Post punk/noise icons The Jesus Lizard presided over a pair of shows at Seattle’s Neptune Theatre this past weekend. Vocalist David Yow, guitarist Duane Denison, bassist Dave Wm. Sims, and drummer Mac McNeilly have been recording and touring off and on since the late 80’s. After a lengthy sabbatical 2024’s excellent and well-received release Rack has ignited a motivating fire under the band. They played a series of dates after the album’s release last year and followed them up with a US tour this spring that concluded with the Seattle show reviewed here. The Jesus Lizard is now off to Europe and the UK followed by dates in Asia later this fall and a visit to the east coast toward the end of the year.
It’s no intended slight to state that a lot of bands 30+ years into their career have settled into a routine and stage show that, in service to longtime fans, focuses on ‘the hits’. A potential downside to this sort of ‘legacy’ approach can be stagnancy with recorded output and live performances becoming rote after many years leaving not a lot of room for fresh ideas. Perhaps the Jesus Lizard escapes this fate by having had slight radio exposure over the course of their career (i.e. ‘no hits’). The Jesus Lizard’s music doesn’t fall easily on the ears at first listen given Yow’s shouted exhortations (some might question the signifier ‘singing’ in reference to his vocal technique), angular, distorted washes of guitar, and a nimble but exceptionally heavy rhythm section. It can take a bit of adjustment for listeners typically attuned to more traditionally glossy fare to find identifiable landmarks by which to navigate in the Jesus Lizard’s dense and sometimes challenging work but the band’s longtime fans are devoted, enthusiastic, and onboard for everything they serve up. There are hooks and melodies aplenty seeded throughout their catalog but they’re heavy hooks and aggressive melodies, certainly more so than what is typically played on the radio in 2025. Nirvana is an apt reference point (a band the Jesus Lizard split a single with in mid 90’s), with the Jesus Lizard pushing the guitar discordance, unexpected time changes, and edgy vocals up a few notches. It gets slippery when it comes to identifying the genre space they inhabit. Art/Noise/Punk rock with an almost metal adjacent attack, The Jesus Lizard somehow forge a unique identity out of a large and varied collection of influences.
Sunday’s show interspersed songs from 2024’s Rack with material from releases spanning the band’s entire career. Frontman Yow made multiple forays into the very active audience, crowd surfing and singing throughout his excursions. David Yow is 64 years old, exactly a month older than me. His commitment to his presentation, not to mention his apparent durability, is nothing short of astonishing. His stage presence at times carries a hint of, if not danger at least unpredictability, which can shift to a charming, avuncular goofiness without warning, often within the confines of a single number. He is a riveting band leader and the band that he fronts is a true force. Loud, tight, menacing, in short, the perfect foil for their singer’s vibe. The Jesus Lizard are a powerful unit and their performance Sunday carried a palpable weight and impact. Their almost 90 minute set, including two encores (8 songs!) left the crowd happy, satisfied, and spent.
Seattle’s Anthers played a well-received set to open the show. This is the third time I’ve seen them play and they’ve been markedly better on each occasion. Anthers fit the bill perfectly Sunday evening and the combination of bands made for a fantastic night of heavy and exciting music.
