Goldfinger & A

Although it was a bit early for the normal crowd, The Brick filled quickly with newbies and old familiar faces Saturday night for Goldfinger’s much-heralded return to Chico. At the 6 PM start time, the crowd was a bit thin still, but not bad, when A came out on stage. A is a punk / alt band from London, and quickly filled the room with their catchy brand of music. With one guitar, a bass, a keyboard, a drummer, and a singer the stage seemed somewhat crowded, but the crowd didn’t mind as the veterans of many a Lake Tahoe show played good, fast songs, coupled with their high-energy singer. The combination proved to be good. They rocked through a set of old and new songs that had the crowd jumping and singing along. Not knowing what to expect out of them, I was thoroughly impressed by the well put-together rock they pumped out for their entire half-hour set. Unfortunately, all energy they built up in the crowd was killed by the half-hour set-up between bands.

Despite this lack of energy and long set change, the now doubled crowd roared when Goldfinger finally hit the stage. They launched right into the night with a high-powered "Mind’s Eye," off their self-titled album, and raced through a power-packed set, including "Here in Your Bedroom," "Chris Cayton," and "I’m Dreaming of A White Christmas." The chemistry was good, and despite John’s tendency to make lame jokes, the crowd participation and energy were awesome. Twice, John dove into the crowd while singing and surfed without missing a beat. Crowd surfers were welcomed to join in the fun onstage, and Chris even attempted to let some random girl play his guitar; he kicked her off when she tried to play at the top of the neck. Oh well, not everyone can have talent. They also complained of being lonely and invited anyone who could, to get up there onstage and sing along with "Mable." The stage was immediately packed with fans and friends, who belted out the lyrics in what was one of the more memorable moments of any concert I’ve ever been to.

All in all, this was one of the better shows I’ve ever been to, and I hope Goldfinger returns on another date when their time isn’t constrained by the weekly teenie-bopper raves that The Brick rakes in the cash on. For all of you who are just finding out about the show here, or missed it for whatever reason, shame on you! This was the second-best concert of the year here in Chico, and there was no excuse for missing it. Next time, plan ahead, so you don’t miss all the fun-filled antics which made this concert so enjoyable.

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