Queens of the Stone Age Live at La Zona Rosa SXSW

Call it a victory lap of sorts, Queens of the Stone Age all but took over their pocket of Austin tonight. They brought some of the longest lines imaginable for those trying to see them perform, and the venue was packed from wall to wall. Although the band is known for taking a form of stoner rock to the highest reaches it had seen in the mainstream, tonight the performance was entirely centered on their first, self-titled album. Just seeing a special re-release, the music blasted out with more of a 70’s hard rock style. Along with Dean Fertita (known by some for sharing duties in The Dead Weather) and long-running drummer Joey Castillo, the band’s performance was crisp. Each power chord stabbed out with authority and Homme’s voice still perfectly straddles the line between sing and shout. Jack White could be seen watching from just aside the mixing board.