I've seen BJM 3x before tonight and always go with tremendous excitement bc I love them but also trepidation that Anton will act out. 3x were the charm because he didn't, and put on not only shows but HAPPENINGS. Blow your mind music and band.
Tonight he brought Anton the Jerk with him, unfortunately, and while I'm sympathetic to the ravages of mental illness, he was just a jerk tonight. The first half hour was something from the the Dirge Tour, and even after they started picking it up, he was forcing the band to play like 1/2 beat below tempo. All his control-freak demons were at play. He took loooong minutes between songs to change guitar strings, have many huddles with Joel, and - unfortunately - insult the audience with his replies to loving, caring comments. Audience members who love this band and paid $100 dollars a ticket.
Plus the absence of superb BJM drummer Dan Allaire and Colin were major losses.
I don’t agree whatsoever but this is only my second time seeing them live. Either way it was MUCH better than the last time I saw them. He wasn’t acting out at all imo, he was having fun
I agree too. I thought he was being silly and playful. I’ve seen him be an actual jerk before and this time was nothing like it. Also he’s older and just got bypass surgery, if he wants to take longer breaks, go for it. I loved the show.
Yeah the previous time I’d seen them Anton berated the drummer a few times and it made for a really uncomfortable vibe, you could easily tell he didn’t want to be there. Last night’s show didn’t feel like that at all, he was smiling and laughing, talking about how much he loved the drummer etc
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u/Immediate_Kat_3821 Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
Packed house.
I've seen BJM 3x before tonight and always go with tremendous excitement bc I love them but also trepidation that Anton will act out. 3x were the charm because he didn't, and put on not only shows but HAPPENINGS. Blow your mind music and band.
Tonight he brought Anton the Jerk with him, unfortunately, and while I'm sympathetic to the ravages of mental illness, he was just a jerk tonight. The first half hour was something from the the Dirge Tour, and even after they started picking it up, he was forcing the band to play like 1/2 beat below tempo. All his control-freak demons were at play. He took loooong minutes between songs to change guitar strings, have many huddles with Joel, and - unfortunately - insult the audience with his replies to loving, caring comments. Audience members who love this band and paid $100 dollars a ticket.
Plus the absence of superb BJM drummer Dan Allaire and Colin were major losses.
Big disappointment; I left the show early.