Particle 2.0

Sometimes change is a great thing. Sometimes it's just pretty good.

Particle debuted its new five-man lineup a few weeks back, bringing in Badshoe's Ben Combe and RANA's Scott Metzger to share the guitar load following the dubious departure of Charlie Hitchcock.

I welcomed the move for two reasons: First, I could only appreciate the old Particle in 20-minute doses, and secondably, Metzger is a top-notch shredder in any scene. Combe I'd never heard of previously, but I was anxious to see how these changes would affect my view.

The second coming of Particle is much like the first, only with the occasional lyric and a rock influence from the two new bandmates. I personally think the whole "These guys are a totally different band" label is greatly exaggerated. The same old rave aspects persist, only packaged a little more to the mainstream rock crowd.

Sure, Metzger and Combe are provided opportunities to shred solos previously unseen, and they really do put on a good show. But I wouldn't be ready with my Most Improved Band trophy just yet (it's still being polished anyway). These guys are truly great at what they do, they really are. But, me, I don't love what they do. I just like it.

Onto the pics...The new Particle lineup -- one, two, three, four, five -- take the stage and launch into the first tune of the night:

Adding a rock tinge to the Particle Proceedings, Scott Metzger looks down at the stage before launching into a fine solo.

Particle's glue is Steve Molitz, seen here below fingering the keys:

And below, here's Steve Molitz after his stint in an Afghani rebel camp when he went by the name John Walker Lindh:

Grateful Dead drummer and one-time Particle co-conspirator Mickey Hart drops by to play the calculator. Or the mousetrap. Or whatever the (rhythm) devil that thing is. Nothing like agreeing to sit in with an up-and-coming band and playing a glorified Simon.

The sudden abundance of the classic Rock/Devil Horns at shows these days is borderline mind-blowing. I love it.

Take a bow, Mickey. I think you just did Particle's taxes.

Ben puts down his geetar to sing for a little while. Particle, now with lyrics! (Well, sometimes.)

I just thought this one below was a bit trippy:

Scruffy Ace and Lovely Rachel await the night's festivities...

A good show, a fun show, but it didn't floor me by any means. They hit some really raging peaks that whipped the Particle People into a raving frenzy, but after a while the songs and jams just seemed to sound very similar. Still, it's always nice to see a band having fun on stage, and these guys surely do.

I'm still putting them in the "Great Festival Band" catagory, a fine act for 30 to 45 minutes, and now even better with the new axemen.

Here's a nice, brief video clip of Prince's Let's Go Crazy from the new and improved band. For good measure, here's another, which should illustrate their new sound a bit better.