By AMY DANGELICO
Special to the Daily Planet
While the performance was certainly not lacking in gruesome theatrics, no pig’s blood was splattered at the Young and In the Way show Jan. 17.
The crust punk/black metal band from Charlotte played for a crowd of about 150 mainly 20- and 30-somethings — an impressive turnout — at The Mothlight, a West Asheville venue.
This was YAITW’s first time returning to Asheville since spraying pig’s blood on the stage and crowd while playing downtown at Lexington Avenue Brewery’s back room last summer. Although the Buncombe County Health Department determined there was no public health risk, the LAB closed for three days, putting 45 employees out of work and did not reopen its back room for private parties until late July.
Following two opening bands, Busted Chops and USX (U.S. Christmas), open flames lit ritual-like incense, which signaled to the crowd that YAITW’s set was about to begin. Under red lights, the band took the stage and bassist Chris Nolen, sporting a black ski mask, flicked off the crowd. As the first cold, hard chords were struck, Nolen kicked his foot towards what initially looked to be a peach-colored blur and later revealed itself as the head of an audience member in the front row.
From there, the show turned into a dark, heavy haze of pushing, screaming and overall rage. Drummer Randy Baucom’s forearms were a blur as he played with vicious metal speed while the motivated mosh pushed fellow crowd members up face to face with screaming frontman Kable Lyall. Amidst flying beers cans and strong-armed shoving in the crowd, the masked Nolen spit out into the audience while Lyall openly drank from a bottle of red wine on stage with two severed pigs heads displayed behind him on either side.
And somewhere in there, crowd members saw a man with a scythe covered in blood enter into the crowd toward the end of the show.
Due to the vicious intensity of the vocals, this reviewer was unable to identity song titles with the exception of one track: “F**k This Life.” (YAITW did not respond to communiques from the Daily Planet, requesting its set-list from the show.)
The first opening band, Asheville-based thrashcore/power violence group Busted Chops, played a roughly 15-minute set. While brevity is characteristic of the genre, a few crowd members noted that the performance was less than impressive and this reviewer agreed. The amount of hair flung around on stage seemed far more memorable than any aspect of the raw, sped-up music.
Busted Chops was followed by USX (U.S. Christmas), psych-rockers from Marion who played a strong set with soulful-yet-power-hungry riffs. The band’s most mesmerizing aspect was violinist Meghan Mulhearn. Not only did the long tones of her strings make the one-of-a-kind sound of USX shine, but who doesn’t like to see a female rock out on stage? When other band members faced each other, Mulhearn was left to dance in the front corner of the stage to what seemed like a perfect rhythm all her own.
USX’s set ended all too early due to technical difficulties, which had caused delays between songs from early in the set.
Furthermore — almost as if spreading the blame too thin, it was then revealed that the drummer playing with the band was actually a fill-in as their regular drummer had recently had a baby. Congrats on the newborn, but no need for excuses, USX. Your set was awesome and though technology can sometimes fail you, just exit gracefully.
After the show, Amanda Hency, co-owner of The Mothlight along with husband Jon, told the Daily Planet, “We were more worried about the audience (as the date of the show approached). The band (YAITW) really couldn’t have been more respectful.”
YAITW debuted its blackened crust sound in 2009 with the EP “Newborn,” followed by two more short releases, “Amen and Cloven Hoof,” in 2010. The band signed with A389 Recordings in 2011 and released its first full-length album, “I Am Not What I Am,” in 2011. Another EP, “V. Eternal Depression,” came out later that year.
In 2013, YAITW signed on with its current label Deathwish Inc., founded by Jacob Bannon, lead singer of renowned hardcore band Converge. The group released its second full-length album, “When Life Comes to Death,” in 2014.
Sure, as far as punk and metal subgenres are concerned, YAITW is notable for its momentum, its hostility, and above all, especially in the Asheville area, its showmanship. There is no doubt that this community can appreciate a good “quirk.”
So thank you, YAITW, for putting on a good show and not spilling pig’s blood all over The Mothlight and everyone in it. But — just a note — the next time that you get the urge to splatter inside a small, local business, please do your mothers proud and clean up after yourselves.
If GWAR can do it, YAITW can, too.
Because after all, isn’t that the message here?
