Live: Sonic Youth

Anyone who hasn't given up on this blog...god bless you. It's been a long stretch with no updates; that last Flashback is starting to grow mould, I think...Phil hasn't written anything new since about the time I realized that Raine Maida used up all his talent years ago (trust me, it HAS been that long). In fact...he might seriously be dead.

We're looking into it. >.>

Despite the questionable life status of the founder of WHYH, however, we have decided to push onwards. We have also decided to continue his neverending battle against Pitchfork, or "The Devil", as he used to say (Ohoh, we sure had some good times...we'll miss him, we will). That's another story, however, and completely irrelevant to the remainder of this piece.

The point of all this, I suppose, and one which I would have rambled over to eventually, was that Sonic Youth will never play Alberta. Ever. So, following that whole Mountain & Muhammad visiting each other in some random arrangement analogy, I took a trip down to Seattle to watch the 'Youth rock it up at the Moore Theatre. And ohoh, is that city wonderful and beautiful and everything I could have imagined it to be. However, that's ALSO not the point of this article. Let it just be said that my suitcase came back twice as heavy, full of music-ey goodness. (Wipers Rarities 45", anyone?)

Despite the fact that their name might now be considered ironic (Ohoh, youth...), the band was absolutely incredible. Whatever Pitchfork said about Rather Ripped, the album plays incredibly well live...thus proving that once again, those jaded critics have their heads up their rear ends. (Philip's dying wish WILL be carried out, dammit!)

Even though they only played two older songs, the crowd was still nothing less that ecstatic about the whole show, which was wonderfully executed and incredible to watch. Especially the 10-minute noise-collage that constituted the end of the second encore. XD (You haven't lived till you've seen a guitarist drop the guitar on its head in order to coax feedback, while another drags it around upside down on the floor, the bassist fiddles with the rig, and the drummer just goes ahead and holds it all together while doing his own thing.)

After the show, I stuck around and got to talk with Lee and Thurston for a while...and I really have to say this straight for anyone that might have any doubts: they were nothing short of incredibly friendly, down to earth, and totally cool. After how long they've been onstage, and hearing people tell them how amazing they are, it's definitely a feat to be so approachable.



So, to sum it all up, Seattle might be the greatest city ever built, Awesome Colour opened for the 'Youth, and were quite good (what a tough opening gig, though...>.>), Sonic Youth rock so hard that I think I have bruises just from listening to the awesomeness live, and Thurston and Lee might just be the coolest people since the guy that invented sliced bread.

So, all around, good times on the whole. Well, minus the Phil being dead part...the fight against indie elitism will continue in his memory, and we'll miss the big guy.

Well...if we ever get around to it. Probably.