Review: Jane’s Addiction rocks sold-out Palace Theatre

PHOTOGRAPHER: Brian McElhiney

Although it took alternative metal legends Jane’s Addiction more than two decades to finally bring their massive show to Albany, it was definitely worth the wait.

The foursome’s ferocious performance Friday night at the Palace Theatre conjured up sights, sounds and smells straight from Jane’s heyday in the late ’80s and early ’90s. From the giant sculptures of naked women adorning the stage to lead vocalist Perry Farrell’s slinking stage presence, the band oozed rock ’n’ roll sexiness for its hour-and-a-half performance, while simultaneously pummeling the sold-out crowd into submission with slab after slab of grinding metallic noise.

Taking the stage at 9:45 p.m., Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and newcomer Chris Chaney on bass came out roaring with tracks from their first studio album since 2003, “The Great Escape Artist.” Both “Underground” and the slamming “Just Because” fired the crowd up, but the real show was yet to come, as the band then sunk its teeth into its back catalog.

Highlights included the snaking bass grooves of “Been Caught Stealing” and the percussive grooves on “Ain’t No Right.” Throughout, Farrell was the primary focus, whether he was leaning down to high-five fans in the first row, dancing with two female models who made appearances throughout the night or throwing his head back and really digging into the lyrics.

Navarro was the other pillar of showmanship, lighting into snarling noise solos while the rhythm section held down the music’s fat grooves.

Best of all was set centerpiece “Sex is Violent,” featuring a near-recreation of the cover of the band’s 1990 classic “Ritual de lo Habitual.” The band turned the song into another groove-fest, stretching out as the audience chanted along.

It wasn’t all ferocious noise, with stagehands bringing out keyboards and a steel drum for “I Would For You” and an electrifying performance of “Jane Says.” But the group quickly got back to its metallic grinding to slam the audience around some more for the evening’s climactic finish. With epic solos on “Three Days” and a ferocious run-through of “Stop!” the band ended the main set on an exceedingly high note.

Belgium garage rock duo The Black Box Revelation ripped through a satisfyingly brutish and raw opening set as the crowds poured into the Palace. The duo setup has become increasingly popular with the successes of The Black Keys and The White Stripes, and while The Black Box Revelation retains the blues base of those two bands, it managed to find new twists in the formula here.

Songs like the pummeling “Bitter” and the slinky “Love Licks” showed off a debt to stoner and doom metal with chunking riffs and wailed, nasally vocals from Jan Paternoster. Paternoster showed no fear of soloing, despite lacking another rhythm instrument — drummer Dries Van Dijck pounded hard enough to cover all the low end without bass.

The psychedelic jams culminated on the epic set closer “Sealed with Thorns,” perfectly setting the mood for Jane’s onslaught.