Pain in the Grass Concert, Mural Amphitheater
Friday, August 21, 1998
photos & text by: Helen Halloran
Finally, the arena rock band known as Combover, from South South Seattle, got to play a venue big enough for their big rock sound!
 

The Mural Amphitheater, the big outdoor stage at Seattle Center, you know the one with the MURAL behind it, has been playing host to the "Pain in the Grass" concert series for the past ten years.  These concerts are free, they are heavily attended, and amazingly have not been shut down by the evil powers that be in this live music unfriendly city of ours.  Kudos to promoter Jeff Gilbert for keeping this series alive & successful for the past ten years.

 

Combover opened a hard rockin' show that included 10 Minute Warning (featuring Duff McKagan from some big multi selling has been rock band that used to be cool before they started making long winded songs & videos that were reminiscent of Paul McCartney & Wings songs,) and this other little band you may have heard of called Gas Huffer.  In my totally biased opinion, Combover ruled the rock & roll roost that day.  These photos only tell half the story, but they give you a good idea of just how much these guys embody real rock & roll!

 
Okay, everyone knows I just love this dang Combover group to bits, so how were the other bands, you're wondering.  Well, 10 Minute Warning was, uh, well, not very interesting.  Someone should tell them that the grunge hey day is over, and no one is really looking for a revival.  This is truly sad, because Duff McKagan is one multi-talented and well loved musician.  I still count that first Guns & Roses lp as one of my favorite rock records of all time, it kicks my ass!  But his talents are wasted in this band, and I heard that this was his last weekend playing with them.  Word has it that he high-tailed it back to Los Angeles to work on a big solo project.  He & my other favorite GnR guy, Izzy Stradlin, should get something going.  Hey, they could be in my band!  (I hope my band-mates aren't reading this...)
 

Gas Huffer was, well, Gas Huffer.  I still love these guys to death, but they haven't really changed much over the past few years.  I'm still amused by the monkey-boy antics of the lead singer, but I grow weary of the testosterone crazed young crowd that seems to have embraced them.  I prefer when they play as their alter-ego band, "De Lagunas."  They sure did have the mosh pit going though.  The kids sure love their Gas Huffer!

Well, it sure was a fun rockin' summer evening in the sun!  Once again, Combover proved that their isn't a stage big enough to contain them!  All hail the rock!


Visit the Combover web site!
Visit the Gas Huffer web site!
Visit Jeff Gilbert's web site, "The Gilby Chronicles!"

Read about & view photos of Combover at the Fremont Fair, Sliders, & the Crocodile Cafe.
Read about & view photos of Combover at the Capital Theater.
Read about Combover at the Colourbox.

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