Day for Night Artist Spotlight: The Jesus Lizard
Written by Julian Combong on December 13, 2017
The Jesus Lizard is a rock band hailing from Austin Texas. Formed in 1987, their music encompasses a range of rock genres and mixes them together, resulting in a blend of Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore and Grunge acts like Mudhoney and Nirvana. A leading force in the early underground scene of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the band first disbanded in 1999. They reunited shortly after and broke up again in 2010, coming together again for another reunion tour and a slot at this year’s Day for Night festival.
The band currently consists of original members David Yow on vocals, Duane Denison on guitar, David Sims on bass and Mac McNeily on drums. Each member has their own respective impact and sound on the band. The drums are almost machine-like and drive the band forward in an aggressive manner, with the bass acting as the accompanying driving force to the rhythm section. The guitar hits you like a psychotic wail, piercing your psyche with the vocals acting as texture to the overall mix. Similar to Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Yow considers himself more a “vocal stylist” that relies more so on his live on-stage theatrics than his raw vocal talent, so live performances are more interactive than other similar bands.
The band hasn’t released a new studio album since their album Blue, released in 1998, but has continued to attract new and old fans alike because of the energy their live performances emit. To those looking for an album to start with, their 1991 release Goat is considered to be their best release to date. Produced by acclaimed producer Steve Albini, it’s the perfect of example of what a 90’s Noise Rock album should sound like.
The Jesus Lizard will join forces with various other acts this year at Day for Night, for what promises to be a strong end to Houston’s eventful 2017. They play Sunday night on the Green Stage after Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Get your passes here before they sell out, and here is their song “Gladiator” off their 1992 release Liar below.
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