Sonic Youth Night Two: Unity is Not Taught in School

Sonic Youth: Vic Theater 6/28/09

Setlist:

She is Not Alone
No Way
Calming the Snake
Walkin Blue
Poison Arrow
Malibu Gas Station
Anti-Orgasm
Antenna
Catholic Block
What We Know
Leaky Lifeboat
Massage the History
Sacred Trickster

Making the Nature Scene
Silver Rocket

The Sprawl
Cross the Breeze

Well, it's all over baby blue, and it feels like it just started. Back in my salad days I'd be figuring out a way to get to Royal Oak, MI for tonight's show, but it ain't gonna happen. I feel like I've seen plenty already, though. I'm sure I'll eat my words when Ron Asheton's ghost rises up and plays a 45 minute rendition of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" tonight. Sirah Sirah.

Pictured above is my haul of Sonic Booty acquired at the past two night's shows; I got two setlists, a cool greet t-shirt, the Bad Moon Rising tote bag, a sticker pack, and a button pack. I would have gotten the poster from last night if I weren't moving. I'd have nothing to do with it.

I was in very high spirits yesterday. I sat in the sun and read the delightful David Copperfield all day over some wine and cokes. I'm really enjoying the book--it's funny and horribly depressing all at once. More on that later, though.

I showed up at the Vic around 6:30. My taxi driver almost refused to take me because of the Gay Pride Parade going on. He kept saying, "But ze traffic!" I told him I needed him to step on it. God, it's not like I could tell a table that I was waiting on that I couldn't fill their order because it was too difficult to enter into the computer. How could a taxi driver refuse a request because of traffic? Besides, it wasn't very bad, and I got there in good time (also thanks to his fucking insane driving there).

I landed a spot almost exactly where I was the night before. I couldn't help but notice that the crowd was the motley-est and most un-Sonic Youth looking crue I could have ever imagined. There were old dudes, really young dudes (these guys were way cool, though, and I love seeing youngins exposed to the glories of live Youth), and a family that seemed to be angrily celebrating a birthday or something. The family, well, they wouldn't have been all bad, but one asshole brother always spoils the bunch.

I chatted up with everyone a bit. People were excited as none of them had seen Sonic Youth before. This was surprising as the front row is usually made up of Sonic Freaks like myself. There was much discussion of the previous night's show (did they play this?), and I (like a drunken Teriesias without his bird cage) made predictions on what would transpire before us.

I was incredibly pleased to see that one of the roadies/guitar techs Jeremy (I believe) was not only celebrating his birthday but would grace us with some glorious noise. I hoped that it would drive the annoying folk around me into a frenzy making them leave. Unfortunately, they did not. They ordered more Bud Lights and cheered during the points when the noise dropped slightly in volume. The band (can't remember their name) played one song that lasted about twenty-five minutes; It was a long drone with Jeremy playing a Korg Synth and some knobs and another guy playing guitar. It was a typical sort of Sonic Youth opening band and did not disappoint in the least. I got a cool pic of Jeremy with laser eyes. He made some really bad ass crazy eyes while he formed his epic drones.

With the long wait came some annoying conversation. Brother, as he will be known, kept asking me for some weed. He showed me that he had papers, but no weed. I told him I had a brick in my sock, which he didn't really find funny. I told him we could do the tap-telephone game. I tapped a guy on the shoulder behind me and said, "This guy needs weed, pass it on." This he found slightly funny, but all in all he really didn't know what to think of me. Soon after that I apparently spilled a drop of my beer on his arm.

"Look, look. He spilled beer on my arm! Look!"

"Sorry," I replied.

His sister tried to diffuse the situation by saying that she did it. "No, this guy did it! He spilled beer on my arm!"

With this, he wiped his drop of beer onto my Great White t-shirt. I wanted to fucking clock the guy in the nugget, but that would have ended my night. As I am very good at doing, I simply let it slide.

Brother and Sister soon began to fight. They punched each other in the face, pulled each other's ears, and talked shit in finitum. My thoughts were, "let's see where this is going," but I knew I was on delicate ground as fools like this can sometimes ruin a good show. Repeatedly, about seven or eight times, Brother gave his brother a beer. The kid was about fifteen and the security guard was standing about nine inches from them. I couldn't understand why they didn't get kicked out.

Then the lights went down in the cit-tay.

Thurston came out with drum sticks in his guitar, and it took me a few moments (after realizing that Steve was playing with the uh, big drum sticks (not sure what they're called). Mallets? I recognized it. Another old song that I had never heard in eighteen shows. "She is Not Alone". It was really good and cool, and I liked it as an opener. I didn't think I would so much, but it worked. Thurston had a real cool noise jam where he dove around on the ground and dry humped his guitar like the Alabama Wildman that he is. I got some decent video of it.





You can hear the Brother and Sister bickering during this video. God, it was annoying as fuck.

Thurston: "We're here; we're queer; get used to it." God, I love this man. It was such a funny thing to say.

I knew immediately after hearing the first ten seconds of "No Way" that this show was going to blow the night before out of the water. The guitars were hard driving, the vocal level perfect, and the band was in good spirits. They were really nailing it. This song was one of my favorite moments of the night.

"Calming the Snake" was really good again. I was getting really into the show, and Kim's vocals sounded much better than the night before.

Thurston asks Brother and family what they're drinking. "Bud Light". Thurston replies, "Bud Light can have its moments." Funny.

"Walkin Blue" made its debut for me. It sounded nice--Lee's voice was clear and tight. The song is nothing spectacular live, but it was solid. I'm glad I got to hear it.

Thurston then said something along the lines of an introduction for the next song. "Poison Arrow" sounded great with the vocal harmonies that lacked the previous night crisp and clear. I really really love the riff to this song.

"Malibu Gas Station"--the kid in front of me said he was most excited to hear this one, so I gave him a tap on the shoulder and a thumbs up. He and his friends seemed to be enjoying the show a ton. This version wasn't so hot, they missed a couple cues, and the noisy part at the end seemed cut very short.

"Anti-Orgasm" is a mediocre song that sounds really fantastic live. It's explosive and packs a punch. Definitely a high point of the new sets.

The long string of The Eternal songs ended with a nice version of "Antenna". I really like this song, and though it's not all that exciting or mesmerizing live, it is a nice break. T-bone's vocals were spot on. It's the kind of lovely love song that makes me want to be in love.

Thurston once again went to his amp and made some ruckus. I heard the "we-wahn-we-wahn-wee" riff that I knew and loved so well, but (I was a little off my game) thought it belonged to "The World Looks Red". Wrong. "(I Got a) Catholic Block" begin and it totally rips from beginning to end. I went apeshit for it. The family in front of me were a bit surprised because they didn't notice much of a difference from that song to the newer ones, but I was really grateful to hear it.

It might be a little bit stupid for me to get so crazy for old tired songs that were written over twenty years ago, but they're always the highlight of shows for me. No matter what the band creates that is new, those songs stay with me as parts of me. I'm sure The Eternal will eventually be sentimental to me, as something like Sonic Nurse is to me now, but those old songs just pack a real whollop that I can't explain. I unapologetically go bananas when I hear them. I don't expect them, but I'm really fucking grateful when they're played.

"What We Know" came next. I was disappointed because this meant that Lee would not be doing any old songs this night. His quota was met.

"Leaky Lifeboat" was really good once again. Sounded almost identical to the night before which was a good thing.

I got my camera out as Thurston was handed a chair and an acoustic guitar. People around me joked, "it's time for the acoustic set" which is funny to imagine. To the best of my knowledge the band has only used an acoustic on "Or" and "Winner's Blues". I'm sure there have been more in the mix, but those are the ones that strike me at the moment. "Massage the History" was great. I got a full video of it and have watched it several times today. Brother can be seen being really annoying in front of me. I wasn't aware that people still made the devil horns at concerts.

I'm having a hard time embedding the video I took of "Massage", but here's the link to it on Youtube. It's actually fairly well done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQv8WRunAB4

The transition between "Massage" and "Trickster" was perfect. I would really recommend to the band that they finish the first set with these two in that order. It worked wonderfully.

With the break, Brother and the rest of the family went through the audience and led a chant of "Sonic Youth". Brother felt the need to chant this through most of the show as well. Thank god he wasn't a fan, otherwise he'd probably have been screaming for "Bubblegum" the whole time.

Thurston went to where Mark normally stood and strapped on his bass. I knew what was coming, and I began to do something that I always feel like an asshole for doing soon after. "Oh--My--God! They're going to play "Nature Scene". I'm a real little girl sometimes. Kim had a nice introduction for it--same as what I'd heard before. It was about NYC prostitutes that had good times tuting before Rudi G. came along to spoil it for everyone.

I put my camera away for the rest of the show, determined to enjoy it with my two eyes rather than my LCD screen. I couldn't believe what came next. It was really unexpected, but one of my all time favorites, "Silver Rocket". I had no idea they would blast this one out. It was spot on and perfect. The middle, well, I always say the version I just saw was the best. I'll stick to that about last night's. It was just a wild fucking romp through space. A great way to end the first encore.

More waiting. I hadn't realized that the band played eleven of twelve songs off The Eternal already. I awaited more of the new only to be treated to two of my favorite olds.

"The Sprawl" sounded exactly like "Cross the Breeze" at first. I had another one of my little girl moments where I declared to the crowd that this was my favorite song of all time. I was slightly disappointed to hear "The Sprawl" again. Mainly because I was fairly sure it would be the last song (since it's so long). It was good, but about the same as the night before.

Then Thurston played that riff that cannot be mistaken. "Cross the Breeze" was floating in motion, and Kim nailed it. She was really the star of last night with three of her songs in the encore. Everyone was going crazy, and I screamed along to every line. Mark seemed like a deer in the headlights during this one--it's just so fast with so many changes. He kept up well, though, and the band, though sloppy, finished this one with justice and might.

The crowd filtered away, and I asked Jeremy nicely for a setlist to which he obliged. Two for two. I almost felt bad about it, but considering most of the people around me weren't total Sonic Dweebs, I realized it was ok.

I said farewell to the Kool Kids in front of me--I also recommended that they go on the message board and become uber-fans like the rest of us. One said that he would. Hopefully a show like that will make him buy up Daydream Nation, Sister, Bad Moon Rising and the rest. If I had seen that show when I was in high school, I would have probably dropped out of school and started playing the guitar full time. It was top notch.

Many people seemed to be waiting for the band outside. I looked sort of foolish with my Bad Moon Rising tote bag that looked a bit like a man purse. I was sweaty and nasty. I milled around and people watched until boredom set in and made my boot a-walkin'. I was going to go to Matildah's, but I decided against it at the last minute. My feet found their way to Chicago's Pizza for a slice and some water. A girl I had seen at the show came in moments later to get a soda.

We talked and ended up hanging out the whole night, drinking at an Irish Pub and talking nonsense. At one point she told me that she often had hallucinations that men were in her room with her, and she would scream at the top of her lungs and wake her roommate. I told her that the local tamale guy might have followed her home. It was sort of funny and strange.

Sonic Youth never disappoint. I'm left a bit empty today realizing that I might get that 20th show in before I leave for Japan, but their tours are going to be something that I do miss out on while I'm gone. Who knows, though. I hadn't seen them for two years before this, so maybe I'll be back just in time to catch the next tour.