SPACE BACON EXCURSIONS | VERMONT | 2022
Photos by Billy Murray
The sky was clear as we headed north from Massachusetts to Vermont. The scenery passed by with a soundtrack of deep house and DJ Premier. It was the first Space Bacon show on the calendar for 2022. It was also their first time playing at Higher Ground in Burlington. It felt promising; a new year packed with the potential to be more productive than the last. The band and crew set out to bring a wild night to Vermonters in classic Snow Bacon fashion, and they most definitely delivered.
Armed with new gear and fueled by the desire to explore, they pushed the envelope and electrified the crowd. It was thoroughly entertaining to witness new fans get their brains shredded while they partook in various levels of spiritual karate directly in front of the stage. There were a few moments that were reminiscent of the Denver shows. After opening with a standalone ‘Wolves’ to set the tone, they dropped into Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’ which transformed into a monstrous segment. It produced a little something called ‘The 1% Jam’ aka filthy jamtronica infused with samples of Bernie Sanders screaming about the one percent. He probably could’ve taken out Hillary if he blasted it at his rallies. Biden? He would’ve been kaput. Take a listen, that madness would turn him to dust.
Keyboardist Chris Gironda and guitarist Jack Willard synced up for a huge build and drop into ‘Switcher’. Jack built a riser in Ableton before the show and he utilized it perfectly. It sent shockwaves through the crowd. They couldn’t stop moving if their lives depended on it. It doesn’t happen every show, but the band and crowd in Burlington combined to create a blue flame extravaganza of epic proportions. What does that mean you ask? The temperature of the heat that emanated from the sound system was through the fucking roof.
Bassist Kevin LeGall and drummer Sam Crespo beautifully executed a halftime transition to slide into ‘Scroll’. If sonic lubrication was a thing, this would be it. It’s one of their oldest songs and almost always leads to the band attacking the audience with an array of auditory haymakers. This time was no different. It went high. It went low. It got crazy. They rode it into a set-ending ‘Prologue’ which flexed their compositional side. The song’s triumphant ending had the crowd engaged, leaving them somewhere in between total satisfaction and a craving for more.
The second set ended up being high quality live entertainment in more ways than one. On paper, Jacknife > Sarcophagus will almost always lead one to choose violence. It’s a thrashing plate of mayhem served from the flames of a kitchen with ill intentions. Right out the gates, it had the type of swagger that knocks squares out of their Skechers. You could feel the band’s presence in the back of the room as heads bobbed and bodies swayed, they didn’t lose a step from the first set. The key change into Sarco brought out another level of darkness with thumping bass and e drums. The drums cut out as they dropped the dynamics. Jack’s guitar echoed through the venue as they lowered the draw bridge and invited the crowd into the medieval depths of Bacon’s metal side.
Jack led the band into a massive Jacknife ending with an enormous peak. He got taken over by the spirit and was going absolutely berserk. While jumping up and down like a frenzied madman on a combination of amphetamines and Jesus Christ, he rolled his ankle and almost snapped it. From side-stage, you could immediately tell. Within minutes, the team had him in a chair, adjusted his gear, elevated his leg, and had an icepack taped around it. At the end of the day, this is rock n’ roll and the show must go on. He rolled down his sock and had tennis ball sized swelling. It wasn’t great. He powered through the remainder of the set with an extra layer of conviction which ensued in another level of respect from the crowd.
With their guitarist seated and his left leg rendered useless, Space Bacon marched through an intensely blissful Dorsia > Monolith. These are the situations that make Space Bacon special. Their band and crew have an organic relationship where everyone plays a part to ensure that they deliver captivating performances in every city, gaining lifetime fans one show at a time. Could they have skipped the encore and ended the show after the second set? Sure. Some people screamed to, “Bring him to the hospital!”, and they were swiftly told to mind their own business. It is what it is. They encored with a quick ‘Parallax’, a quintessential journey into the roots of Bacon that set the spaceship down with ease. Besides an injury, it was another successful trip.
The show ended and the crowd dispersed. Jack was driven to the hospital and got his ankle taken care of. He may have left Vermont on crutches, but looking back, it was worth it because the crowd brought the ruckus from start to finish. At the end of the night, that is what it’s all about. Now we set our sights on The Bowery Ballroom. Saturday, February 5th. The return to New York City. The home turf that built Space Bacon into what it is today. They haven’t played in the city since their sold out show at The Mercury Lounge on 12/30/19. It’s going be glorious. There will be smiles. There will be screams. There will be shrieks (from Harrison especially). Hell, there might even be tears. Who knows? Maybe fans will get to see Jack in a throne of sorts. As always, the story is still developing, and that’s what keeps this shit interesting.
We’ll see you in the city that never sleeps.
