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Category: Music

Sonic Youth at Stubb’s

File this under I meant to blog about it a week ago…

A week ago Friday, we caught Sonic Youth at Stubb’s. Great show, as always, made even better by the fact that they weren’t touring in support of any album. Their most recent release was the brilliant (perfect, wonderful) rerelease of Daydream Nation (my favorite album).

I love seeing a great band with a long history free to play whatever they want rather than focusing on the new material. This time around, they played a few tracks from their most recent ’06’s Rather Ripped, “The World Looks Red” from Confusion is Sex and spent the rest of their show playing songs from Daydream Nation. To put it in perspective for me, this would be like going to see Pink Floyd and having them play Dark Side of the Moon. Sheer bliss.

For years, I’ve kept track of the Daydream songs I’ve heard them play (I haven’t missed an SY show in Austin since ’92). I’ve heard “Teenage Riot,” “Candle,” and “Eric’s Trip,” but Friday at Stubbs’s we were treated to all of those along with “The Sprawl” and my favorite of theirs “‘Cross the Breeze.” They even closed their set with all three songs form “The Trilogy.” Brilliant.

They sounded great, enormous like jet planes flying too close to the ground, their feedback noise jams drawing the thinnest line between order and chaos across the night.

I even bought a shirt.

The Meat Puppets opened. I’ve never seen them. but I’ve heard them. After the show, I wodered why I don’t have more Meat Puppets on my iPod.

ACL Fest Day 3

Yesterday was the longest day since we had to be there at 1230 for Yo La Tengo’s set. This is a band I love to hear, and they’ve never disappointed live. The selections from their new(ish) album I Am Not Afraid of You, and I Will Beat Your Ass, played well, but the closer, Painful‘s “I Was the Fool Beside You for Too Long” became an extended feedback drenched jam was the highlight of the set. YLT should have been the festival closer, but it was nice seeing them early before the heat and crowds got too bad.

STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector Nine) was a new discovery. They jammed for an hour. I would have happily enjoyed a second hour. Reminiscent of Particle, but without the Pink Floyd undercurrent (and covers). By the end of STS9’s set, the heat drove us back to the WaMu stage to see who was there. I was not disappointed.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals played a rootsy set with lots of space for extended jams. Charlie Musselwhite came on next with a set of old-school electric blues that got me out of my comfy chair.

We trekked out into the heat for Lucinda Williams. Good as always, especially her cover of The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm.”

Wilco was next for us. This is the third time I’ve seen them at ACL, and they were solid. I haven’t heard the new album, but they played some cuts from it as well as from the previous three. I particularly enjoyed the Yankee-Hotel-Foxtrotization of some of the tunes from Summer Teeth, particularly “Via Chicago” and “A Shot in the Arm.” If not Yo La Tengo, they should have closed ACL.

Next came the much touted Ghostland Observatory, local boys done good. Their insane combination of dance beats, sampling, and keyboards made for a cool and energetic act, but only when the singer was playing guitar. He has a good sound and without that guitar it was all a little too techno-dance for my taste. The laser show was cool, though.

Bob Dylan was the festival closer. Why, I’ll never know. We saw him open for the Dead in ’95 and were left underwhelmed. Perhaps if I had been around in the late sixties, I would have more appreciation for him. I know his lyrics are good (best in the hands of others), but he’s just not much of a performer. Further adding to our early departure was the fact that at the back of the crowd, you just couldn’t hear him. You couldn’t even hear that there was anyone playing. A festival closer should rock, at least loud enough that the ticket buyers in the back can hear. As we walked toward restaurant row, heading toward the car, we could finally hear some of his set. We didn’t miss much.

ACL Fest Day 2

Yesterday’s schedule was such that we didn’t feel compelled to arrive until after four.

We started with Ocote Soul Sounds, a latin style jazzy funky operation that sometimes reminded me of Donald Byrd and sometimes like a Beastie Boys instrumental. Good stuff, and another act whose recordings I’ll have to check out.

We stayed in the shade of the trees behind the WaMu tent for the zydeco band Beau Soliel. Again, time well spent.

By the time Kelly Willis came on at 6:30, the day had cooled into a pleasant evening, and her Austin country was just the thing to bring down the sun.

After Willis, we went over to dig the Indigo Girls set, which turned out to be remarkably good. In fact, it was one of my favorites of the festival, so far. They opened with “Galileo” and played many of their hits, including everyone’s favorite (and mine) “Closer to Fine.” For the last third of their show, they were joined by 3-5-Human, the band that’s opening their tour, at which point they took the proceedings in a more rockin’ direction, propelling the show to a raucous close.

Then, we went home.

ACL Fest Day 1

We arrived along with the fire trucks, ambulances and Haz-Mat team, but went in anyway. By the time we were through the gates, the fire was out and the four injured workers were on their way to the hospital.

This year’s ACL schedule is short on artists that I really want to see, which is kind of cool because it opens me up to making discoveries. I am not among those wailing and gnashing their teeth because the White Stripes canceled at the last minute.

We started with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, whose music is impossibly upbeat and funky. Definitely the best banjo-sax-bass-synthaxe drumitar combo around. They wound their set down with a very cool cover of The Beatles “Come Together,” making them the only live act I’ve ever heard cover The Beatles.

From there, we went to the WaMu tent where over the past years I’ve learned to really appreciate old-school funk and gospel. Oftentimes, these bands are the most fun to hear live. The Dynamites with Charles Walker were no exception.

We caught some of Joss Stone’s set on one of the big stages and then went back to WaMu for some of Big Sam’s Funky Nation and then back for the rest of Stone’s set. She was good, polished and powerful and clearly having a good time. Hard to believe she’s just 19.

I walked past MIA’s angry-ranting-over-beats (some kind of political hip hop) and caught most of Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective’s set while waiting in Hoffbrau Steakhouse’s line. They were quite good, riding a spirited Brizilian native music meets funk kind of vibe that made waiting in line really easy.

Austin’s own™ Spoon played a decent set that was far more interesting than when I heard them at ACL five years ago. After Spoon, we saw Gotan Project, whose Argentina-by-way-of-France sound combined DJs and electronic instruments with tango-style guitar and concertina work to sound like something you might find on a Thievery Corporation record. Gotan was definitely the highlight of the day. I suspect I’ll be checking out their CDs in the near future.

We left Gotan to hear Reverend Horton Heat. I’ve seen the reverend far more times than I can remember, but it’s been a while. I’ve always loved the way he plays guitar, and it was a treat to hear him open with a string of my favorites including “Big Sky,” “Baddest of the Bad,” and “Five-0 Ford.” It was like ’94 all over again.

After rocking out with Rev. Heat, we caught the last of Gotan’s set and settled in for headliner Björk. I had never heard her or her previous outfit The Sugarcubes. What I heard was haunting, often beautiful, and definitely something I would check out on CD, but at the end of the day, my hunger and desire to be on my way were more powerful than her and her green laser that twisted out over Zilker park.

Overall, it was a fun day and thankfully the weather wasn’t bad. It was hot at times, but never unbearable. The only regret is that I wish I had stayed and caught more of Blonde Redhead’s set. I heard the first part as I was walking by, and they sounded good. I’ll have to check out their recordings sometime.

Friday Random Ten

Sometimes the ‘pod spits out a track that makes me turn it off and get out a CD to listen to the whole album. Today it was Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues.” What’s Going On? is one of the great albums of all time. Elegant and searching as it chronicles a litany of social ills, it somehow manages to be hopeful.

It’s also depressingly relevant and timely today. I guess not much has changed since 1971 when Gaye looked at the state of the world and asked the album’s titular question.

Mercy Mercy Me.

Thinking about albums makes me think about the language that we use to describe recordings – words like track, album and record. I wonder what will happen to that language as digital replaces the tangible. I imagine a future music junkie conversation running like this:

“Yeah, What’s Going On? is a great folder.”

“Totally. What’s your favorite file in that folder?”

“‘Mercy Mercy Me’, dude.”

“Yeah. That’s an incredible file.”

“Totally, but what does he mean by ‘fish full of mercury?’ What are fish?”

Or something like that.

Oh, and here’s the ten…

  1. “Chasin Another Trane” – John Coltrane – Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings
  2. “Glamour Girl” – T-Bone Walker – Complete Imperial Recordings
  3. “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On?
  4. “Let’s Make the Water Turn Black” – Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in It for the Money
  5. “His N.D. World” – Mary Lou Lord – KGSR Broadcasts Vol. 6
  6. “Antigua” – Antônio Carlos Jobim – Wave
  7. “Plowed” – Sponge – Rotting Pinata
  8. “Culver City Park” – Dave Douglas – Freak In
  9. “Can’t Find a Way” – Endochine* – Day Two
  10. “Careering” – Public Image, Ltd. – The Greatest Hits So Far 
  11. “Mexican Blackbird” – ZZ Top – Fandango!

Okay, so that’s 11, but there is a star by the one I saw live.

Friday Random Ten

Only two acts with the *’s for having seen them live. The last time I saw the first one was at ACL and the next time I see the last one will be at ACL. And, I don’t know half of the others half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of them half as well as they deserve.

  1. “Looking from a Hilltop” – Section 25 – From the Hip
  2. “Loco De Amor” – David Byrne – Rei Momo
  3. “Swingin’ the Blues” – Count Basie – The Complete Decca Recordings of Count Basie
  4. “Stray” – Calexico* – The Black Light
  5. “Come in Alone” – My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
  6. “Blue Heaven” – The Pogues – Peace and Love
  7. “Mad World” – Tears for Fears – Shout
  8. “Gee, I Like Your Pants” – Frank Zappa – Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar
  9. “Dead Flowers” – Townes Van Zandt – Road Songs
  10. “Song for Mahilda” – Yo La Tengo* – I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Friday Random Ten

Damn, what a collection of catchy tunes and cool cuts the old ‘pod spit out this time.

*’s by the ones I’ve seen live…

  1. “Kiss Off” – Violent Femmes* – Violent Femmes
  2. “Bill and Ben” – Catherine Wheel* – Ferment
  3. “Transmission” – Joy Division – Substance
  4. “Vitamin K” – Scala – Slow Death in the Metronome Factory
  5. “Sparkle” – Phish* – Rift
  6. “She Sells Sanctuary” – The Cult – High Octane Cult
  7. “Bookends” – Simon & Garfunkel – Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits
  8. “Nightclub Jitters” – The Replacements – Pleased to Meet Me
  9. “Flat Backin'” – Brother Jack McDuff* – Moon Rappin’
  10. “Tohu Bohu” – The Slip* – Does

I don’t know how many times I saw the Violent Femmes back at Liberty Lunch before it became the Austin City Hall, but rockin’ shows was a far better use of the space.

I saw the Catherine Wheel at the Bomb Factory in Dallas back in ’93. Matthew Sweet, The Lemonheads and Tony Bennett (yes, you read that right, Tony Bennett) were also on the bill. The Catherine Wheel opened with a very cool rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” Bennett did not cover the Floyd, but he was really good.

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Phish, but I always loved them. The last few shows, though, they sounded like a reincarnation of Zappa and the Mothers. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.

I had a chance to see The Replacements on the All Shook Down tour. I figured I’d catch them the next time. Stupid me. I learned my lesson, though. Perhaps that’s why I drove 2000 miles to see the Grateful Dead when I began to worry that Jerry wasn’t going to be around much longer.

Brother Jack McDuff’s Moon Rappin’ is one of the very best jazz funk organ albums ever. It’s up there with Jimmy Smith’s amazing Root Down. In ’99 I knew that Hitler and Jesus were the ones cut from the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. That knowledge won me tickets to an organ summit where Brother McDuff, Smith and Jimmy McGriff were all playing. McDuff and Smith have since died.

The Slip was an ACL Fest discovery a few years back. They impressed me enough to buy three CDs.

Walking By the Elephant Room

Everyone wanted to stay out of my way while I was taking this picture. I suppose they didn’t want to ruin it, but legs walking by was what I wanted. I probably shot 100 images of people walking by, but these two were the winners – if having your legs show up on some random blog can be called winning – for being where I wanted them in the frame. The little heart tattoo on the one woman’s ankle is pretty cool, too.

I haven’t actually been to the Elephant Room in a very long time, which is a shame because I really like it there. Good jazz, and lots of places to sit.

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But the music plays forward. *’s by them what I’ve caught live…

  1. “The Jury” – Morphine* – Yes
  2. “Swamp Thing” – The Chameleons – Live at the Academy
  3. “Inner City Life” – Goldie – Trainspotting #2
  4. “Muzzle of Bees” – Wilco* – A Ghost is Born
  5. “Youth Oriented” – Happy Apple – Youth Oriented
  6. “New White Kross” – Sonic Youth* – Dirty (Deluxe Ed.)
  7. “Gouge Away (Live)” – Pixies* – Death to the Pixies
  8. “Have a Cigar” – Pink Floyd* – Wish You Were Here
  9. “Once Upon a Time” – The Pogues – Waiting for Herb
  10. “Walking in My Shoes” – Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith and Devotion

So there you have it.