(Distracted dad Paul Kaufman pops in for what is sure to be an infrequent concert review.)
Regular readers of this blog will understand why I’ve been pretty scarce lately: We have a newborn daughter in the house! She’s brought lots of joy, but naturally this means my extracurricular activities are pretty limited, and our baby-centric bedtime rules out most nighttime excursions.
I’ve made one exception since she’s arrived; a few weeks ago, I went to the first concert I’ve been to in quite some time (first since the Ché reunion, actually) to see Sonic Youth play.
People either love or hate this band, and I’m not writing this to promote my own fandom, but the show did make me think of a couple of things of more general interest. First, I couldn’t but help think about the fact that it was over 20 years ago I first saw them. That alone wouldn’t be so remarkable, except this show displayed no hint of nostalgia — they played mostly new material. (Though they never had chart-topping hits in the first place, “Teenage Riot,” their biggest college-radio tune, was not on the set list.)
The hallmark of this show was the band’s dedication to pushing the envelope, and that made it my favorite of their shows I’ve seen over all these years. Melody and lyrics are not the main emphases; they prefer to create futuristic waves of sound based on complex rhythms. One moment sounds like the soundtrack for intergalactic travel, the next is murky deep-sea exploration.
So the name Sonic Youth still applies; even though the band is middle-aged now, the sound comes from tomorrow. As a fellow middle-ager myself, I liked the message: The best can indeed be yet to come, if you keep challenging yourself. They changed my ideas about what music can be and were positively life-affirming all in one evening —how many bands can do that?
So, have you seen any good shows lately?
— Paul Kaufman
More by Paul Kaufman:
Three quick tangents:
1. Last time I saw Sonic Youth was summer 1987 in Hamburg … I came in with an acoustic guitar on my back, my busking partner lugging his contrabass, and paid for our tickets with a huge pile of small change I’d collected in my cap.
2. The Feelies, too? Rock on!
3. This Bostonist article excoriating the venue while praising the bands: high-larious!
Three quick tangents:
1. Last time I saw Sonic Youth was summer 1987 in Hamburg … I came in with an acoustic guitar on my back, my busking partner lugging his contrabass, and paid for our tickets with a huge pile of small change I’d collected in my cap.
2. The Feelies, too? Rock on!
3. This Bostonist article excoriating the venue while praising the bands: high-larious!
Sonic Youth’s drummer Bobby was a friend of mine in Hoboken in 1982, He quit the band and started a new one called Pussy Galore, I often wondered what happened to them.
Saw Sonic Youth on the “Goo” tour in 1990. They opened up for Neil Young in Portland, OR. They got booed by the audience, who was mostly there for Young. I was there for Sonic Youth. Love Neil Young but not the Freedom album so much, which was the focus of that tour. I recall that Thurston Moore’s guitar collection impressed the hell out of me. He needed a few, as he tends to rip through guitar strings quickly.
I’ve been a big Sonic Youth fan for years and have seen them play several times. I don’t think I could choose a favorite album. “Daydream Nation” is an iconic pop classic. Maybe EVOL or Sister. Goo is a great album -- love the Raymond Pettibone cover artwork -- and the song “Dirty Boots” -- well the first couple minutes are sooooo good.
The last live band I saw was the Zeros in September. Moms don’t get out late too much.
Saw Sonic Youth on the “Goo” tour in 1990. They opened up for Neil Young in Portland, OR. They got booed by the audience, who was mostly there for Young. I was there for Sonic Youth. Love Neil Young but not the Freedom album so much, which was the focus of that tour. I recall that Thurston Moore’s guitar collection impressed the hell out of me. He needed a few, as he tends to rip through guitar strings quickly.
I’ve been a big Sonic Youth fan for years and have seen them play several times. I don’t think I could choose a favorite album. “Daydream Nation” is an iconic pop classic. Maybe EVOL or Sister. Goo is a great album -- love the Raymond Pettibone cover artwork -- and the song “Dirty Boots” -- well the first couple minutes are sooooo good.
The last live band I saw was the Zeros in September. Moms don’t get out late too much.
Nothing to do with Sonic Youth, but I saw a great show tonight by a San Diego band. Anybody know anything about The Silent Comedy--or know them? They came to sleepy Monterey with Mississippi Man from LA (also very good) and Worker Bee (earnest and clattery). I was the second-oldest person in the bar, by my reckoning, and none of the whippersnappers even offered me a chair, but I thought it was a great night. The Silent Comedy look like The Band did on their second album, but there’s more of them and they have more elaborate moustaches. They sound a little like that album, too, except much louder and with the pot replaced by beer and the keening winsomeness replaced by bombastic gospel funk. Oh, maybe not. I often get home with my souvenir-CD and find bands don’t sound anything like I thought they did… Still, I enjoyed it and thought this might be a good place to ask if any of you are fans, friends, or otherwise…
Nothing to do with Sonic Youth, but I saw a great show tonight by a San Diego band. Anybody know anything about The Silent Comedy--or know them? They came to sleepy Monterey with Mississippi Man from LA (also very good) and Worker Bee (earnest and clattery). I was the second-oldest person in the bar, by my reckoning, and none of the whippersnappers even offered me a chair, but I thought it was a great night. The Silent Comedy look like The Band did on their second album, but there’s more of them and they have more elaborate moustaches. They sound a little like that album, too, except much louder and with the pot replaced by beer and the keening winsomeness replaced by bombastic gospel funk. Oh, maybe not. I often get home with my souvenir-CD and find bands don’t sound anything like I thought they did… Still, I enjoyed it and thought this might be a good place to ask if any of you are fans, friends, or otherwise…
@ Lou: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bert
My first Sonic Youth show was also around ’88, give or take a year. One great aspect- they were playing at my favorite small club in Cambridge, MA called TT the Bear’s. They did this under a thinly veiled assumed name- “The Steve Shelley Experience”, after their post-Bob (and still current) drummer. Enclosing Thurston Moore and crew’s volcanic sound in that small space was explosive!
TT’s is still there, but for obvious reasons listed in the post, I’m no longer hanging out there multiple times per week as I did when I was a student. I have very fond memories of taking a visiting Matthew Rothenberg there to see The Lyres, Boston’s iconic answer to the garage revival. BTW, they’re still playing occasionally and better than ever.
http://www.limbos.org/lyres/
@ Lou: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bert
My first Sonic Youth show was also around ’88, give or take a year. One great aspect- they were playing at my favorite small club in Cambridge, MA called TT the Bear’s. They did this under a thinly veiled assumed name- “The Steve Shelley Experience”, after their post-Bob (and still current) drummer. Enclosing Thurston Moore and crew’s volcanic sound in that small space was explosive!
TT’s is still there, but for obvious reasons listed in the post, I’m no longer hanging out there multiple times per week as I did when I was a student. I have very fond memories of taking a visiting Matthew Rothenberg there to see The Lyres, Boston’s iconic answer to the garage revival. BTW, they’re still playing occasionally and better than ever.
http://www.limbos.org/lyres/
there’s footage of sonic youth playing in seattle and kids are skateboarding on cop car it was at the gorilla gardens in seattle…i was at that show, i’ve seen just bout every tour they have done…and plenty that i have walked out of just because they played so loud…including the tor with nirvana…i remember going outside and talng to bruce pavitt from subpop and saying to him that nirvana’s performance that night was as powerful as the first time i saw the clash at santa monica civic with the dils and bo diddley opening… i still remember the look in his eyes as we were talking…one night mudhoney brought the zeros and the urinals to open for them in seattle…the guys from the urinals remembered me from jumping on stage at the roxy in sd and telling the people that were booing them to shut up…javier came to me and asked me if i was gay..i said no..he said too bad (i guess he was asking for someone else…hmmm?)…then he goes i cant believe we are playing and sonic youth is here!!!…well you had to have been there…it still cracks me up! oh what a life…but sonic youth always gets a thumbs up from me… love that washing machine album.
there’s footage of sonic youth playing in seattle and kids are skateboarding on cop car it was at the gorilla gardens in seattle…i was at that show, i’ve seen just bout every tour they have done…and plenty that i have walked out of just because they played so loud…including the tor with nirvana…i remember going outside and talng to bruce pavitt from subpop and saying to him that nirvana’s performance that night was as powerful as the first time i saw the clash at santa monica civic with the dils and bo diddley opening… i still remember the look in his eyes as we were talking…one night mudhoney brought the zeros and the urinals to open for them in seattle…the guys from the urinals remembered me from jumping on stage at the roxy in sd and telling the people that were booing them to shut up…javier came to me and asked me if i was gay..i said no..he said too bad (i guess he was asking for someone else…hmmm?)…then he goes i cant believe we are playing and sonic youth is here!!!…well you had to have been there…it still cracks me up! oh what a life…but sonic youth always gets a thumbs up from me… love that washing machine album.
saw SY at the Jerry Hererra House of Fun and Profit on the Sister tour. LOVED THEM! Thurston poked his guitar neck through the ceiling tiles and they played all their best tunes.
Saw them the next year at CMJ when they put out Daydream Nation and after the opener (Teenage Riot), got bored and never intently listened to them again.
Last music I saw live was Roscoe Robinson and Hermon Hitson. a lot of fun. went with my mom. she almost got thrown out by security, but that is another story. We also take our son to see a lot of live music, but the repertoire is more “I had a little turtle” and “Wake up lions!” than “Paint it black.”
My dad was Kim Gordon’s landlord, but that’s about it for my SY connection. She always paid her rent on time, fwiw.
>>went with my mom. she almost got thrown out by security, but that is another story.
Megan: A story I want to hear!! 🙂
>>went with my mom. she almost got thrown out by security, but that is another story.
Megan: A story I want to hear!! 🙂
I saw Sonic Youth open for Neil Young and Crazy Horse at the Cow Palace. They played their guitars haphazardly w/drum sticks really f*#@ing loud. Neil Young and CH emulated SY’s freakout jams.
I’ve got a bootleg video from when Hair Theatre played w/Sonic Youth (yes!) There’s a part where, in the middle of the set, they stick a tape in a boombox and play that while they change their guitars in a languorous fashion. Talent AND showmanship.
I saw Sonic Youth open for Neil Young and Crazy Horse at the Cow Palace. They played their guitars haphazardly w/drum sticks really f*#@ing loud. Neil Young and CH emulated SY’s freakout jams.
I’ve got a bootleg video from when Hair Theatre played w/Sonic Youth (yes!) There’s a part where, in the middle of the set, they stick a tape in a boombox and play that while they change their guitars in a languorous fashion. Talent AND showmanship.
The only time, alas, I saw SY was at Bumbershoot in Seattle; it was an afternoon show at the stadium, so they chose to mellow out. Fortunately, the opener (hand-picked by SY) was Sleater-Kinney, which didn’t (Carrie even got mad at some hackysackers).
A review of the final S-K show:
http://www.seattlepi.com/pop/281112_sleater14.html
The only time, alas, I saw SY was at Bumbershoot in Seattle; it was an afternoon show at the stadium, so they chose to mellow out. Fortunately, the opener (hand-picked by SY) was Sleater-Kinney, which didn’t (Carrie even got mad at some hackysackers).
A review of the final S-K show:
http://www.seattlepi.com/pop/281112_sleater14.html
As far as good shows lately: whenever I do get out of my cave, I tend to obsess on one or two bands. In the 90’s it was the Greyboy Allstars. Lately I’ve seen the Bay Area Afrobeat group Albino a bunch of times. It’s a big band, with horns, percussion, costumes and even minimal dance steps. They are jazzy and funky. They follow the tradition laid down by Fela Kuti, who worked with Tony Allen, and they do it well. http://www.albinoband.com/
As far as good shows lately: whenever I do get out of my cave, I tend to obsess on one or two bands. In the 90’s it was the Greyboy Allstars. Lately I’ve seen the Bay Area Afrobeat group Albino a bunch of times. It’s a big band, with horns, percussion, costumes and even minimal dance steps. They are jazzy and funky. They follow the tradition laid down by Fela Kuti, who worked with Tony Allen, and they do it well. http://www.albinoband.com/
I wanna see Cecil Daniels.
I wanna see Cecil Daniels.
the last big huge show i went to was outsidelands in sf with henry two years ago. we saw radiohead and manu chao. both brilliant. but at a festival it’s always chaos.
last show that i went to which i felt deeply connected? mark kozelek at great american music hall. i ended up befriending jerry, his former bandmate from red house painters. kozelek has a certain magic in his music. breaks and repairs my heart every time i hear him sing.
wait… hold on… i take that back, last show i went to was the reunion. kevin and bart and me and james and justin and megan and monica getting a little nuts. good times. nothing says great music like a manual scan moment. especially when that moment includes kevin singing “real me”. especially that.
the last big huge show i went to was outsidelands in sf with henry two years ago. we saw radiohead and manu chao. both brilliant. but at a festival it’s always chaos.
last show that i went to which i felt deeply connected? mark kozelek at great american music hall. i ended up befriending jerry, his former bandmate from red house painters. kozelek has a certain magic in his music. breaks and repairs my heart every time i hear him sing.
wait… hold on… i take that back, last show i went to was the reunion. kevin and bart and me and james and justin and megan and monica getting a little nuts. good times. nothing says great music like a manual scan moment. especially when that moment includes kevin singing “real me”. especially that.
This surprised me. I hope it’s not the end of this hugely creative band:
http://www.spinner.com/2011/10/14/sonic-youth-split/
The picture of Sonic Youth causes me to greatly re-evaluate the appropriateness of their naming…
They look like my grandparents.