LIVE: The Used with Finch
Wednesday February 12, 2003 @ 05:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Kool Haus
Toronto, Ontario
February 10, 2003
by Andy Lee

"Are you crazy?" The Used singer Bert McCracken asked the sold-out all-ages crowd. Judging from the affirmative screams, the answer was a resounding "yes." The fact it was a school night didnt stop the horde of mostly teenage fans from making the pilgrimage to see guitar heroes Finch and The Used on Monday.

Co-headliners Finch blazed their way through a 45-minute set of songs from their debut disc, What It Is To Burn. Their incendiary performance culminated in the title track and primed the audience for the havoc yet to be wreaked by The Used.

From the moment they stepped on stage, The Used grabbed everyones attention and held it tightly during their lively 50-minute set. They spared no time in getting the crowd jumping with blistering numbers "Choke Me" and "Bulimic" and clapping and singing along with melodic anthems "Buried Myself Alive" and "The Taste Of Ink."

While all four band members played well, it soon became obvious that McCracken was the main attraction. Donning a single, allegedly "glow-in-the-dark" glove (it didnt) and laughing maniacally between songs, McCracken resembled pardon the redundancy a twisted Michael Jackson.

Regardless, McCrackens peculiar sense of humour shone through and kept things entertaining. At one point, he asked the young audience if they liked the Rolling Stones, to which a surprising number of pubescent rockers yelled their approval. After teasing the crowd with promises of a Stones cover, The Used launched into "A Box Full Of Sharp Objects" instead. Halfway through the set, McCrackens antics reached a zenith when he performed a drum roll-accompanied backflip "just for Toronto."

Despite some minor microphone problems, The Used pulled off an incredibly tight, memorable performance. McCracken even took time out between songs to comment on the Bush administration and the impending war on Iraq. "I believe in revolution through music, not physical violence," he said, to rousing cheers of approval.

Not bad at all for a school night.