Philip Anselmo and the Illegals 1/18/14

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Philip H. Anselmo was keeping himself busy with multiple projects dating back to the days before Pantera was even over. The only times I had ever seen Phil was once with Pantera and twice with Down and the last time was over six years before this. Phil was now touring for his first solo album Walk Through Exits Only that was released on 7/16/13.

This show was a perfect excuse to make a trip to Portland because I could combine it with seeing my family since I had not seen them for Christmas. Even better this show was a rare Saturday concert and rumor had it that there would be an equally rare Jack sighting, who I had not seen in years (he kind of falls of the map for awhile and resurfaces every once and again).

After a night in nearby Salem with my family I met up with Joe, Jack and Claude for one too many delicious Rubinators from Baghdad. When I lived in Portland the Hawthorne Theater did not exist as a music venue. Sitting on the corner of Hawthorne and 39th since 1919 it had went through quite a few incarnations over the years including an art gallery/headshop the entire time I lived there. One step into the 500 person capacity theater and it was clear that this was what the place should have been the whole time. It was also clear that this place was about to get rowdy as fuck.

I cannot tell you who opened or if there was even an opening band at all. What I can tell you is that place was insane from the first note of Phil’s band to the last and not just because I was one of the drunkest guys there. They tore the roof off that place. Obviously the biggest crowd response came from the Pantera songs played but it was also cool to hear some of the Superjoint Ritual songs.

An interesting sidenote is that for some reason I decided to wear a plaid flannel shirt instead of the standard issue black t-shirt that literally everyone else was wearing. Apparently this rubbed one guy standing near the bar in the back the wrong way because every time I would go back there to get a beer, which was frequently, I noticed this guy mad dogging me. I finally went up to him and said, “what’s your problem man?” He shrugged me off but apparently went up to Joe later and said, “Your friend in the plaid over there? He’s a faggot!” Joe started laughing in his homophobic face and walked away. We still laugh about that moment to this day.

SETLIST: Black Houses, Hellbound, Betrayed, Walk Through Exits Only, Death Rattle, Fuck Your Enemy, Battalion of Zero, Usurper Bastard’s Rant, Bedridden, XXXXXXXX, Family, “Friends” and Associates, Ugly Mug, XXXXXXXXXX, Irrelevant Walls and Computer Screens, Domination, Waiting for the Turning Point, A New Level, Primal Concrete Sledge

 

 

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