Angry Citizen

Sonic Youth @ Webster Hall 2/16/07 | MP3s

Watching Sonic Youth perform live is like listening to a new Sonic Youth album. You know their performance or album will be good, really good, or amazing and never coming close to a disappointment. As a matter of fact, they lull you to sleep with a consistently steady performance level and uncanny ability to nail song after song without giving off the appearance of stagnation or going through the motions. If you ask me, which you didn't, it's an amazing feat many bands will never pull off, let alone for the duration Sonic Youth has been chugging along. They are so consistently good, as a fan you can often slip into a hazy state similar to a person suffering from a psychological trauma. Somehow they appear mundane, even though that's the furthest thing from reality. Maybe I'm the only one that has suffered through "Sonic Youth Syndrome?" But alas, more times than not, by the end of their live set or album they manage to impress me in overt and subtle ways that inevitably shake me out of my "Sonic Youth Syndrome."

On Friday night, as expected, Sonic Youth marched through most of their underrated album Rather Ripped. Of the albums released in '06 ‘Rather Ripped’ consistently proves to be one of the better releases based on its ability to provide continued revelations, while other more heralded albums have worn out their welcome. Pink Steam and Or have grown on me to the point where they have become two of my favorite Sonic Youth songs, which is no small feat. Last time Sonic Youth played New York, fans of 'Daydream Nation' were treated to Teen Age Riot and Eric's Trip. This time around the lucky fans in attendance were blessed with Candle and Silver Rocket. Of course, the highlight of the evening was the blistering rendition of Silver Rocket. It’s always fun to speculate which song Sonic Youth will reach back for and play live. They’ll always play one old favorite or obscure song you did not, or could not fathom before hand. With a catalog as diverse and deep it's often futile to speculate but more rewarding to sit back and wait patiently for that one song. Next to Silver Rocket, that one song I was not expecting but was delighted to hear was, Skip Tracer. If Lee hit the stage, sans Sonic Youth, performed Skip Tracer and exited stage left I would have walked home a happy man. Yeah, a little over the top, but it’s Lee. I have a strange and complex attraction to Lee Ranaldo’s songs and his disturbingly hypnotic voice. Rats, one of the better cuts off 'Rather Ripped' stands up strong against his previous output, however shamefully limited that output has been. I was hoping to hear Mote or Wish Fulfillment, but no dice. There wasn't much on stage banter aside from Moore calling Mark Ibold, Mark Arm, before quickly correcting his error. A hearty laugh was had all around and everyone's attention quickly shifted back to the music. I've come to the inevitable conclusion that it's impossible to walk away from a Sonic Youth concert disappointed. Sonic Youth never disappointed an audience is the most scientifically accurate and proven theory next to Einstein's Theory of Relativity and "Sonic Youth Syndrome."

DOWNLOAD:
MP3 Sonic Youth - Skip Tracer
MP3 Sonic Youth - Rats

Previous Posts
Sonic Youth @ McCarren Pool 8/11 - 8/12/06
Photos: Sonic Youth @ McCarren Pool 8/11/06
Photos: Sonic Youth @ McCarren Pool 8/12/06
Video: The World Looks Red @ McCarren Pool 8/11/06
Video: Teen Age Riot @ McCarren Pool 8/12/06

Silver Rocket live @ Webster Hall 2/16/07

More Photos: Sonic Youth @ Webster Hall 2/16/07

My obsession takes a turn for the creepy. Sorry Kim, blame it on the zoom.

Dinosaur Jr. Nikes

David Cross and Steve Malkmus @ The Plug Awards 2007

The 2007 Plug awards was a disaster in terms of execution but redeeming due to the musical acts and the work of host, David Cross. There's a lot to discuss about the Plug Awards like J Dilla winning artist of the year, but for now I'm going to focus on one aspect of the show. That being the interview between David Cross as James "JJ" Lipton and Steve "Jebediah" Malkmus. David Cross is a certifiable hero in the "indie rock" set as evidenced by his duet with Johny Marr a few months ago, which I was lucky enough to record. (watch it here) Cross continued to build on his folk hero status by portraying "JJ" Lipton and conducting a hilarious interview with a shy (or coy) but game, Malkmus. Below are three videos spanning most of the interview in which we learn so many golden nuggets such as Jebediah's' favorite curse word, dickweed, and favorite curse phrase "we're in a shit storm of trouble."

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Slick Rick The Ruler

I just got back from Slick Rick's top notch performance at the Knitting Factory. It's definitely more rewarding to watch Rick perform in a small venue as compared to the last time I checked out his show in the much larger Nokia Theatre. Tonight was loose, fun and good times were had all around. I'll hit you up with a full review in a few days. For now I'll leave you with a few photos (click here for all my photos) and a video so you can get a feel for the evening. Yeah, if you watch the video your eyes are not deceiving you. Rick was backed by a live band. On a related hip-hop angle, head over to Flood Watch to get the scoop on Large Professor's lost album, The LP.

And now, Rick getting stupid...

The Hold Steady @ Northsix 1/18/07

This is the story of a bar band I don‘t care for. A band who could possibly be the greatest rock band EVER! I’m talking about The Hold Steady or the mighty underdog band that does no wrong, gives hope to aging musicians and delivers babies telepathically. I’ve never been able to get comfortable with their '80's riff-rock sound. Something about it irritates me and gives me a bad case of hives. Initially, I thought The Hold Steady was a Springsteen/Hüsker Dü knock off bar band who at one time was liked for ironic purposes but somehow distant galaxies became crossed, a few planets exploded, moved to Brooklyn and one day people took The Hold Steady seriously. Would Finn be praised as much if he was singing over a three piece accordion band? In the current music climate he probably would, but that’s beside the point. Look, I admit I don't know much about these guys and I'm completely talking out of my ass. Basically, I just don't get what all the fuss and exaltations are about. But they’ve been on my radar for a few years and they won’t go away. I’ve resisted, fought mightily, I even downloaded their albums from EMusic, yet never mustering the strength to listen. I’ve been told countless times by numerous people in assorted situations to see them live because it would change my life. Any band that can change your life with a riff and a prayer is worth checking out but I stubbornly resisted. Until recently. A few weeks ago, The Hold Steady announced they would play one of the last shows at Northsix in Brooklyn before the venue closed for some good ol' gentrification. What a perfect opportunity to change my life and send off a cool venue before it gets a spit shine.

In order to prep for the show, I needed to listen to everything in The Hold Steady canon. Luckily I had their albums sitting in my music folder. There was no time to go back to Lifter Puller and explore Finn's maturation as an artist and the early signs of his innovative ability to flip a classic rock riff on its head and surround it with a tightly controlled story line. As I listened to 'Separation Sunday' and 'Boys and Girls in America' (I didn’t have enough Emusic downloads for 'Almost Killed Me'), I read every single glowing review written about 'Boys and Girls in America'. It took seven hours but I started to appreciate these Brooklyn transplants. The Hold Steady are held in higher esteem than just a silly bar band. There’s no irony attached to their fans fanatic behavior. It’s pure unadulterated love, which is rare in the indie scene these days. So what gives? Maybe I’m completely missing their aesthetic and dismissing them based on an elitist reason I can't even articulate. (We’re all guilty of it; don't act like you're not) Maybe there’s something at the center of The Hold Steady universe pulling in fans of all ages with taste buds for cheap beer. A closer look reveals something more than a requirement at the door to leave the venue piss drunk. Finn’s lyrics have the ability to speak to the eighteen-year-old and the forty-year-old in one fell swoop.

Certain lines fly out over the crowd, drop down on your shoulder and converse with you. A line like “She was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a Christian. She was a damn good dancer but she wasn't all that great of a girlfriend” seemed to make complete sense to all present. When Finn exalted “but I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend. What makes you think I'm getting with your little hoodrat friend” a fan standing near me closed his eyes and pumped his fist in the air violently. If he had more room, I do believe a scissor kick would have been in order. Picture the crowd at a large sporting event doing the wave. That's a Hold Steady show.

The Hold Steady did not change my life. I didn’t walk out of Northsix thinking this was the band that produced the 3rd best album of the year. I did walk out sweaty, tired, and with a big smile on my face. The same can be said for every other person who straggled out of Northsix and made their way to some late night haunt or joined me on the L train. Like I said, I'm not completely sold on The Hold Steady. Would I see them again live? I would have to say unequivocally, yes. Walking away from Northsix I was forced to do some serious soul searching and discard the preconceived notions I was carrying around. Enjoying The Hold Steady might force me to reconsider every band I’ve summarily dismissed for not fitting into my tiny fortress-of-solitude-box-of-musical-taste. You might say this is a great review or the worse review ever. At this point, even I can't tell. And what further complicates things is the fact that I was very drunk at the concert, which as I mentioned earlier was required. So all bets are off. After all this, maybe, just maybe I’ll give 'Drums Not Dead' another spin. Don't count on it.

MP3 The Hold Steady - The Swish
MP3 The Hold Steady - Your Little Hoodrat Friend
MP3 The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations (Live on the Current)
MP3 The Hold Steady - Killer Parties (Remix)
More Photos: The Hold Steady @ Northsix 1/18/07

Video via jonemmerling