I'm a fan of Kill Your Idols, hell I rock their hoodie every cold day in myriad of cold days that I endure in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. I've even been privy to see Kill Your Idols twice in the last five years, which by Twin Cities standards, that's like seeing them every week. Kill Your Idols is a great band but albeit a predictable band. With every single Kill Your Idols release you know you are in store for some fast, furious, yet slightly melodic hardcore anthems that is void of pretentious scenester annoyances. Hell, the best thing about Kill Your Idols is that you might even get a cheesy song about heartbreak and it's shockingly gag reflex free. Kill Your Idols is one of those hardcore bands that sing from their hearts and not from some Livejournal slit wrist, peeling scabs from their souls Junior High poetry nonsense.
I am however not a fan of live albums. Live at CBGB's July 30 2000 is the only other live album I own besides Hot Water Music's Live at the Hardback. I figure if I wasn't at attendance at the show why would I want document of it? I wasn't there for every sing-a-long. I missed every stage dive. I didn't even get the chance to point my finger at all the right finger pointing parts. I just don't like to live someone else's show experience vicarious through a live album.
I also can't fathom why Live at CBGB's July 30 2000 was even re-released. I'm not even sure when it was first released in the first place. I mean the show had a great line up with the Nerve Agents, Inhuman, American Nightmare, and Damage but I don't remember anything significant happening at this show or anything. It wasn't like this disc was a document of Kill Your Idols last show like Live at the Hardback was supposed to be. It's basically just a live recording of a one of many great sets by Kill Your Idols at one of their many shows at the fabled venue in the Bowery.
Maybe that was the point. If you read any sort of punk/hardcore news you know that CBGB's is in some legal troubles and have been threatened with an eviction notice which they plan to fight. There has been a handful of benefit shows this past summer for CBGB's and maybe Creep Records and Blackout! Records put this to help generate some money for CBGB's. I'm only grasping at straws because that one-sheet that came with this didn't mention anything about this being a benefit release so I can only hope.
So yeah, Kill Your Idols Live at the CBGB's July 30 2000 is a decent live recording of a decent Kill Your Idols set. You can even hear the kids scream into the mic. You can almost picture the circle pits, the two stepping, and you can see the crowd split like the red sea once it is opened up during the breakdowns. You even get to hear Sheer Terror's Paul Bearer take the mic in a couple of songs towards the end of the disc.
However though, Live at CBGB's July 30th 2000 didn't really change my mind about live albums either. I think live albums should be left to Kiss and other 70's butt rock bands so old rockers can wax poetically about their ill-spent youth. If you were at this show at CBGB's or a huge Kill Your Idols fan you probably will want to pick this up. I'll probably keep this around because of my own fandom, but if you are curious about Kill Your Idols there are plenty of their releases I'd recommend you check out first.
