Lacuna Coil, Music as a Weapon IV, at Northerly Island, Chicago Ill..

Yes, even though this is Disturbed’s show, headliner’s and all; I’m not really here for them. I’m here for Lacuna Coil, to witness them live, up close and personal. For a six song set- what a treat! The two main songs from their new album “Shallow Life” come off great live: the current single “Spellbound”, along with “I will Survive”. Cristina’s voice is on fire, hitting the upper register with barely no signs of stress(this is, after all the second night of a three in a row on this current tour).

I love watching Cristina sing- when she cranks up her voice while leaning forward on the monitors, you can actually see the main vein in her neck pushing overload…man, she’s committed to win this crowd over! The main problem with being second up on a bill with four bands: you’re usually playing to a half-full house, with people trickling in..and even though their is enthusiastic applause, it’s a limited set for a limited crowd. You’ve got to do your best to make what limited time you have work in your favor-just simply blast away from one song to the next and hope you make some kind of impression…Lacuna Coil accomplished this with no problem.

They are splendid live, a real unified bunch: guitars from Cristiano and Marco just as crisp and tight as on their records, and Cristina and Andrea’s both in fine vocal form from beginning to end. I can’t wait to see them headline someday- with a full set and wicked imagerey- just like I envision in my head..

0h Jesus- where do I begin- where do I begin?
The ever so crafty Maestro returned to Chicago after 15/16 very long years to perform at the Chicago Theatre, the first of two sold out shows.. The concert was superb on so many levels:

1. Leonard’s glorious deep baritone riveting and true as always
2. Leonard’s backing band delivering every nuance with such sensitivity
3. The simple, yet striking back-lit curtains, sometimes making you feel like you’re in a cathedral, just to name a few..

You’ve got to admire this man, at 74, having patience and conviction to sing his glorious songs with such panache… And wow- such eloquent stories to tell- along with occasionally a wry sense of humor- as is the case with the song “Everybody Knows” – halfway through the song, he’s singing “….everybody knows, everybody knows, that’s how it goes, everybody knows- the flu’s coming……” In my section,everyone’s busting out in laughter- and you can see a sly grin on Leonard’s face- not just about the joke- but that Leonard is confirming that his audience is paying attention to his lyrics- as if it is a test.

That he began each and every song on bended knee- praying down to the ground in reverence also says a lot- as if to ask for forgiveness for the dread that he must convey in the approaching song- slowly getting up each time, as if dusting himself off- to have the faith and courage to explain in lyric another complex relationship gone awry.

You can tell by his presence that he is a deeply humble man- I stood in amazement watching him countless times remove his hat, and stand raptured over every solo from his band- whether it be his back-up singers, or his fellow musicians…and talk about a backing band- Javier Mas, from Spain… a genius on the Laud- a complex spanish folk 12 string guitar which added extra nuance to Leonard’s songs at every turn…Neil Larsen- impeccable as always on his Hammond B-3…Roscoe Beck on Bass, both electric and acoustic upright- bringing the steady rhythm to this music- and also acting as bandleader.

During the end of the first set, Leonard introduced his band individually, removed his hat, and bowed his head to them, with patience and much appreciation. This simple gesture at every turn says an awful lot- and people can learn from this- that life, with all of its torments, upheavals, tension, is actually good…so embrace it.

As Leonard so eloquently sung at the end of the first set in the song “Anthem”: “Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack, a crack in everyhting, that’s how the light gets in, that’s how the light gets in, that’s how the light gets in…

Man oh man- it feels good to be alive…Thank you Leonard Cohen…

Killer hooks, killer riffage, killer band indeed…

Talk about being pleasantly surprised….Lacuna Coil’s 5th album is arguably one of their best- terrific songs, all bringing a heavy impact to the mix- with down-tuned riffs encompassing the whole.

Yes Cristina brings a lot of moxy to the front lines- terrific singing with a true passion to all of the songs…but you definitely can’t overlook the heavy duo guitar combination of Cristiano Migliore and Marco Biazzi- they definitely punch up the songs with a heavy flavor that leaves you wanting more… A lot of thought went into the production, the “clean-ness” of the sound and the overall concept of the album, dwelling in superficiality and just plain bullshit that we are naturally up against.

I like how overall, the band delves deep into the songs, adding key interplay, even when it appears, at least on paper, that it could all be just mundane- or “been there, done that”. Absolutely positively not the case at all, and of course most of the accolades must go to Cristina, her dynamic vocal range dexterity and interpretation of the lyric being absolutely riveting to listen to…even over repeated listens..

I believe it unfair to continue to lump this band into the gothic rock, or heavy gothic rock genre- this brings to mind Evanescence and Amy Lee for that matter- and in no way is Lacuna Coil anything like them at all-PERIOD.

You’ve got to like the spirit and passion of this band…maybe the close-knit feel springs from their Italian roots..whatever- they are a damn good band writing damn good songs…go enjoy!!