The Jesus Lizard played Roadrunner – 12/12

David Yow and company returned for a wild show with support from local heroes Pile.

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Lots of veteran bands and contemporaries of Austin-via-Chicago noise rock legends The Jesus Lizard can still bring it on stage, but nobody does it quite like them. Under the bright white lights at Roadrunner earlier this month, the fearsome foursome proved exactly why with a blazing set of physical and auditory feats.

Formed in the late ’80s and sporadically active since their initial late ’90s split, the band released their first new LP in 26 years this September, and brought plenty of new songs and firebreathing classics on the road for its supporting Winter tour. Guitarist Duane Denison, bassist David Wm. Simms and drummer Mac McNeilly laid down the menacing grooves and lacerating leads that have long been the crew’s sonic trademark, but per usual, vocalist David Yow ended up the star of the show.

At 64, you might suspect Yow would’ve toned down some degree of his on- and off-stage antics, but you’d largely be incorrect. It took essentially no time for him to join us in the photo pit during set opener “Seasick” and bellow the lyrics right back to a raging mass of front-row fans, and from then on he spent at least as much time in or on the crowd as he did up with the rest of the band. Yow’s ability to turn any room – even one as large as Roadrunner – into an environment akin to a dangerous and beer-soaked dive is second to none, and all you can really do (if you’re not actively assisting in the crowd-surfing) is stand in awe.

Touring without an opening act, the band brought in unique (and mostly local, per my research) support each night. Thankfully and brilliantly, that paired them up with local favorites Pile for the Boston stop. As frontman Rick Maguire was quick to point out on stage, there’s more than a little Jesus Lizard baked into the Pile DNA, and they couldn’t have been a better fit. Aided by the robust Roadrunner soundsystem, Maguire and co. delivered a bruising set packed with a bunch of personal favs. If “The World is Your Motel” doesn’t strike you with the pure power of rock music, nothing will.

Scroll below for a gallery of all the evening’s chaos.