Written and Photographed by : Eric Sperrazza
Picture if you will a once vintage theater in the suburbs of Philadelphia that became a forty-year venue staple in the music industry; still adorning the lightbulb-lit marquee atop the entrance. Now imagine that same boutique venue packed with 500 fans on a warm spring night. Creating hot fusion and practically melding those in attendance together, as the imprinted energy of “David Bowie,” “The Ramones,” “Eric Clapton,”and “Pink Floyd” ooze from the pores of the walls. That was exactly the scene in Ardmore, on Monday evening as fans took up every inch of real estate inside the legendary Ardmore Music Hall for a chance to see the elusive-faced guitar virtuoso that is Buckethead.
Born Brian Patrick Carroll in the heart of Orange County, CA, the persona of Buckethead was designed in the face of anxiety issues coupled with heart conditions. The “it-list” guitar hero wanted people to focus on his music and less on the man. An amalgam of “Michael Myers” and a night of good drive-thru chicken, the avatar was born and has stayed as Carroll’s alter ego. From soundtracks to movies such as “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation”, “Last Action Hero”, and “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” to collaboration work with “Les Claypool”, “Bootsy Collins”, “Iggy Pop”, and “Guns & Roses”, “Buckethead” has stood on his vibrant talent and his quiet mystique in the realm of rock and roll for thirty-six years.
As the packed-in Ardmore Music Hall became a human-powered convection oven, Buckethead silently took to the stage with Dan Monti (bass), Brian” Brain” Mantia (drums) and Madeline “Cyrille” Miller (vocals.) The scuttlebutt around the audience was that some fans had been lining up for prime general admission vantage points as early as noon, that day. As Buckethead and friends ripped into the song, “Fountains of the Forgotten,” that same passionate crowd came alive, making the temperature spike almost immediately to levels only rivaled by Arizona summers. Throughout the set, a potpourri of song offerings was delivered with as much surgical precision as the venue and subsequent equipment would allow. A venerable tour de force with the likes of Iron Maiden’s cover, “Wrathchild,” Buckethead original “Night of Slunk” and even the Cyrille collaboration song, “Solar and Lunar Rain” were given up as a tribute to the rabid attendees. What’s more, was the covers of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and even the Rick Springfield classic, “Jessie’s Girl.” Without uttering a solitary word, Buckethead finished the almost two-hour event with his single, “Jordan.” Despite the enigmatic axe-man’s talent spilling over in abundance onto the powder keg of the crowd, the night was fraught with issues. For the songs Cyrille had offered up vocals for, it seemed like her microphone was inoperable, and thus even those in the very front of the stage could not hear her. At one point, fans were telling her, “Your mic isn’t on!”. Even Buckethead, himself, wasn’t immune to technical difficulties as his amplifier feedback was that of a garage band’s first practice on a second-hand Marshall box. At least a half-dozen times, roadies took to the stage, being whispered concerns in their ear by Buckethead and scurried about to try and save the day. Even Cyrille got down on her knees to try and ameliorate difficulties with floor pedals and wiring.
Then there was the accommodation of the press, we were told moments before the show by the band to shut down the press photography area. The staff of AMH, photographers, and writers who were there to cover the show were forced to navigate the general admission crowd. The media that was there were met with militant ticketholders either too packed in to move or uninterested in giving an inch of the space they fought to imbue. The staff tried to accommodate and came off wildly apologetic, but it didn’t make the night any easier.
As the show ended, the live audience spewed out into the streets of Ardmore, drenched as if they spent all day at a summer festival during a heatwave. However, the chatter amongst concertgoers was, by large positive. Space and technical difficulties aside, Buckethead gave the crowd the experience of a living guitar legend in full-costumed regalia. Showcasing his untouchable talent and delighting those who came to bask in awe.
As for those of us who frequent Ardmore Music Hall, there is plenty that could have been mitigated differently, but the vibe given was that it wasn’t missed by those working the venue. Hopefully, the next time a Monday night sold-out crowd arrives looking to satiate their desire for music, the famed Hall will be more than ready to accommodate.
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