Images: The Jesus and Mary Chain June 16, 2012 at the House of Blues

My first time seeing The Jesus and Mary Chain was at their first large reunion show at Coachella in 2007. I had heard of them before, namedropped by some of my friends as a record collection necessity or being listed as an influence to many bands that I enjoyed at that time. The JAMC were playing during a gap between Of Montreal and Jarvis Cocker, so I decided to take a chance and check them out on the main stage. Armed with almost no expectations, I was hooked from the first note. The way the Reid brothers mixed pop and rock with instances of noise and drone was something not altogether unfamiliar to me, but it was exciting to see it live from such a highly revered and respected band. It was also a chance for me to see one of the first real “Coachella moments” when actress Scarlett Johansson joined the band to sing “Just Like Honey.”

Fast forward to June 16, 2012 at the House of Blues Las Vegas. Now fully aware from the onset what a great show I was in for, I was excited to see them again after five years. Although the set and performance hadn’t changed up that much since I saw them at Coachella, it was still a stellar show. The band ripped through classics like “Sidewalking,” “Snakedriver,” “Some Candy Talking” and the aforementioned “Just Like Honey.” The crowd, not large in number but definitely stoked, grooved, jumped and thoroughly enjoyed what the JAMC offered. Ending the set with an extended take on “Reverence” was a solid ending to a wonderful show.  Hopefully I won’t have to wait another 5 years to see them again.

-Tom Monahan

Photos by Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/