Army of Anyone
DATE: Saturday, December 16, 2006
VENUE: Myth Nightclub – Maplewood, MN
WEBSITE: www.armyofanyone.com
 
 

I really didn't know what to expect when I saw Army of Anyone. Yeah, they are pretty much a "super group" – made up of Filter singer Richard Patrick and Dean & Robert DeLeo, the famous brothers from Stone Temple Pilots – but so what. I've seen super groups before, and they sound great on CD, but are horrible live. But from the opening song "It Doesn't Seem To Matter" on their 40-minute set, I could tell Army of Anyone would be different. Patrick's vocals were dead on and not overpowering the DeLeo's bass & guitar or Ray Luzier's drumming – or vice versa. I know this is common at a lot of shows, that one person will drown everyone else out, but I've noticed it to be the case even more so with super groups. That was not the case with Army of Anyone.

Three things that surprised me the most about the performance were:
1. Luzier's intensity on the drums. He was very into the show and was pounding the hell out of his drums. I bet those drumsticks looked like splinters after the show. He was very entertaining to watch as well.
2. To watch Dean DeLeo on the guitar in person was a treat. Amazing.
3. The inclusion of Stone Temple Pilot and Filter tracks into the set list. The crowd especially got really hot for these songs. The guys played Filter songs "Hey Man Nice Shot" and "Welcome to the Fold". Of course, Patrick's vocals were fine, but the DeLeo brothers got the Filter music down perfect. And on the flip side, when they played STP tracks "Vaseline" and "Piece of Pie", the DeLeo brothers musically were perfect, but Patrick's vocals –obviously he didn't sound like Scott Weiland because he isn't- sounded phenomenal.

Included in the set was the ballad, and my personal favorite, "Disappear". Not only did Army of Anyone show they could rock out, but they also showed they could slow it down a bit and still look comfortable on stage doing so. The set closed out with the band's first single "Goodbye".

OVERALL: A pleasant surprise. Army of Anyone was the opening act that night to Three Days Grace, so they only got to play a shortened set. I really look forward to see these guys as a headliner in a smaller club in the future. Without a doubt, I recommend everyone to check out Army of Anyone when you get the chance – you will not be disappointed.