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May 98.

It's been one of those excessively cryptic and sleep deprived months.   Tuesday disappeared.  Don't ask me, ask  my psychiatrist.  Anti-convulsants and beta blockers.  My car went away to the land beyond the sun.  Frank Sinatra, RIP.  The rain should have stopped by now.  I've become resigned to the fact that my neighbor thinks he's Kenny G.  Enough with the saxophone already. Cranky? Nah.  Got the new Sunset Valley, don't know how I got along without listening to 'Shanghai Shelly' every day.  I'm sure my *neighbor* loves it too.

Streetlight Fancies, Swoon 23, Brian Jonestown Massacre--
Zoot Suite

It was one of those shows when you couldn't swing a cat and not hit someone so hip they couldn't walk.  A lot of monochromatic clothing and hair styling manqué.  Eyeliner everywhere. You know what I mean.

Streetlight Fancies turns out to be the band of that guy who is at 99% percent of all shows that I go to.  So you already know they have good taste in music.   Also they don't suck.  I hate it when I go see a band with people I run into all the time and they suck.  Then I have to avoid looking at them.  Then I get a neck cramp.  Which is why I don't go to see *some* people's bands play.

Like I said, don't ask me, ask my psychiatrist.

Swoon 23 came back from touring minus a member. Anton of Brian Jonestown Massacre played with them, so they weren't shorthanded for the show.  They sounded good despite being 3/4 of their former selves.

Brian Jonestown Massacre came back from touring minus a drummer, so Marty of Swoon played with them.  If you've never seen BJM play, they all kind of remind me of the 'coverboy' or Nancy Boy.  If you know who I mean, you know who I mean.  If you don't, they all kind of give the impression of being the type of guys I always want to go out with but who never want to go out with me.  Did I mention that they kick ass?   And they have a tambourine guy? Veronica and I had to leave early so we could catch the bus.  But we stayed to hear them play the end of this really amazing song and missed the bus and had to pay for a taxi.  Sigh.  But free Swoon 23 shirts all round and a heapin' helpin' of cocktail (OK, *one* cocktail) helped make it all better.

Cadalaca, ICU, Miranda July-- 17 Nautical Miles

17 Nautical Miles is a new all ages place right next to the Delta, which makes it well located for an environmentally sound, mentally unsound, carless ex-Reedie like myself.  It's a bare bones place, but all the essentials are there-- (i.e. clean bathrooms).  It was the grand opening as well as a CD release party for Miranda July, so there was candy, cake, and soda for all free o' charge (well, once you paid to get in).  Since it was an *occasion*, all sorts of indie rock type folks were there-- including K records mogul Calvin Johnson, who was all clad in red and schmoozin' up a storm.  Plus Jesse and Jocelyn (wearing a stylin' teddy bear chapeau) both of whom went to school with me.  And of course, Veronica. 

Cadalaca is Corin from Sleater Kinney's new thing.  Y'all know I am not particularly well disposed towards S-K. That's why I was surprised that I liked Cadalaca.  Go fig.  They sound more like a K band than S-K.  They have a new record out, which is called 'Introducing Cadalaca,' or some such thing.  To quote them 'Let's put on that new Cadalaca record and neck.'  Yup.

ICU sounded like they could fit in on any episode of Amp (I can just see it: a hypothetical ICU video  mixed between Tipsy's 'Mr Excitement.' and 808 State's 'Bond')  Good groove.  I like any band with a stand up bass.

Miranda did three pieces, one of which (on medical research) I had seen before.  During the second piece, about the cloning of Helena Rubenstein, she hid in the bathroom and told some audience members what to say.  In the third, she used a slide show to animate her story.  What she does is about equivalent to watching the movie 'Wax' enacted live on stage.  In any case, her new album is out; I can't remember what it's called, but the cover was done by Sean T. of Craphound fame. Cool stuff.

Fuck, Helium, Sonic Youth-- Roseland

Viva la Roseland.  Right on the bus mall, best sight lines in town, and beer delivered directly to your seat.  That said, it was not an altogether perfect evening, as about five dozen people decided that my seat, which was very central, was on a direct path between them and the bar and climbed over me.  And there was some residual confusion over tickets that I'm blaming on my various medications.  But all was well in the end.

I got there about five minutes before Fuck started playing, and a full half hour before the rest of the twenty-one and older crowd showed.  Too bad, because they played a great set. Fuck have their very own applause sign and cheerfully continued to play an interset song as their stuff was being removed from the stage.  They reminded me in a very pleasant way of the Idaho song 'Pomegranate Bleeding.'  Had I known they were playing a far cheaper show the next evening at EJ's I might have gone to that too. 

Helium is one of those bands that I had always wondered about.   "Are they really as great as everyone says?" They are. Like many girls, I have the mysterious 'anti-jamming' gene which causes me to get itchy should any song last longer than five minutes.  Helium had me on the edge of my seat while they jammed for a prolonged period of time. 

I have to say, this was *not* my favorite Sonic Youth experience-- they have very hurty lights.  But it wasn't bad.  Having seen them five times, I've gotten picky.  I like their shows when I like the songs they play. Though I'm OK with the stuff from the new album (comprising 99% of the set list) I don't like it as much as some of the others. -- Lest you think I'm a complete old schooler, I really enjoyed seeing them play last time round (from Anagramma). 

Thurston looked particularly well.  He was sporting a Marilyn Quayle-esque 'do.  He must use Pearl Creme, because he *still* looks about seventeen.

Oval-- Satyricon

As far as I can make out, Oval consists of this guy Markus and maybe someone else.  I can't tell.  Everyone seems to refer to Oval as 'they,' but the guy that Markus was... um... playing...(or performing?) with said at the end of the set "We have to leave now but you can buy Markus' CD over there at the table."  

There wasn't really much to see on the stage, just one sad looking guy poking a PowerBook, then two, then one guy with a PowerBook and an acoustic guitar.   In fact, it almost looked for awhile like Markus was composing a very sad but somehow obligatory letter.  Here is the letter I made up in my head, in all its silliness:

"Dear Grandma Oval:

Thank you for the birthday money.  I spent it on an extra battery for my PowerBook.  Now I can make music even when I am at truck stops in the middle of the desert.  You would be very proud.

I'm sorry to hear about Grandpa Oval passing.  I may not be able to make back in time for the funeral, but I enclosed an envelope with some Ovaltene in it.   Please sprinkle it over the grave for me.  I know how much he loved his mug of Ovaltene before bed.

Love, Oval."

In any case, something Oval-esque sat in a chair at Satyricon and produced Oval-sounds by pecking slowly at a keyboard in a way I could not clearly define as bearing any relationship to the sounds being produced.  Then, he was joined by another guy, who proceeded to do something similar, but not altogether similar.  Then the first guy left the stage.  And the second guy poked his PowerBook.  And then he played a song on the acoustic guitar while he was poking the PowerBook and singing, which probably takes a good deal of prethought and coordination.  Especially when it comes out sounding good, which is what happened.

In case you can't tell, I like Oval. 

Oval did an installation piece, which you can read about.  This might explain them/it/him more clearly than I can.   Also, Markus, who is Austrian btw, does another project with one of the guys from Mouse on Mars, who I also like, but I can't remember what it's called (Microstoria?).  

Pinehurst Kids, Creeper Lagoon, Sunset Valley-- EJ's

People kept telling me I would love Pinehurst kids and I think I must have built them up too much in my mind, because I was kind of disappointed.  I think I was expecting them to be more emo than they were.  I like them, but I don't love them.  

I swear on a stack of Bibles that I've seen Creeper Lagoon before.   Like but not love, yadda yadda.

Even Sunset Valley was kind of blah.  But I must repeat, their album is a fine piece of work, and if you can get your hands on that you *will* feel the love.

I think it's all the pedestrianing I've been doing lately.  No car and no money makes Suzie cranky.  Plus I'm kind of tiring of watching the great Portland rock schmooze. But it must work, because I saw K Records' 'Selector Dub Narcotic' as a featured selection at Tower in Beavertron, of all places. (Go Calvin!)

Think I'm lame? read the disclaimer before shooting your mouth off.
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