High Desert: Speedy Ortiz live

SPEEDY ORTIZ

PAPPY AND HARRIETS

PIONEERTOWN, CA

30 MARCH, 2014

 

Preamble: In the '90's...(echo...echo...echo...), when all were fawning on the latest sounds to come out of Seattle, it seemed like every third record I was buying came from the great state of Massachusetts. Not a surprise to me now to see, in the midst of a yearning for that decade, that Mass. is once again putting itself on the map, courtesy of, among others, Potty Mouth, California X, and our current subject: Speedy Ortiz. Hooking up with famed Fort Apache denizen Paul Q. Kolderie, the Pioneer Valley quartet has already amassed a tidy ouvre that pastes elliptical lyrics over a loud, brash, angular guitar attack.

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Speedy Ortiz took a detour into the desert on the West Coast swing of a tour opening up for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, appearing at Pappy and Harriet's Roadhouse in Pioneertown, on the edge of the Joshua Tree National Park. With a fiery 13 song set that covering their growing catalog, the band more than made their point. While served up at a shattering volume, the off-kilter structures kept one engaged, waiting for the next left turn, and besides the innate hooks, the key was rhythm section Darl Ferm and Mike Falcone. In an era of bludgeon, they actually swing, providing a deep and elastic bed for dueling guitarists Sadie Dupuis and Matt Robidoux. As the lyricist and focal point, Dupuis carries herself comfortably, providing quite the role model for her students trapped back on the East Coast. Throughout the set, all the North East references, from the Vermont setting of "Everything's Bigger" to the UConn hoops shout out left one feeling a bit homesick.
Opening with dual salvos from their latest EP, Real Hair, "American Horror" felt especially intimate in the low ceilinged roadhouse, but was merely the setup for the gut-punch of "Everything's Bigger", a regional allegory given, (for them), an almost classic rock treatment. Last year's single "Hexxy" was followed by a pair from their Sports EP, "Basketball" and "Curling". "No Below" was as close to a ballad as we were going to get, and the highest testimony is that any song that can induce cold chills in a small space packed with bodies is well worth noting. Proceedings moved to overdrive, as the band ran through the guts of their  recent full-length, Major Arcana, running "Caspar, 1995" into a full-throttle "Tiger Tank", (or "Tiger Tinkle", depending on whom you would ask...), giving way to the sonic detonation known as "Mark VI", which, in the closing melee, found Robidoux jamming the mic stand between the wires of his instrument, then waving his new Frankenstein contraption around for bonus feedback. The scary part is this is a band only beginning to hit its stride, already brimming with confidence, and ready to take on the world on their terms.

Night Of The Living Malkmus

STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS

NURSES

SOHO SANTA BARBARA

27 FEBRUARY, 2012

On the second swing of touring for last year's Mirror Traffic, Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks ventured further afoot, landing in Santa Barbara for a return visit to the intimate Soho.  He was in rare form, loose and playful, perhaps given the presence of his sister at the show, whom he nearly outed both her address and phone.  He also made time to parry the obligatory 'Pavement' shout out by launching into a monologue about doing Whippets w/said person's mother.  Vintage Malkmus.

The setlist, pictured after video, was adhered to in spirit, rather than by the letter, and a high point was a rousing segue from the new album's "Asking Price" into "Stick Figures In Love" without missing a beat.  Not new anymore drummer Jake Morris seems much more in place with the band, seamlessly locking in with long standing bassist Joanna Bolme.

The encore was the Malkmus tradition of a jangled mix of covers, and this was no exception.  Starting out with Boston's "Peace Of Mind", it gave way to the Velvet Underground's "When She Comes", before straying through Joy Division, and finishing fittingly with The Doors' "The End".  I will update video of that in the future, for those interested morbidly or otherwise.  It was the perfect capper to the evening.

Portland trio Nurses filled the opening bill, winning the restless audience over.  Their tunes were ghostly psychadelic tinged animals that ran loose in a live setting.  Lead guitarist Aaron Chapman was sporting a beautiful 1964 national Barracuda.  Their last two LP's: Apple's Acre, from a few years back, and last year's Dracula, are both out on Dead Oceans.
 

 

Editor's Note: Previous blog post was a resurrected unpublished draft of a Malkmus/Jicks show from last fall, which, for consistency's sake, seemed to work best here...

Stephen Malkmus/Jicks live

STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS

TY SEGALL

Fonda Music Box

19 October, 2011

Energized from last years Pavement reunion, Stephen Malkmus is back to his own devices with The Jicks.  Nearing the end of a US tour to support new LP Mirror Traffic, the band has covered the loss of powerhouse Janet Weiss by adding a new drummer and scaling back on the jams.

The set was concise and fluid, weaving all around the Jicks albums, and then some, working in an ace cover of The Wipers.  Malkmus was his usual elliptical self, stage patter wise, managing to work in a dedication to the late GG Allin midset.

The encore was a generous helping of Blind Faith, dropping into "Eight Miles High", and finishing with Chicago's "Make Me Smile".  Their last LA appearance was an instore at Amoeba Records on Sunset, and the short set there was the perfect setup for the multi-course meal that was this evening's show.

Opener Ty Segall represented the Bay Area with pure garage rock heaven.  His band was high energy and razor sharp, following his every move, with Emily standing out on drums.  The set focused on the recent release Goodbye Bread, and "The Floor" was the highlight of the night.  A band I'd had on my list to see anyway, it was a treat to get them as an opener, and I'll certainly follow up with them on their own.

Come 2012, Segall is looking to release not one, but two new albums, one of which will be recorded with this touring unit.

Uncle Malkmus Needs You!

New Steven Malkmus & Jicks record Mirror Traffic is due out in August, and Matador Records is hosting a neat contest to help Steven find a more appropriate resolution to the line 'What the Senator wants is a blowjob' for the first single 'Senator'...
Put your mind to work, & help Steven find a more FCC appropriate version of the Senator's object of desire. Grand prize is a one-off 7" with your version on the B side!