Line Out Gentle Sonic Soul
posted by on October 25 at 16:00 PM
Sonic Youth’s founding clairvoyant circuitry scientist, Thurston Moore, played at Neumo’s last night.
He wasn’t with Sonic Youth, though. He’s with a stripped-down band (“We don’t have a name,” Thurston said bashfully as the set began) featuring acoustic guitars, bass, violin and drums by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley.
The songs he’s gigging out, from his new solo album, sparkle with his signature pop star melodies and Trans Am guitar lines, but on back-to-the-land acoustic, the heavy Leadbelly roots are loud and clear.
And there’s a second guitarist with the expert Mr. Moore—Keith Richards-circa-Exile- style Chris Brokaw—who trades off with Thurston, picking blues figures while Thurston is bashing out Sonic rock on the low-E, and bashing out Sonic rock while Thurston is playing the blues. They had a call and response guitar rapport that clicked like clockwork and seemed psionic all at once. Psionic Youth.
The bass player broke a string early in the set (yes, they broke a bass string!) and during the lull, Thurston was charming (giving away an organic cantaloupe he happened to have on hand and talking about “a hippie to punk era record store” he used to love.)
I was hoping, however, he would have used the downtime to reenact the last cut on his new album—a recording of Thurston when he was 13 circa 1972 narrating a Terry Riley? Steve Reich?-inspired art track: “The sound you are about to hear is me spraying a Lysol can around the room. There. The sound you are about to hear is me putting the cap back on the Lysol can. There.”
Great show. And it was packed. Could have done without the macho hecklers, though, who seemed to think Thurston’s legacy of noise rock means he’s a macho asshole like them. Nope. Thurston’s a gentle soul. Last night’s wonderfully reckless acoustic raveup proved it once and for all.
meanwhile, gay pitbulls attacked light rail with a wide stance.
Shouldn't Thurston be referred to now as a sonic senior? He's as old and crusty as you, Josh.
last time i saw thurston and SY was at bumbershoot. they played an uninspired jamming session and he was higher than a giraffe's arsehole.
youre right that he seems like a gentle soul, at least thats how he and his wife came across in "our band could be your life."
It was a Sausage Fest without all of the macho posturing from said audience members ... Samara Lubeiski looked as if she was going to garrot Thurston with the horsehair from her violin bow !
@4,
Yes, I agree. She looked miserable.
SY uninspired? Yes, I saw them at the Moore last time around and they were dull. It was like paint by numbers sonic freakouts, predictable. Thurston, take a vacation already.
Who the hell names their child 'Thurston'?
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