Photos and Review by Bethany Anna Packer
Clutch set off for a string of headline tour dates in May that made its way through New England, stopping at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence. Supporting the tour were rock groups Lucero and The Sword.
The tour is the groups second leg in support of Psychic Warfare, the latest and eleventh studio effort from Clutch. The disc debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, No. 2 on the Billboard Independent, No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock and Billboard Rock charts.
First act of the night was The Sword, a heavy metal band from Texas. Electric fury from the Les Pauls on stage quickly got the fans moving. There was little to no pause between songs as the Sword kept the pace brisk and plowed through their setlist getting the audience primed for the night.
Next on the bill was Memphis outlet Lucero, a punk rock group with a country sound. Since forming in 1998, Lucero have released 11 albums, but most of their setlist was drawn from their latest All a Man Should Do which was released in 2015 and their first four record label releases from the early 2000s. The packed venue seemed to know each song, new and old, by heart.
Clutch took the stage to a tightly packed room of eager fans. The Maryland natives are also veterans to the metal scene, rallying crowds since 1991. And their experience is clear to see as they move around the stage delivering a perfectly dialed in set. Frontman Neil Fallon is reminiscent of a puppet master who powerfully controls the crowd from the moment the music starts. As the heavy sound rose from the stage, the floor of the venue swirled into a circle pit as if Fallon willed it to happen.
The group delivered a flawless 16 song set including a peppered variety of tunes from their extensive catalogue of music including a handful from Psychic Warfare including “Firebirds!”, “A Quick Death in Texas” and “Noble Savage”. At the command of an audience that couldn’t get enough, the group retired to the stage for a two song encore of “Electric Worry” from 2007’s from Beale Street To Oblivion which had the room singing along.
Clutch never fails to put on a great show and their night on stage at Lupo’s was no exception. Providence couldn’t get enough.