Sonic Youth.  9:30 Club, 9th and V Streets, NW, Washington, DC.  Monday 19 June.  (With new improved spelling.)

Well, that was a pretty odd evening.  My thoughts after catching the first of Sonic Youth's two shows at Washington's 9:30 Club.

First up was an incident in the 9:30 Club parking lot.  I think you should sue the bastards J.  Not to mention my marathon journey back from the UK over the weekend.

Next, as it was as close as it gets to the midnight sun in these parts, the upstairs of the club was flooded with sunlight on this Monday evening.  It made the ambience, well un-ambient, if you know what I mean.  Then I had to wait ages for the food hole to open - it's a hole in the wall affair that does a fairly decent veggie wrap.  As I hadn't eaten since midday I felt in need of veggie wrap.  Trouble is I had to wait through half the awful Quix-o-tik set for the hole to open.  Such was the line and the wait for the veggie chilli to warm up that it was into Stereolab's set before I got fed.

We'd been spoilt I guess by a fabulous Stereolab gig last year at the 9:30.  Quite a difference when they're not headlining.  It was groovy alright, but it lacked sparkle and there was not an insignificant air of going through the motions.  Thankfully the Anglo-Frenchie gang played the hypnotic, gamelan beat inspired "Blue Milk" from Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Way.  It created an atmosphere, almost a vibe.  But, the new stuff hasn't really seeped into my musical conscience yet.  Perhaps that was the problem.

Anyway, J and I donned earplugs in anticipation of a noise shattering set from SY.  I can report that Thurston, Lee and co were nowhere near as loud as Built to Spill.  That gig was ruined by appalling over-amplification.  Tonight, it was perfect.  Loud yes, but just about right so that all the distortion was intentional.

The band cranked out "Schizophrenia" and "Teenage Riot" which seemed to prelude a greatest hits set.  But, there was plenty of gear switching and SY culled tracks from their latest effort, the forward-backward looking NYC ghosts & flowers including "Renegade Princess" and the title track which live towered over the studio version.  There were plenty of pyrotechnics from Thurston Moore including his trademark use of drumsticks between guitar strings as well as truckloads of feedback.  An added bonus was the munchkin like Jim O'Rourke guesting on bass and guitar.  O'Rourke is truly a workaholic who seems to be involved in at least one of every batch of CDs I buy - and I buy two or three loads a month, a dozen or so at a time.

But, as I said, it was weird evening.  Stereolab weren't on form.  The SY set was almost surreal.  I even disposed of my earplugs after a few minutes.  It was over sooner than the band seemed to have warmed up.  At times I had to pinch myself.  Was I really there or did I dream the whole thing?

Well, we were there and J's still got a bruise on her knee to prove it.
 

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