Cortez/Worshipper/Curse The Son Live 11/22/24
by Mark ‘Yeti’ Richard · Published November 24, 2024 · Updated November 24, 2024
Live at Deep Cuts in Medford, Massachusetts, USA *November 22nd 2024*
Deep Cuts in Medford, Massachusetts is about an hour and ten minute drive from where I live. I have never been to this particular club before and was excited about this show. The drive to the place was no problem, it was close off of the highway and easy to find. However, the parking situation was a bit tricky. I was able to find a parking lot across from the club but finding a spot was a little bit difficult. Lo and behold, after circling around a couple of times, I was able to find a spot. Inside of Deep Cuts was cool. They had an area for the bands to sell their merch and a nice room for food and drinks. They had a separate room for the stage and music to happen. It was a nice little spot and pretty clean too.
The lineup to this show was great! I was wanting to see Cortez play live now for many years. Different circumstances didn’t allow for that to happen until now, in which I was grateful for. This was their record release show for their latest, Thieves And Charlatans (review here) which came out last month on Ripple Music. I was able to chat with the guys in Cortez before the show started and they were super cool and very friendly. They seemed very excited to play the show and grateful for everyone that was there.
CORTEZ
The moment I have been waiting for! I planted myself in the front of the stage eagerly waiting for the band to perform. The quintet features Matt Harrington on vocals, Scott O’Dowd on guitar, Alasdair Swan on guitar, Jay Furlo on bass and Kyle Rasmussen on drums. Their latest album Thieves and Charlatans has been growing on me since it was released last month. With every listen, I enjoy the record more and more and hear things about it that I didn’t pick up on previous listens. For me, those are the best albums that never get old because the density of the music and each song is so elaborate, that it just sinks in deeper and deeper every time. This has been my experience with Cortez’s Thieves And Charlatans. It’s a fantastic record that needs to be played many times for the full audio experience and effect.
To my delight, Cortez played the album in its entirety, from start to finish. It was absolutely amazing! From the first notes of “Gimme Danger”, I knew I was in for a treat! The sound was phenomenal! The band played these songs very precise to what beholds on the record. “Leaders Of Nobody” and “Stove Up” rocked with absolute conviction and energy. Matt Harrington’s vocals sounded fantastic throughout the set and the double guitar attack from Scott O’Dowd and Alasdair Swan was scorching. The riffs and leads were delivered beautifully and each guitarist nailed their parts with confidence and conviction. Also, let’s not forget the awesome rhythm section of bassist Jay Furlo and drummer Kyle Rasmussen. Heavy and solid throughout the eight song set, they were tight and on point.
“No Heroes”, “Levels”, and “Liminal Spaces” all connected with me and the crowd. Cortez is the type of live band that brings out their recorded material with a new dynamic and energy. I always marveled at bands that sound better live than on their recordings and Cortez is definitely this type of band. Again, it’s the sheer energy that comes out of the band that ignites the whole club ablaze. One of my all time favorite bands, Only Living Witness was also like that. Totally electrifying and leading the charge in an outstanding performance. By the time the last song “Solace” came on, I was blown away. I am so grateful for the band in deciding to play Thieves And Charlatans as is. It augmented my love for the album and made me realize how great of a band that Cortez is.
