Or, Random Observations Provoked by Seeing Sonic Youth Live for the First Time:
- Sonic Youth’s show in Asheville, NC this past weekend seems to have served two purposes for the band: It was a logical stop on I-40 as they made their way west toward that music festival over in Manchester, and it gave them another chance to road test material from Rather Ripped.
- Lee Ranaldo, apparently, is most in need of the practice. I noticed him laughing to himself several times as he fumbled his way through a couple of the new songs. They played all but one or two of them, and a couple really came to life. “Pink Steam,” “Turquoise Boy,” and “Rats” were probably the highlights.
- I’ll likely never get a chance to see Spinal Tap play “Big Bottom” live, but I’ve now seen Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, and Mark Ibold all play bass on “Eric’s Trip.”
- That spinning, rocking, jumping-jacks thing Kim Gordon does? She could totally put out a “Rad Mother” workout video. I’ve now seen her calves from about ten inches away, and, I’m telling you, they belong on a woman half her age. 53? Are you kidding me?
- “Drunken Butterfly” (mp3) was the best three-and-a-half minutes of my concert-going life.
- I need to go to more shows that risk permanently damaging my hearing. Bad for the ears, good for the soul.
- Damn, that was fun.