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Opinionist: Mr. Brownstone at Bowery Ballroom
By
Jeff Baum
Published Jun 12, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jeff Baum
Published Jun 12, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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There are two Guns n Roses cover bands making the rounds these days that have the kids talking. One, of course, is fronted by Axl Rose, but those guys don't even bother to try and LOOK like the old guys. That's no fun. They sound pretty good though. The other is long running, self proclaimed "Drunkest GnR cover band in the world," Mr. Brownstone, who we interviewed last week. While they lack any actual members of the original band, they at least look the part. It helps. It was somewhat more satisfying to hear some kid in a messy black wig jump up on the drum riser and play the opening chords to 'Sweet Child of Mine' than it was to see this guy do it.
No presumptions to be taken seriously for Mr. Brownstone, unlike that other band. They have wigs and shredded clothes, but hardly look like the band at all. "Axl" probably has close to 100 pounds on the actual Rose in his prime. "Duff" dedicated 'Patience' to himself when he was 12. There was even a brief and roundly booed "Buckethead" solo, complete with him being dragged off the stage by a fake security guard. All that aside, they played till well after 2 in the morning, and the crowd was jumping and dancing around through it all. Over two hours and allegedly three bottles of Jack later, it really didn't matter what they looked like or even what they sounded like. They could have been pantomiming the instruments for all I cared. (At least these guys knew all the words by heart.) They got people to have a good time, and that, really, was the lasting effect. Despite selling out one of the most revered venues in New York City, these guys were still playing a basement show in college. It shouldn't have been any other way.
So, the point of this show was to say goodbye. The band's packing it in for good. Bowery was their final NYC show. They'll be up in Boston on Thursday night to finish it all up for good. I hardly knew them, but they will be missed.
Check out some more pictures from the show here.
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