Odin at Whisky A Go Go, 4-29-17 Concert Review

Odin performing "Shining Love"

Odin was part of the Los Angeles rock scene of the 1980s, and immortalized in the documentary Decline Of The Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. Last night they did a special show at the Whisky A Go Go, right there on the Sunset Strip, the heart of that rock scene. This is their turf, their territory, and they return to it from time to time to tear things up, remind us of what’s what, and to rock our worlds. I hadn’t seen them before, but was ready. With the country having gone completely sideways, dipping into the darkest of territory, I was eager for some release, for some good solid rock music. And Odin delivered. Their show was exactly what I needed. No bullshit, no airs. Just great, honest rock from some talented musicians.

If you’ve seen Decline Of The Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, you’ll recall the “Odin” chant led by Bill Gazzarri. Well, last night the audience led its own “Odin, Odin, Odin” chant just before the band took the stage at 11: 44 p.m.  The band started with an instrumental intro, then got things flying with “One Day To Live,” an excellent tune from the band’s EP Don’t Take No For An Answer. They followed that with “Midnight Flight” and then “12 O’ Clock High.” The energy from the band was fantastic, and the energy among the crowd was just as strong. Everyone seemed really happy. This was one of the nicest concert crowds I’ve ever been a part of. Seriously. Every single person I came into contact with was considerate and cool, and seemed excited to be there. There was a great vibe in the room.

This music had me on my feet and dancing. “Push” was particularly good.  And it was followed by perhaps the most surprising song of the set, “Modern Day King” (it included the guitar intro, and was a treat). Shawn then gave us a fun, though relatively brief, drum solo, which I completely enjoyed. I always appreciate a good drum solo. That led into “Don’t Take No For An Answer,” with some awesome work on guitar and then a great bass lead. Randy O. got the audience singing along, passing the microphone to those in the front. And after “She Needs My Love” (another of the set’s highlight), Randy asked the audience if they’d seen Decline Of The Western Civilization Part II, then joked that he’d planned to wear those pants for the show. If you’ve seen the film, you know exactly which pants he’s referring to. By the way, I interviewed Randy in 2015, and asked him about those famous pants. You can read that interview here.

Odin doesn’t play all that often, but when the band does perform, it’s with all the original members, and they mentioned that at the show after “Little Gypsy.” This isn’t one of those rock bands that’s gone through like fifteen variations and has only one original member. The guys that rocked the Sunset Strip in the 1980s are the same guys that rocked it last night. Odin then ended the set with “Shining Love,” another of the band’s best songs. Randy again got some help from the audience on the chorus.  The encore was “Judgement Day,” with Randy introducing it by saying it was Odin punk rock, a song from the very beginning of the band’s career. The show ended at 12:48 a.m.

Set List

1. One Day To Live
2. Midnight Flight
3. 12 O’ Clock High
4. Over Your Head
5. Push
6. Modern Day King
7. Don’t Take No For An Answer
8. She Needs My Love
9. Little Gypsy
10. Shining Love

Encore

1. Judgement Day

Here are some photos from the show:

"One Day To Live"

"12 O' Clock High"

"12 O' Clock High"

"12 O' Clock High"

"Over Your Head"

"Push"

"Modern Day King"

Drum Solo

"Don't Take No For An Answer"

"Don't Take No For An Answer"

"Shining Love"

"Shining Love"

"Judgement Day"

Whisky A Go Go is located at 8901 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, California.