The savages Queens of the Stone Age brought fury and ferocity to the Moda Center in Portland Friday night. Touring off of their excellent new record, Villians, the hard-rockers proved that their live performances still bring the intensity of their albums to the next level.

Opening for them were Rock ‘n’ Rollers Eagles of Death Metal, originally co-founded by long time friends Josh Homme and Jesse Hughes. They pumped up the crowd with their most notable tracks “I Only Want You,” “I Want You So Hard,” and a cover of David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream.” Hughes let the crowd know that this had been the band’s biggest welcoming yet and it was clear that he and the rest of the members were revved up. Their set ended with wailing guitar solos and inflatable AirDancers that left the crowd charged and ready for a night full of Rock music.

Queens of the Stone Age came out to “Walk the Night” by the Skatt Brothers and an assortment of LED light poles that glowed up the stage. Josh Homme’s hair was slicked back as he dawned a black leather jacket that gave him his signature 1950s Greaser look. They started their set off with pure fierceness as they played “If I Had a Tail” from their 2013 album …Like Clockwork. The band was energized to play songs off their newest album like “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now,” “Domesticated Animals,” “The Evil Has Landed,” and their most danceable “The Way You Used to Do.”

Their electrifying guitars shook the chest down to the very core and mosh pits in the standing crowd ensued. During short breaks in between songs, Homme expressed his admiration for the city of Portland, shouted at technicians to turn the house lights on so he could dedicate a song to a fan, and raised his glass in the air before taking swigs of liquor.

Queens of the Stone Age played a continuously high-powered string of songs and slowed down only for the sensual track “Make It Wit Chu.” Bassist Michael Shuman had a suave vitality that grabbed attention and drummer Jon Theodore showed off his skills during an impressive solo session. They didn’t leave the crowd disappointed and made sure to play popular tracks from Songs For The Deaf such as “No One Knows,” “Go With The Flow,” and “Song For The Dead” for the encore. Josh Homme had clearly put everything he had into the set since, once they were done, he slowly limped off stage. But the audience showed gratitude as their powerful howls echoed throughout the Moda Center until the venue was empty.

 

 

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