It's the Old Fruit that Makes Wine!

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks: Bottom Lounge July 2, 2009

Setlist:

Polvo

Fall Away

Jenny and the Ess-Dog

Gardenia

Senator

It Kills

Pub Rock

Hopscotch Willie

Bill Fay

Elmo Delmo

Tigers

Cribz

Cold Son

Real Emotional Trash

Dark Wave

Baby C'mon

Dragonfly Pie

I got a late start getting ready for this show. The night before was late and I couch-crashed restlessly. Betsy and I went to Kuma's Corner (my first time there--I ordered the Melvins burger with a gigantic thing of mac and cheese) in the afternoon and could barely keep our heads together. Our hangovers smacked us in the head with the metal they were playing. Food made it worse.

I liked Kuma's. I'm glad I got to try it before I leave. The hype--well, it was worth the hype, but in a larger sense, a burger is a burger. The Melvins had mozzarella, basil, and ham--totally weird, but it worked. I'd go back, but it was so crowded and noisy. God, I sound like an old man.

The night before was fucking wonderful, though. I forgot how much fun bar hopping is. We went to trivia at Harrigan's which, if I were staying, would become a tradition for me--work be damned. I was hooked after the first round when we had to identify the pictures of famous authors. I frustratingly switched F. Scott Fitzgerald for Oscar Wilde. Dumb. I've gawked at Scott's picture many a time--I should have trusted my instinct.

We shot some pool at Alive One. I sunk the cue ball right behind the eight ball after talking shit to some Mexicans that had previously been running the table. There was a stone cold Asian fox that caught my attention, and I did my best to get into her good graces. I though inviting her out for Korean barbecue would be a good idea (she's Korean), but everyone laughed when I told them that.

She, Jessi, decided to stay and hang out. I was getting drunker and drunker, though I wasn't really showing it too badly. We talked and closed the place down. Next stop, Kingston Mines.

I was a little jealous at this point because she started to talk exclusively to Jon's friends--two sort of dopey guys that looked like hippies that didn't realize they'd entered their thirties. Nice people, I was just totally jealous. Inside Kingston Mines, though, two girls came and sat at our table which was inches from the stage. It was so loud. They introduced themselves as just having moved here from South Carolina. We "looked so nice" that they thought they should introduce themselves.

One with dark hair did most of the talking. I did most of the, "What did you say?" stuff. I hate it when I can't hear people, and I feel like my tinnitus is getting worse this summer. I really should start wearing earplugs.

I danced with the dark haired girl. I was terrible, but she was really bad as well. I haven't danced with awkward dancers all that much in my life--being one, I'm usually awkward enough for the pair. This time, though, she out awkwarded me. I was delighting in it because I was able to show Jessi that I too could ignore her.

I didn't really have a good time until I started talking to her friend, Beth, though. Beth was very quiet and seemed hesitant about sitting at a group of strangers' table. She warmed up, though, and we danced as well. It was like that moment in The Catcher in the Rye when Holden danced with the one girl that was actually good. I sort of had that moment.

I ended up getting her phone number, and she seemed enthusiastic for me to take her out to dinner. I think I'm going to ask her to dinner on Sunday. Maybe to the Man Man show to follow. We'll see. God, I just thought of it, but I bet Amelia will be there. Regardless, I have created a fantasy that we'll get to experience wonderful Chicago moments--for me, the last time, and for her, the first time. It's almost story book. To good to be true, I'm certain.

So, last night, I drank a couple wine and cokes and read David Copperfield before leaving for the show around 8:00. I love the Bottom Lounge because I can walk there. That I did.

Not too many people were at the place when I arrived. People were totally stoked, though. There was this group of kids that I was standing near that were about to crawl out of their skin. They kept inching closer and closer--and the opening band hadn't even started yet. I needed a little bit more breathing room and decided that Joanna's side would be a better side to stand on.

Catfish Haven opened up. My ears were actually tingling it was so loud. I'm ringing today and hurting from my lack of earplugs. Theirs was a brand of rock and roll that could not be more boring to me. Bluesy and drunk without much life or gusto. For what they do they're great, I simply don't like what they do.

The lead singer's eyes looked totally washed out. That was the most appealing part of the whole thing. He had fantastic eyes. He also seemed enthusiastic to be playing with the Jicks, though I'm sort of surprised he'd even heard of them.

Another wait. Joanna set up her own stuff, so I got to see her which is nice. I used to adore her, but she looks slightly more like a mom than a musician these days. She used a bass big muff which was pretty cool. I never even knew that existed (as my knowledge of pedals is quite limited).

The setlist was dropped right in front of me. It was impossible to not look at it, so I did. I even took a picture, so I'd know the names of the new songs they inevitably would play.

I liked the looks of it. There were no Pig Lib songs that would be played (my favorite album), but plenty off Real Emotional Trash including the title track which I listened to on the walk over. I also really liked "Elmo Delmo" live the last time I saw them. The titles of the new tracks were also intriguing.

The band finally came out. Malk's hair was cut incredibly short. He barely even looked like the same person. I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of it. He didn't look as pompous and snooty as I like him to look. He had on t-shirt with a division problem on it, some standard issue jeans, and some pretty killer kicks. The kind with the giant "V" on them. As I always comment upon his clothing choice, I have to say that it wasn't especially good or exciting last night, but it wasn't "pink polo" bad (like at Pitchfork a couple years ago).

The new songs sort of blurred together. I took a bunch of video to try to sort them out, but I don't remember the details of them as much as I would have liked. I should really start to write stuff down at concerts.

"Polvo" opened it up with a very standard issue Jicks song that would have fit perfectly on the last album. It was a little jammy thing without anything too weird or interesting about it.

I got a nearly full video of the next one, " Fall Away". It's a poppy song with a nice summer vibe to it. Again, nothing too radically different, but I like this shorter song format in contrast with their epic songs from the previous album. It worked well.

"Jenny and the Ess-Dog" was a nice little singalong. There were quite a few hippies in the audience doing interpretive dancing to the songs. Last night I found them annoying, but today I find them endearing. One guy (he had really nappy ass hair with a single dreadlock coming out of the back. He was the ringleader. He was hippie hand dancing and making an overall ass of himself. I shouldn't discriminate, though. I just couldn't imagine ever thinking that doing that would be a good idea.

The next was another favorite, "Gardenia". The vocals were great. It's such a pleasure seeing Janet Weiss drum with the band. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She's just spot on at all times. I got a little clip of "Gardenia" as well.

"Senator" will definitely be a highlight of the new album. It is very layered and has more of a complicated structure. It's a rocker that's not heavy handed. I liked this one a lot.

"It Kills" was great also. Standard issue take on that one, but it's a lovely song. The band sounded tight, though the sound was muddy where I was standing (my own fault, though).

"Pub Rock" was fantastic also. This was a straightforward rocker like I haven't heard the band do. More direct than even "Sheets" or the like. I'm sure this will be a favorite.

The video below... I'm pretty sure it's off "Pub Rock", but there's a chance it's off "Senator". I remember "Pub Rock" being the far more rock and roll of the two songs, so I'll venture to say that it is the song in this video.

"Hopscotch Willie" was one of my favorite moments of the night. A nice long drawn out version of the song. I got the interlude below. I love Malk's pose that he rocks at the beginning of the video.

At one point, I'm not sure if it was here, Stephen strummed his guitar at the bottom of the neck and said he was doing the Sonic Youth thing. Mike started getting feedback. Janet tried to hand him a drum stick and made a gesture that he should rub it on the strings, but he didn't seem to understand.

"Bill Fay" was a really nice and sweet slow jam. It sort of reminded me of the vibe on "We Can't Help You". Sort of sad and lazy, but sweet all at once. I got the whole she-bangs on video for that one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rZJj1D2eqA This is the "Bill Fay" video.

"Elmo Delmo" was fucking brilliant. They did a long ass jam in the middle that made the hippies see some sound and shit. Everyone was loving it. One guy turned into a butterfly and got onstage and sang, "Shamrock justice, for the ice moth!" It was a moment to be remembered. I had to piss, and I was pretty sure they'd take an encore break after that one, but I was wrong. I skipped out on the last few seconds of it. While I was in the bathroom, they were cracking jokes and riffing on something. It's pissing me off because it's a song that I know I know, and it's a song that I know I've played on guitar. It drove me fucking crazy for quite some time. And it still is, but now I can't even remember how the riff sounded.

I don't remember much about "Tigers", but "Cribz" kicked major fucking ass. It was a rollicking rocker that made everyone smile. I looked around and it was like everyone turned into a happy hippie. I couldn't help smile as well, though hippie dancing with mothra was out of the question.

I was super geeked for "Real Emotional Trash". Unfortunately they played the worst version of it that I could imagine hearing. It was long and boring. The grand finale which is my favorite Jick moment ever was totally pussy. Unforgivable. They never increased the tempo or gusto. It wanked the big chicken. It chewed Chickles. It blew Chuckles. It chucked up and left me sort of pissed off. Why couldn't they just bring the doctor thunder?

Here it is in all its pussified glory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5akxBbX_eKc

Encore break. New setlist. Promising.

They started again with "Dark Wave". This was cool. I regained my spot in the front and sang along with the mojo rising rising.

"Baby C'mon" was nice also. It was always another favorite, and the band sounded pretty good on it.

I couldn't help but notice that Malk and Joanna were looking at an encore setlist and discussing it. There were a shitload of tracks on there, so I thought we were going to get a really killer set. It all finished up, though, soon after with "Dragonfly Pie". Great version of it, and it did seem like an appropriate closer. The band seemed willing to keep going; I wish their fearless leader had made an epic night of it.

All in all, it was a good show. I was convinced that I saw my ex-girlfriend Lizzie at the bar. I didn't have the guts to ask her if she was indeed Lizzie, so then I stumbled around outside the Bottom Lounge hoping I'd see her. This sort of thing always happens to me. I need to talk to people the moment I run into them, not assume I run into them again.

I got some greasy shit food from Duk's that's still sitting weird inside me this afternoon. It tasted great, though. Another night another dream will always be.

What a concert season! I was thinking how excited I would be if the Jicks made it to Japan. I would have been on cloud nine! Last night was sort of just, "meh". I really take this city for granted. Not many can see two Sonic Youth shows, a Jicks show, and a Man Man show in a single week. I didn't even go see the free Feelies show, either.

Chicago, I'll miss you, and I hope you never change.