everything album.