Beast in the Field Calls It Quits After 9 Years of Destroying Eardrums
The Michigan Metalhead community shares their stories, and prepares to get pulverized one last time.
The final 3 shows…
With the mighty Beast in the Field calling it a day I wanted to commemorate the end of an era for the local MI music scene.
Coming up with a way to do such was a bit of a headache as everything I came up with seemed cliche, and telling my story seemed too self centered of me.
Then it hit me, everyone who’s seen the band play ALWAYS has a story to tell, adding to the legend that has grown popular over a near decade long run.
So, here are some of the stories…
(If you have a favorite memory of the band, please share it in the comments section below.)
“Beast In The Field are by far the loudest band I’ve ever played with. I will never hear the same after standing front row at so many of their shows over the years. The fact that the worlds ear drums may never bleed again from the Beast is a shame at best. Why doods? Why?!?
Fuck my ear pussy one more time, please?!?”
– Chad Nicefield (Wilson)
“I remember the first time seeing Beast in The Field at Dirtfest 2009. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. That many cabs and amps on stage and just two guys? What was happening here?
They started playing and I was just in awe of their sound and performance. My ears and heart had a new favorite band.
Ever since that show I have always tried to catch a Beast show when I could. Not only are they a great band but great people as well. Always friendly and welcoming. I was thankful we were able to have them out on a few shows of ours.
I love seeing people’s reactions to them. I think in most cases they were always turning heads. They were one of the few bands that created a true live experience. Definitely going to miss seeing those guys. I wish them all the best and thank them for the great albums and live shows they put on.”
-Hiran Deraniyagala (Battlecross)
“I had the pleasure of booking/playing with Beast in the Field in Kalamazoo in 2014 at a diy venue “the chicken house”. Freezing cold winter weather was abound and the beast boys had all the gear in the world. Jordan looked as if he needed help with all the custom cabs down the steps of the house,mind you these are pretty heavy. So i offered to help (struggling a little) and he just smiles and heaves these pigs like they weigh nothing. That’s the thing, all this gear at every show they did was never a big deal to the pair. Man, much respect.”
-Kevin Keefer (Knives are Quiet/The Holy Warheads)
“Hey dude. Did you bring earplugs? These guys are LOUD!”
This is the last voice I recall hearing that night. I stood right in the middle of the room at Louie’s and watched with slack- jawed bewilderment and awe as the two man wrecking crew known as beast in the field proceeded to destroy the place. It wasn’t as much of performance as it was an EXPERIENCE.
It was completely suffocating, and I mean this in the best way possible. To describe their live sound is an injustice. It was like being smothered in vibration.
I could feel the notes Jordan was playing in my lungs as I breathed in. I could feel the beats Jamie was smashing as it replaced my heartbeat. It was immediately terrifying and incredible. I left with my mouth agape, a distant hum in my ears in spite of my earplug’s best efforts.
For lack of better terminology, it was simply amazing.
Jamie and Ben’s Mom
(one of the best metal mom’s ever)
However, I digress. These guys are the hardest working band in Michigan. Lucky are those who got the opportunity to play with them. They are incredibly approachable and their ethic is indescribable. For being the scariest, meanest, heaviest band in Michigan, they sure are nice guys as well. Hell. They even took pictures with my mom when we saw them at Dirtfest this past summer. Amazing guys.
I have had the privilege of playing with them a handful of times, and try to see them when they come around. Every time, their set was akin to Gabriel blowing the horn to incite the apocalypse. It is something that everyone should witness at least once, and I am saddened to say that I will see them only one more time at Louie’s. My beast in the field experience is coming full circle.
Are these guys loud? Yeah. REALLY loud. I can’t recall anything louder since slayer erased the higher frequencies of my hearing capabilities at the Orbit Room in 1998. I’ve always been curious to feel what one of their set ending sonic baptisms feel like, but have always been too scared that it would cheat me of the opportunity to hear my grandbabies cry. I may finally grow a pair and go through with it on June 9.
Cheers to Jordan and Jamie! Thanks for being BEAST IN THE FIELD!!”
-Benjamin Boggs (Drink Their Blood/3 Goats Moving Pictures)
“The first time I ever saw and heard Beast in the Field was at a Dirt Fest. I was there with Rob Burt with a booth for Beardcore. We were asked to do the first annual beard competition.
Rob and I would take turns manning the booth so we could each venture off to see various bands through out the day. At one point it was my turn.
I chose to go see my friends friends punk band. I found myself annoyed and disinterested with the band altogether, but I said I would come watch their set so I stayed…..
That was until I began to hear the droning sounds of this crunching guitar get louder and louder.
I couldn’t ignore it anymore, I had to see where this overpowering and delightful sound was coming from. I found myself in front of one of the other smaller stages in front of a two piece band.
I thought “this is coming from a guy playing a guitar and a guy playing drums?!?! Sold!!!”
“Beast in the Field has always blown me away live. The first time I witnessed their wall of speakers changed my eardrums forever (I think they may still be ringing). In a show review, I wrote “Two-piece, marrow-rattling, soul-powered DOOM” because they certainly vibrated every cell in my body. Their presence was certainly deafening. Their absence will be the same.”
-Jen Lorenski (Moshpitnation)
I texted Rob immediately to come find me and see this band and try not to crap your pants because there we so amazing. I stood with Rob and Paul (darkest hours now former bassist) and maybe two other people. I don’t have words to describe what I felt, other than holy shit this is amazing and I’m glad I have ear plugs.
If I recall they had at least 4 cabs set up and all of the guitar was running through them. Our bodies absorbing the slow sludgy crunches of his guitar. We couldn’t have been more happy to have discovered this band. Didn’t I mention they both have sick beards as well???”
-Jeremy Rush (Beardcore)
“First of all, we love the hell out of Beast in the Field as a band and as people! There will be a mammoth void left in the Michigan scene as a whole when they do finally hang it up, and that’s too bad, but we wish Jamie and Jordan the best! We’ve played several shows with them and each one is a blast, but I think I can speak for my band mates and myself and say that our favorite memory of Beast is from a show we didn’t play together.
BoneHawk and Blue Snaggletooth played up in Saginaw at Whites Bar with Big Empty Sky, and Jamie came out to hang out and see the show (White’s is incredibly tiny, by the way, and Beast have played there! I can’t even imagine that!) Anyway, there was a well-dressed couple at the show. For some reason, the woman started talking to us (probably Matt and Jamie’s beards) and was bragging that her and her husband lived in a large mansion down the street and that her husband was a big prosecuting attorney somewhere. She just kept going on about it until eventually she said, “Let me go get his card.” We were all a little befuddled by the whole situation, but you could see a light bulb go off over Jamie’s head.
He went over and grabbed some talcum powder that was over by the billiard cues, and brought it over and put a small pile on our table. When the woman came over with her husband’s business card, Jamie grabbed it and said, “This will work perfect to cut these lines!” He then fashioned the talcum powder into lines, and, pretty convincingly, fake snorted one of the lines. The woman left disgusted, and we laughed all night! It’s great when you share the same sick sense of humor with another band!”
“We played a show in Grand Rapids (Jon got shushed by the singer of you me and everyone you know, he will tell you about it…) Many van beers and shots of warm Jack Daniels later we followed Jon into a small bar. It was dark and dirty and rad. Jon had mentioned something about the band about to play being the loudest band on the planet. I just blew that off like pssh it’s not gonna be THAT loud. So I got a nice spot right up close.
In my head I’m thinking, wow that is a lot of equipment, wonder how much he’s invested in that, wonder what kind of vehicle(s) they lugged all that shit to the club with. I had lots of questions. But before I knew it, the first note was hit and I swear both of my testicles shot up into my body and I instantly had to shit. I stayed close, felt and enjoyed every note. Then took one of the best dumps of my life.
Although my ears rang for the rest of that tour I was thankful that Jon introduced my to Beast in the Field. That night was one of the best nights we had while touring and I will never forget it. Unfortunately I will never get to see them again. I wish those dudes the best of luck in everything they do!”
– Robby Hartis
(ex Sugar Glyder/Swell Friends)
See ‘ya later Jordan and Jamie. Keep it loud brothers \m/ \m/
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