Quicksand and No Joy – Unforgettable, Unfazed, and Surprisingly Fulfilled
Quicksand and No Joy show.
Looking back three years ago since the Quicksand Interiors tour. If there was a third band I was absent. Yours truly was super excited to see Quicksand live. I’ve followed them for a long time. I’m a fan of most of what Walter has done. The reason for the loyalty to this band besides the quality of riffs/ music is simple.
I missed a lot of their other projects that they were in before Quicksand. So when I heard and saw Quicksand it seemed like a natural departure from straight forward youth crew hardcore. I never got to experience Gorilla Biscuits at City Gardens or Youth of Today at the legendary Anthrax. Never got to see Bold.
I was fortunate enough to see Quicksand several times in their Slip era prime.
Just for fun it would have been great to see them early when the 7 ” was brand new. I’ve heard that Walter used to sing and not play guitar. Small handful of my friends were at the City Gardens show in which they had my favorite athletic grey with purple print Quicksand shirt. So the last time I had seen them, I lived on the East Coast. It could have very well been City Gardens. Simply can’t remember but will say it was the mid-90s. It may have been Seaweed, Brainiac, and Quicksand.
Fast forward 20 years to a new record. Those times have changed, man, and so have I.
Yes this 2017 show was at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix. The show in which Tom Capone was not present. I don’t want to go into that since it’s probably been talked about ad nauseam. Also I was a bit surprised and upset but Walter, Alan, and Sergio still did pretty good all things considered, in my opinion. I have played a few gigs and it was nerve racking experience at times.
The first band I remember that night was No Joy from Canada. At that time I didn’t know who they were and had zero expectations. To this day I don’t really know the story of the lineup I saw that night. I will say they sounded great and they had definite shoegaze chops. They go heavy sometimes and know exactly when to kick the drive and distortion in (or blend it into other washes of sound). Also Jasamine White-Gluz can sing almost anything and it sounds gorgeous and ethereal.
No Joy is one of the few bands that can go into dreamy territory and seamlessly transition into rock, punk , or metal. I was very pleased. I am now a fan since that night.
Listen here https://nojoy.bandcamp.com/ and congratulations on the new LP Motherhood. We talked gear with No Joy at merch table. It seems we share the love of effects pedals. Then it was time to get out of their hair. Promptly acquiring a long sleeve alien shirt from No Joy it was time to move up front. This said shirt gets rocked whenever it is not scorching temperatures.
Quicksand were a little late coming on and I’m getting impatient because Crescent Ballroom (like almost every venue in town) is a love-hate thing for me. Far too many people on their phone instead of watching bands play. Many strangers drinking questionable ales and equally questionable facial hair. Sometimes the place is split due to being one side of the room under 21 years old. It was one of those antsy moments, staring at the amps and gear intently.
Next, Walter came on and explained that they were very excited to play and they were probably going to play as a three piece. This is where people who like the band start to get divided. Many have said it’s not the same without a second guitar. How it could be, I mean that is just going without saying. I agree wholeheartedly, but at the same time I think they did a really good job. They seem to be having fun and played hard.
The set list is posted on various social media of mine and in gallery here above. You can see the songs and tunings of each song. For a three piece they were still very heavy. It was enjoyable watching Walter change guitars. He had a good selection of various Eastwood and Fender’s.
Sergio Vega had this sick Bass with a whammy bar. Alan Cage was his usual destroyer of drum kit. I’d expect nothing less.
Easily one of my top five drummers in hardcore music. Drummer profile with Alan Cage is a feature in my fifth issue of Meatsheet. If you want to support me drop a line and we will work it out https://meatsheetfanzine.com/product/meat-sheet-fanzine-issue-5/
Overall it was a fun night despite any bumps in the road. It was great to see Quicksand and No Joy together. I may have overlooked No Joy completely had they not played with Quicksand. The pedal boards alone were able to go to space if needed. I am filled with gratitude that I was there.
Quicksand and No Joy put on an impressive show that should have impressed any youth that favors the dynamic sounds they possess.
As much as I love Quicksand, I opted out to the next time they came around. I just didn’t want to see them at this huge venue. It didn’t seem right without any friends to meet up with and I was not into rolling the dice and hoping I’ll run into familiar faces. There are fewer of those than in NY / NJ / Philly to this day. The people and the venue just seemed cold and soulless. But that is getting off topic and we’ll save that for another time. I’m sure Quicksand killed that show like they are known to do.
