With just a few hours respite to pack and (ahem) sleep, the weekend continued. After rolling north to home from the Hollywood Bowl, the new day started by tacking eastward across the state, through the mountains toward the desert. Destination: Las Vegas! Mission: 3 days of bands and love to celebrate the 21st birthday of Matador Records, a.k.a. 'The Lost Weekend'. (Insert your favorite Ray Milland riff here).
Due to the sheer hell of driving into Vegas on a Friday, needless to say our arrival was somewhat delayed, missing the Opening Ceremonies, and sets by Guitar Wolf and Chavez. Word of mouth was that Chavez did a killer set. File under d'ohh! After finally getting lodging squared away, it was a seamless jaunt through registration, then double back to hit the floor.
Action time started with Fucked Up (from Toronto), fittingly named to meld perfectly with the day. They unleashed a hellish storm of their own particular brand of noise, spurred on by the antics of lead instigator Pink Eyes (Damian), who took every cue to leave the stage and walk the earth like Cain, dispensing sweaty bro hugs, continuing to sing, and generally having a good old time.
Highly enjoyable, and the high point of the set was bringing out his toddler son Holden, complete w/ear protection, to hang out with dad for a song.
A band that made an impact, and it would not be the last we heard of Fucked Up over the course of the weekend. The remainder of the evening in some ways mirrored the previous, and in some ways not...
The final two acts of the regular schedule were: Sonic Youth and Pavement, reprising the previous night's entertainment, but with slightly different results.
Sonic Youth, if it were at all possible, came off even heavier, staying in the same songbook parameters of the previous eve, (i.e. before 1994, for the most part), but spreading the love across albums more evenly, rather than focusing on any one.
Their set culminated with Thurston in the audience with Lee and Kim piling on to trigger feedback the ravaged the hall. Truly memorable.
Pavement also, it can be said, was truly memorable, but not the kind that inspires postcards back home. Standoffishness and seeming sniping amongst the troops could not salvage the periodic outbreaks of enthusiasm, and the show, (and the U.S. tour), fell apart at the end, with Spiral Stairs (Scott Kannberg), stalking off stage due to what was reportedly 'monitor issues'. This reunion was always a gambling proposition, and the cool part is that whatever internal issues still exist, they held it together until the very end. Aside from this show, the previous three I saw ranged from good to great...a testament to a band that historically was never noted for its live consistency. All one can say is 'Thanks for the memories', and when i dwell on the group, I shall surely be thinking of the first US show of the tour, a brilliant gambol through their history at the Fox Theater in Pomona, Ca in April. The stuff of which dreams are made...
There was still more to come, with a special ballroom performance of Ted Leo V. Fucked Up, wherein the bands traded cover versions, as well as a quieter afterparty with James McNew from Yo La Tengo manning the decks. Peeked into both, but at that point my body was in shutdown mode, and it was time to retire semi.gracefully.
In and of itself, a night at the Hollywood Bowl in the company of No Age, Sonic Youth, and Pavement sounds like a quaint time with fun for all...But dialing back and looking at the big picture, it represented the first shots fired of an incredible weekend, for it had the good grace to occupy that spot on the calender right before 'The Lost Weekend', Matador Records celebration of its 21st anniversary, at the Palms in Las Vegas.
The next three installments will take care of that action, so now we'll just focus on the matter at hand...
Up first, Los Angeles' own No Age, Dean and Randy making the leap to the big stage with an extra added member wielding samples and adding some extra ooomph to their sound. If you need to do a little compare and contrast, head back to the Coachella 2009 wrapup, and see how they controlled the tent. Bolstered by songs from their new album: 'Everything In Between', No Age kicked off the proceedings in style, adding depth to their sound without sacrificing its quirkiness, as well as laying the table for the likes of a noisefest the Bowl has probably never witnessed.
In the absence of Pavement being on the road, Sonic Youth absconded with their bass player Mark Ibold, allowing Kim Gordon to move over to guitar and add another dimension to their sound. (see January 2010, Wiltern Theater, LA report for more details) The question was, would Ibold do double duty? Fortunately, (for him) that was not to be...
From the first quivering notes of "Candle", (below), Sonic Youth had the crowd in thrall. It was but the opening salvo in a three song barrage from 'Daydream Nation', (also: "Sprawl" & "'Cross The Breeze"), that set the tone for a trip into the deepest and noisiest recesses of their catalogue. Quartet style, they dropped DN's "Hey Joni", before heading back to "Death Valley 69", and 'EVOL's' "Kiss Me In The Shadow", after which Kim Gordon noted drily: "Thanks a lot, we're Pavement from Sacremento". They finished the set with "White Cross", leaving no doubt as to their undiminished power.
Pavement is on the final lap of its reunion/victory lap around the world, and given their spotty history as a live act, it's been a revelation to see these performances. Pavement played to the strengths of their catalogue and delivered a rousing set that leaned heavily on 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain' and 'Brighten The Corners'. Bob Nastanovich made the journey along the pool circle wall out into the masses during "Unfair", and the band peaked during a three song arc of: "Stereo", "Stop Breathin'", and "Range Life", (latter below), before finishing with a heartwarming "Here". A satisfying end to a run that defied the normal reunion expectations...
Thanks out to the L.A. Philharmonic, for going way out on a limb with this show...It is appreciated.
File under: Good God Almighty...These folks certainly know how to throw a party. To celebrate their 21st anniversary, Matador Records has put together a whopping shindig they call 'The Lost Weekend', in the City of Sin for October. Much love to FYF Fest for doing much of the heavy lifting, organization.wise. Should be a corker...
What's also been confirmed by the label, but not yet 'announced' is the reunion of Come, Thalia Zedek & Chris Brokaw's mighty Boston noisemakers from the '90's. Most of the press is focusing, (& rightly) on Robert Pollard's resurrection of Guided By Voices, and while sure to be of interest, it's Come that has my heart.
Which, of course, is not even to mention Pavement, Sonic Youth, Superchunk, Yo La Tengo, etc, etc...
Really looking forward to seeing Belle & Sebastian, Shearwater, Fucked Up, and Harlem for the first time.
Tickets went up this morning, and sold out in two (2) minutes. Luck was with me, & looks like we'll be reporting this one from the front lines. You will surely hear more about this as the time approaches...
As a warmup to their North American return to active duty at Coachella, Pavement added this warmup show at the stately Fox Theater in Pomona on the thursday before the action began. Anticipation ran high, and few were disappointed as Pavement steamrollered through a 2 hour plus show that managed to touch every nook and cranny of their catalogue.
It was a delirously loose show, with Malkmus holding his cards close to his chest and driving the proceedings forward...Guitarist Scott 'Spiral Stairs' Kannberg anchored the proceedings from across the stage...Mark Ibold, fresh from holding down the bass chair in Sonic Youth layed it down in the middle with drummer(s) Steve West and Bob Nastanovich rounding out the list. Westie was his usual Keith Moon-esque presence, and Mr. Nastanovich, having put his day job on hold, rotated through drumming, supplemental noise making, barked vocal asides, and dervishing his way across the stage...He is, in the live setting, the band's ringmaster of doom and chaos concscience.
The songs, good god, they ended up with 31 songs by the time the night ended. 3 tunes in, i gave up trying to keep a set list; it was just a barrage. So I'm stuck more w/impressions than a blow by blow account, but hopefully there's enough footage to give you a taste of the Pavement live experience...starting with a ragged but right version of 'Trigger Cut' from Slanted And Enchanted (below), complete with a bonus false start...
Spiral Stairs takes control with 'Date W/IKEA' from Brighten The Corners.
Finally, one of the emotional highlights of the night was a touching rendition of 'Here', also from Slanted And Enchanted.
The band seemed genuinely touched by the response at the end of the night, and it was a relief, in the wake of so many half asses reunions, to note that they were probably sharper now than in their prime, and certainly playing to a lot more people. Credit must be given to Matador, who's done an amazing job of keeping the flame flickering for years with reverent treatment of their back catalogue.
The night was opened up by The Middle East, a young Australian band that turned in a slow burning set. They also had an early afternoon slot on Coachella sunday.
Pavement will be working it's way through a victory leg across the USA this summer, culminating in 4 way sold out Central Park Summerstage dates, and a final West Coast appearance at the end of September, with Sonic Youth and No Age at the Hollywood Bowl.
One Eskimo was not deterred by the volcano...they opened up Sunday on a warm note, rousing the groggy campers as the rolled out for the home stretch...
Word again about the weather...Saturday barely scratched 90, and had overcast stretches, really damping down the impact...day for day, it was the most gloriously temperate weather i've ever encountered at Coachella. Also, the third day zombie hoard was much less 'fragrant' than years past...
Kevin Devine led an energetic combo in the Gobi tent that was well received. Yet more volcano related cancellations impacted my day, affecting the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, another outfit i was looking forward to checking out, and scotching an anticipated dj set from Talvin Singh, the founder of Cornershop...
I steered back to the Mojave tent for LA's own Soft Pack; they put a nice noisy spin on the day. I missed the later Local Natives set, but tried to make up for my lack of LA repping with these guys, and their rocking set will definitely get me to grab the album...A nice surprise. Still had the feeling of being in idle, waiting for Something To Happen. Shortly after this thought, it would be more than seven hours before i found peace again...
The day then kicked into overdrive with the one and only King Khan and the Shrines, whose festival appearances have garnered a lot of chatter, and it wasn't too long before it was evident why. He hit the stage, resplendent in a gold lame top and tight pants, and by the second song in, he was already off the stage and into the audience...Few songs later, he brought out the Yo Gabba Gabba crew, (must watch video below for those of you with youngsters), bringing to mind what could rightly be considered my very first concert, an amusing park appearance of the one and only Banana Splits!
He then proceeded to top himself by commanding the audience to bust out dollar bills and set them on fire! Yes, with 75,000 people packed into a grass field...Smokey the Bear he ain't, but he does come across as some hellish version of an Indian McGruff the Crime Dog crossed w/Mitch Ryders Detroit Wheels...Needless to say, he blew the tent apart, and really had to be seen to be believed.
Detroit area smooth soul sensation Mayer Hawthorne hit the Gobi stage shortly after 3 with a full band that added a sparkling Motown.esque burst of energy to the songs from his debut album.
I was pleasantly surprised that the tent was packed for his gig, a testimony to his twitter mobilization, and the good rep of his label Stones Throw records, no doubt.
Obviously in a new era when an artist pimps his Twitter feed (@MayerHawthorne) in a song intro.
Hella hard to tear myself away from Mr. Hawthorne's tent revival, but there was no stopping the block party that was De La Soul, tearing up the Main Stage...I got there right in time to see the whole field turn into a whirling mess as they layed down 'A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturday'. Hip Hop 101 for all who aspired that weekend, it was the crafty veterans that took care of the business, ending the set with a tribute to Run DMC...
As the De La Soul crowd cleared, i took advantage and manuevered down in front to stake out some prime real estate for Hoboken's own Yo La Tengo. In another victory for the vets, the indie crew hit the stage early and with a hail of feedback, storming into 'Big Day Coming', and twisting through a set that touched on all the bases of their varied career.
Many questioned why they were on the Main Stage, and more hyped bands were seemingly exiled to the outdoor stage, but their fearless set answered every question, veering from chamber pop to pure noise...
High point was the endgame of their set, a juxtaposition of 'You Can Have It All', a George McRae cover that featured Georgia stepping out from behind the drums to carry the song on the organ, while James & Ira abandoned their instruments to do a total Gladys Knight & the Pips routine, following a shout out to Sly Stone...(video below).
They closed the set with a stunning version of 'Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind', paced by Ira's manic shredding, blowing it out past the 12 minute mark, leaving the audience breathless. The yin and the yang of Yo La Tengo...
The Main Stage onslaught continued with Spoon, from Austin, TX. Led by Britt Daniel, they overcame a rocky start being dumped by a major label, managed to regroup and find a home on NC indie Merge Records, and have hit a hot streak with their last three records: 'Gimme Fiction', 'Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga', and the January release, 'Transference'.
The audience gave them a conquering hero's welcome, and they assayed a set of brutally chopped angular tunes...
With much regret, I left my wondrous perch on the barrier of the Main Stage, and traced a circuitous path along the perimeter of the fence, and towards the back of the festival grounds, walking briskly, then jogging, and finally flat out running towards the tent that was my destination, a rendezvous i thought i'd never be making...
Ladies and Gentlemen: Sly & The Family Stone... Or Not...
In retrospect, what in the hell was i thinking... Sly's only rival for cancellations/no shows in the '70's was George Jones. Sweated out some time until the inevitable 'delay' announcement, watched the crowd visibly sag, then had a good long laugh at myself. It ocurred to me that i recalled reading an article about a journalist trying to interview Sly that ended up being titled something like: 'And I Keep Waiting for Sly'...hmph...
Redemption came in the form of Pavement...As witnessed in a warmup show at the Fox Theater in Pomona thursday night, the reunited unit is in fine fettle. (complete coverage in an upcoming post).
Thoroughly drained in both the body/soul and camera battery/flash card departments, I skirted the edges of the mammoth turnout for the band Thom Yorke put together to support his solo record, 'The Eraser'. Teeming with great musical minds, but perhaps most notable for sporting Flea, the group added a welcome funkiness to a claustrophic laptop record, (in the very nicest sense), bringing new layers to the tunes...
It was a welcome bookend, having seen Radiohead at my very first Coachella, so many years ago...Yorke's siren song seemed a fitting soundtrack to my exit strategy from the desert.
Final thoughts: Interestingly enough, this seemed like the year Coachella finally came into it's own, eschewing the major celebrity bookings in favor of a micro.focus on the music. It's daring economic strategy, going to 3 day passes only, away from single day tickets, seemed foolhardy at first, but came up a cropper as the show sold out completely. What next? Rumors for the '11 lineup are already flying...but at this juncture, i'm shutting them out in favor of savoring what has just past...
Sooner or later we had to tackle the elephant in the room that is: THE REUNION TOUR...how do you feel when your beloved gets it back together and hits the road...sometimes breathtaking, sometimes not so much. Are you just so overjoyed to get the chance you thought you missed, so you hold your nose while the band dashes towards it suitcases full of cash, or is it something else. Especially now that the college rock into 90's alt explosion crews are looking at their options...
So the one i've been waiting, hoping, and praying for is finally coming to pass. Ladies and gentlemen, the return of Pavement...First announced show was Summerstage in Central Park for September '10, which quickly turned into multiple shows when the first one sold out in 2 (two) minutes...(AKA, while i was debating pulling the trigger...)
Anyway, this was followed up pretty quickly by the announcement for them curating ATP (All Tomorrow's Parties, Minehead, England) next May. Woot!
Interesting part about this has been the concerted groundswell built up by Matador's impeccable trawling through the catalog, album by album...raising the bar for the deluxe reissue thing by throwing out great packages bursting at the seams with bonus tracks, (full discs worth) while maintaining that value for dollar thang...
Isn't it a weentzy bit early to start speculating about Coachella 2010? Hee hee...that was the ultimate decider for me, given the on/off again rumor mongering...Apparently, Offers have been tendered...we will see, we will see...
PS...as a bonus, Pitchfork TV is currently running the Pavement doc 'Slow Century' in all its glory...
After finally getting lodging squared away, it was a seamless jaunt through registration, then double back to hit the floor.
Highly enjoyable, and the high point of the set was bringing out his toddler son Holden, complete w/ear protection, to hang out with dad for a song.
