I was on hand for the Boston date of their farewell tour, so I decided to share a short Porno For Pyros review with you.
Dubbed the Horns, Thorns en Halos tour, the Perry Farrell-led project was first slated to play Boston in the fall of 2023. Tour dates were rescheduled to 2024 when founding bassist Martin LeNoble bowed out of the band’s latest revival, leaving them on amicable terms. That made the reunion tour a farewell tour, with former replacement bassist and thump staff legend Mike Watt rejoining the outfit for the goodbye run.
In other words, the best possible scenario for fans of the band.
I was on board with Porno For Pyros from the jump. Don’t get me wrong: I love Jane’s Addiction, too. But by the time I really started getting into alternative music in the early ’90s, that band had already called it quits. So when their frontman announced a new project in 1993, I was interested. The first single, “Pets,” and the accompanying music video, were a standout for me in ’93.
That self-titled debut album has gone on to become a summer soundtrack of sorts. It’s very much “early ’90s L.A.” in its sonic vibe and lyrical content. I dust it off at least once a year. Ditto on the follow up, Good God’s Urge. Same personnel as the debut, expect with the aforementioned Mike Watt in the mix for a couple of tracks. And when Mr. Watt is in the mix, that’s when the magic happens.
Porno For Pyros Review: A Boston Tea Party With Perry
When the band took the House of Blues stage on a rainy Tuesday night, Watt was dressed for the occasion. Sporting a bucket hat and windbreaker, he was dressed for foul weather. He was also sitting down in a swivel chair, which made for a convenient live dynamic: he was able to pivot toward the crowd, or toward Perry to match his energy, or to Stephen Perkins to really get into the groove.
Perkins and Watt. Arguably the best alt-rock rhythm section of the ’90s. Which is saying something, as they only played on one album together. And it was a side project! But they’re both so talented individually that, when they combine powers, it’s a force of nature. A Marvel Team-Up. They’re up there with Soundgarden‘s Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd or Tool‘s Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor.
The two provided the perfect backdrop for Porno For Pyros guitarist Peter DiStefano’s riffs and solos. DiStefano even broke out the bow for a couple of songs, Jimmy Page-style. And with all that talent providing the foundation, Perry Farrell built a set of songs pulled from both albums, the new single “Agua,” and even a Stooges cover as a hat-tip to Watt’s time in the legendary punk band.
Perry’s hat was a wide-brimmed fedora, and his suit seemed of the zoot variety. His wife Etty, as always, was stage left, dancing and singing. The two would serenade each other at times, which was adorable. Touring keyboard player Robin Hatch was the X-factor, providing the sonic elements that helped the band bring the songs to life in the way fans remember them from the albums.
I almost want to say it’s sad to say goodbye to Porno For Pyros, but if you’re a fan of Perry Farrell and his many musical undertakings, you know it’s never really goodbye. It’s see you later, somewhere in the future, in some other of his 100 ways.
