Die at the Zoo is a live recording from Obits, live in Brisbane, Australia, in 2012. There are 16 songs from the band’s catalog and it was recently released on limited vinyl by Outer Battery.
There are probably two main angles for looking at a live record: is it capturing a time and place, or is it capturing an essence of the band. (And, yes, live records can do both simultaneously.) I see Die at the Zoo as the second of those two angles. Obits themselves are a no frills rock band, recalling a simpler era when “rock” was a genre instead of something with four extra hyphens and a dress code to match. I’ll admit I’ve never seen Obits live, but this fits what I expect: little banter, music center stage, and a timeless feel that eclipses that this is a very specific live recording. It’s what I imagine the band sounded like at every concert.
And while I imagine the band doesn’t talk a lot at their shows, this is edited to remove pieces too. It’s not a straight-play live repeat but it comes across as clear and uninterrupted despite those edits. It’s high energy, raw, and on point, with a couple flubs along the way but nothing that ever goes off the rails. The mix is even throughout, focusing more on the energy of the music than the crowd or personalities on stage.
So what do I get out of this record? First, after a year without live shows and six years since the band called it quits, it’s a perfect time to release this. It hits two hungers in one serving. I’m a casual fan, not a diehard, but for me this feels like a record that I can put on anytime I want to hear Obits. It captures the band’s mood more than the differently-flavored vibes of select albums. And for diehards, I imagine it delivers memories of witnessing live shows while also providing high-fi live recordings of familiar songs.
Much as I’d say about Obits in general: this record hits the spot. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but you don’t fix what isn’t broken. Obits give a smooth, pretty ride every time. And so does Die at the Zoo.
