Concert review: Dax Riggs - Houma, LA 4/24/09

The trip was a little over an hour in length, and so was the show, but it was well worth it to see Houma’s golden boy Dax Riggs live and in concert. The former Acid Bath screamer has mellowed considerably in the past decade, presently performing and recording solo as a blues crooner. Further highlighting the connection between metal and the blues are Dax’s lyrics, which lend themselves to the genre. He’s still lyrically fascinated with death, albeit in a more subtle way, but he’s also celebratory of life on songs like “I Forgot I Was Alive”, a track that electrified the City Club of Houma that night with Dax’s signature soulful delivery of the titular chorus. Armed with only an acoustic guitar, Riggs played a passionate set of songs from his solo album, covers, as well as new songs. Not a neck hair was in place for the duration of the show, from opening song “Night is the Notion”, to finisher “Stop, I’m Already Dead”, a gem culled from Dax’s days with Deadboy & the Elephantmen. All the while, audience interaction was very high, with requests being taken for the entirety of the show. When this reviewer called for “Truth in the Dark”, Dax played the first three chords, sighed and said “I should have practiced that one, sorry man.” But all was well. He gave it an honest go and gave an honest answer, which is commendable. It was a bit of a shock to see just how humble he was. After nearly every song, he gave a meek little “thank you” to the audience and stayed late after for autographs and pictures. His fame, however niche it may be, hasn’t gone to his head after all these years, even after near brushes with stardom with Acid Bath and Deadboy. All in all, it was the best time I’ve had on a Thursday night in a while.