Prehistoric Masters

Thursday, April 22: Mastodon @ The Webster, Hartford

Mastodon have been one of coolest metal bands around since their inception, and are extra noteworthy for having actually had commercial success whilst playing uncompromisingly "extreme" antler metal. A few years ago, they were launched to MTV level fame with a major label (Warner Bros.!) release, Blood Mountain, that featured appearances by undisputed hipster icons Josh Homme and Cedric from the Mars Volta. They've had a Grammy nomination (lost to Slayer, who won because they are old as shit, not because they are any good...) and toured with Tool, a band that commands unqualified worship from a lot of people. These are all great achievements. Last year they put out another great album, Crack the Skye. Check out this video. Must be neat having a budget, eh?



Also appearing Thursday night are Baroness, a newer, also hipster approved metal band who do a similar trick of combining traditional metal conventions with stoner rock and indie sensibilities. They are pretty great:



Personal asides: Last time we saw Mastodon at the Webster they were still a relatively underground phenom. One of the fellows, maybe the weird, hot sailor looking one, joined us for a [cookie] and wiped a booger on our old friend J's shirt. Thanks guy! We'll never forget it. Katie Scenic was on a trans-Atlantic flight (coach class) with these guys one time, when they first got big and were heading out to tour with Tool in Europe. They were really nice and excited about their new iPods from the label.