Bathtub Explosion: The Raveonettes / Be Your Own Pet @ the El Rey Theatre, 3/4/08

Nashville four-piece rockers Be Your Own Pet opened for The Raveonettes tonight. I had previously seen them at the Troubadour a year or two ago around the time their first album came out, and they were good for what they are. I honestly cannot say I am a huge fan. I do appreciate their youth and raw energy and all that stuff, but there are just too many bands out there today, and I've been to too many amazing shows in the past year for these guys to leave much of a mark in my memory.

However, their new album Get Awkward just came out and it's been getting pretty good reviews. Also, it doesn't hurt that they were discovered by Thurston Moore and are under his Ecstatic Peace label...so check them out! They sing songs about high school crushes, popping pills, food fights, taking it in the ass, and sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll! Very original lyrics.

Danish duo The Raveonettes are so rad live. I previously saw them at Spaceland last year, and they have so many new amazing songs since then. It was really great to be able to catch them at such a small and intimate venue like that, but a band with such a fucking huge sound really feels at home at the El Rey.

Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo (with a fresh haircut) came out to a full house at the El Rey, and true to form, they were of very few words, extremely sexy and stylish, and confident as hell. Some uber Euro chick with a short haircut joined them, standing up the entire time, and pounding on two electronically altered snares. They opened up with "Hallucinations", and continued with more tracks off their newborn baby Lust Lust Lust.

I have to point out that the lighting at this show was among the best I have ever seen in my life. I will not soon forget the transitional shifts from blue to green to violet. I'm no expert in stage lighting, but I do know that they definitely put a lot into their lighting. It really makes for a hypnotizing show.

Lust Lust Lust is hands down (my pants) one of my favorite albums of the past 12 months. It's their heaviest, loudest, and lustiest album yet. These songs transfer to the stage amazingly, and it doesn't hurt that they look so damn good on stage.