I always imagined my first Meat Puppets show to be outside in a field on a hot sunny day. I don't know, but for some reason I associate the Meat Puppets with warm weather. On a cold and rainy Thursday night at the Mercury Lounge, I didn't get to live the dream, but the band was still kick ass.

The brothers Kirkwood and drummer Ted Marcus hit the stage around 10:40 and played well past midnight, hardly ever stopping to take a break. Both brothers had their frizzy long hair tied back in an identical ponytail, a look they haven't really changed since the mid '80s. They immediately proved they are still alive and kickin' with the first song, the title track off their new album Sewn Together. From there, the Puppets played an exhausting set covering ground from their entire career.

The crowd consisted mostly of guys in their 30s who all seemed very psyched the Puppets are still alive. One guy yelled out twice, "Long live the Puppets!" which was followed by drunken cheers. The Kirkwoods didn't acknowledge the audience very much, but they still put on a hell of a show.

At one point during my favorite Puppets song of all time, "Up on the Sun," I actually thought sparks were flying off Curt's fingers as he played. I thought it over and came to the conclusion it had to be a metal pick he was using, but why was he using a metal pick? After the song ended, my amazement at Curt's guitar playing faded and I realized it was the glow of sweat through orange lights, not sparks. It damn well could have been, he's that good.

Let me go on a tangent here. One time I tried explaining the Meat Puppets to a guitarist Deadhead friend of mine and I told him to imagine a band playing the Grateful Dead's "Dark Star," but in 3 minutes. I thought this held up well last night finally seeing them in person. Curt's got Jerry's reverb solo style down, he just likes to do it fast as hell and towards the end make more noise. The aging 'heads should have saved their hundred bucks from the MSG show a few weeks back and paid 16 bucks for this show.

I was very impressed with the band, though at times the feedback frenzy got a little tiring. They proved to be excellent set listers, though, because every time I started drifting, they dragged me back in with a classic Puppets riff. "Lost" mercifully saved the neverending hardcore version of "Lake of Fire."

By the end of "Lost," both brothers were dripping gobs of sweat (now looking a little bit like lava). Curt's purple shirt was black and his pajama pants were soaked. I don't know how they have managed to do this for so long. It wasn't seconds after I thought this that Curt showed the crowd his old man grumpiness. He started to get pissed at his microphone and pedals, not even singing a verse to the closing song "Backwater." Cris and the audience helped out, but I could tell something was wrong. He stormed off stage and there was no encore, even though we pleaded. I was a little upset, but I still left the show with a smile on my face. I put aside the ending and thought about the absolutely wonderful and energetic "Look at the Rain" from 1987's Huevos. That song alone was worth the show.

Losing my Puppets virginity was fitting: amazing at times, but at the end sort of a let down. Still, a show I'll remember forever. Long live the Puppets!