Retirement must be overrated. At least that’s what I tell myself when I think of my meager 401K. But 2012 appears to be a popular year for reunion performances, what with At the Drive-In, Refused, and others plugging in after years of broken-up silence. Jumping on that angsty bandwagon are alt-grunge icons The Afghan Whigs, hailing from Cincinnati, who blasted their raspy "Seattle sound" from 1986 until 2001. They announced just before the close of 2011 that they’d be back together and on the road in the new year.
In light of the media’s Age & Experience vs. Youth & Vigor paradigm for covering the Celtics, Heat, and Thunder in the final rounds of the NBA playoffs, it would make sense to follow suit and extol the virtues of these battle-tested rockers and the enduring value of their "grunge-transcending" (thanks, Wikipedia!) music. But I caution readers that, due to their 11-year break from each other and their songs, The Afghan Whigs might not cut all the same mustard anymore. They might not be able to rock the Lolla like those vigorous fellow buckeyes Patrick and Dan, or even the still-chipper Glaswegians, Franz Ferdinand.
But if lead singer Greg Dulli & co. are even half as brooding, balls-out, and brash as in this ’94 video from Dutch super-festival Pinkpop (and yes, I realize that's asking a lot after 18 years), then there’s much to look forward to in their set: cool, catchy bass riffs, blissed-out wah-wah guitar solos, some slight emotional desolation, and, well, Dulli. His voice has that grating texture, that devil-may-care/take-a-quick-drag-before-I-sing-this-next-verse-because-it-looks-so-damn-cool-as-a-silhouette-against-the-crowd attitude...
The guy reeks of the loneliness he’s singing so fiercely about. (Remember, this is grunge.) But in this ecstatic, angry, unstable way: The sides of his mouth turn up slightly as he delivers his direct verbal despondence, like The Incredible Hulk about to have an "episode." Except we all like him better when he’s angry, right? The emotionally fragile protagonist and wild-eyed, broken-hearted beast are well-balanced in "My World is Empty."
What?! Oh yes, how silly of me to forget mentioning the Whigs are known for their unique ability to blend R&B and punk, adding some soul to thrashing and injecting some cyanide into Motown. They also do (did) covers, good ones. Check out the same song in its original form, performed by The Supremes.
It’s quite a leap between the two, wouldn’t you say? Or maybe you’re more creative than I and can imagine Diana Ross draped in flannel and wielding a guitar. Or Dulli in a leisure suit, picking out his afro...
Bless 'em. As the Whigs attempt to exit retirement, let’s just hope they haven’t cashed in their Roth IRAs quite yet.
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