Warrior Soul exploded out of New York City in 1990 with their legendary debut record Last Decade Dead Century. Over the course of their first three records, frontman Kory Clarke led the band through punk-laced, politically charged rock that stood apart from every other band. By 1994 the band had undergone a few lineup changes and slightly changed their sound for album #5, The Space Age Playboys. Clarke and the current lineup of Warrior Soul are celebrating the 30th anniversary of that unique record and opened the US portion of the tour in Hamden, CT. Please scroll below for the exclusive MisplacedStraws Warrior Soul live photos and review.
The first portion of the set consisted of The Space Age Playboys record played in its entirety. It was very apparent as Clarke led the current lineup featuring Christian Kimmett on bass, John Besser on drums, Rille Lundell and Andrew Janda on guitars through the opening salvo of “Rocket Engines”, “The Drug”, and “Let’s Get Wasted” that he has lost none of the energy and adrenaline that made him a rock star. Owning the stage as an amalgamation of Johnny Rotten, David Johansen, and Axl Rose, Clarke is impossible to look away from as he roars through the record.
Clarke commented on the sparseness and low energy of the crowd a few times. Unfortunately, a cold New England night after a snowy day will sometimes keep the crowds small. Despite his comments, Clarke and his band performed like it was a packed house, putting all they had into every song. A few times through the night, Clarke pointed out how these thirty-year old songs still mirror the world and political climate we live in. Make no mistake, Warrior Soul was raging against the machine long before it was cool.
The main set ended with “Fightin’ The War”, and then the band began to have a little fun. Acknowledging a birthday of a fan in the crowd, they deviated from the planned set for her requests. The 2009 track “Fuck The Pigs”, although unrehearsed, was delivered with ferocity, along with classics “Punk and Belligerent”, “Love Destruction”, and “The Wasteland”. Interestingly, and a little disappointing, the band skipped two tracks from its first record that were on the printed setlist, “Downtown” and the epic “The Losers”.
Warrior Soul may not have been the biggest band in the world, but the energy and passion of Kory Clarke is unrivaled. It was disappointing to see such a sparse crowd, but the people that were there were treated to killer set by a band that feels refueled and ready to continue its assault on the system.
