November 97 Shows

November '97

RIP Michael Hutchence--

Umberhulk, Starfish, Fly, Skeleton Key at EJ's

Umberhulk. Beer. Two great tastes that go great together. I wish they would put something out. I'm sure all of Sean's underage fans would appreciate it; they always seem to play 21 and over. Not that it's a problem for me.

I wasn't really into Starfish. I watched some girl play six levels of Ms. PacMan while they were on.

I liked Fly OK, they rocked more than Starfish.

Skeleton Key was excellent. Much exciting percussion. I heard somewhere that the second drummer is originally from Portland; he definitely has that NW semi-insane musician look. We got to watch the band played pinball before they went on. If you haven't already bought their album 'Fantastic Spikes Through Balloons,' you should, especially if you like Soul Coughing.

PS-- Does anyone know whether EJ's has stopped having Doppelbock on tap for good? That would be a not good thing.

Allon Beausoleil, Cornershop, Dandy Warhols at La Luna

Jemiah and I went to the pre-show party which pretty much sucked. We got ignored by the waitstaff, didn't order anything, and left. Heard later all the excitement was over by the time we showed up.

No one in the bar could tell when Allon Beausoleil was playing because he plays sitting down (which makes sense with a sitar) except for a few people who specifically knew who he was beforehand. It's kind of a shame because he's really good. We enjoyed listening to him from the cafe area while eating hummus prepared by Sean of Umberhulk (very yummy).

When we came back out Cornershop was playing. They had a pretty boring stage presence and didn't seem like they were enjoying themselves (and I've heard the same from people who've seen them since). The music was better than I had anticipated, having only heard 'Brimful of Asha' on the radio two hundred times and portions of their first album which my ex-coworker played for me. Their Indian-influenced songs were more exciting and danceable than the obvious pop ones.

The Dandys. What can I say? Totally addictive music, very attractive band. Courtney was stoned. Almost got my ass kicked by the crowd. Very confusing, as they looked like a pretty tractable lot through the opening bands. I have been converted to the cause of Dandy Warholism irreversibly. You, too should give your monies to the Dandys in any way you know how.

Dymaxian Sound, Plush, Mouse on Mars,
Stereolab at the Reed College SU

I had to think about it for two minutes before I decided to skip class and go to this FREE show. Very good choice on my part. Whoever got the show together deserves much love. We saw Stereolab's soundcheck. We got hassled by some of the people who were setting up. The band went to eat in commons after soundcheck. I wanted to warn them about the food, but oh well.

The whole show (except for Mouse on Mars) had this very rollerskating rink vibe to it. People kept saying things like "Ladies Choice" and "Couples Skate" but not loud enough to bother anyone. Happily there were very few hippies present.

Dymaxian Sound is a keyboard/drummer duo. One of them did the soundtrack to my friend Veronica's student film. They kind of sound like the Doors if Jim Morrison forgot to show up to practice and the rest of the band started jamming. I mean that in the nicest possible way.

I wasn't really into Plush. They sounded like a band who makes their living playing proms. They had very T Rex hair and sounded Pink Floyd-y. The lead singer kicked over his mike stand to be punk rock but it seemed dumb because they weren't punk rock at all.

Mouse on Mars was very Amp-y. I love Amp and now I love Mouse on Mars too. My only problem: watching Reedies try to dance to fast music.

Stereolab are an excellent example of being very French in a good way. They remind me of Dub Narcotic: once they find a good groove they just stick with it for the whole song. High head bob factor.

Plush, Mouse on Mars, Stereolab at La Luna

We showed up just as Plush was finishing, since we didn't enjoy them last time. We headed back to the cafe to get some hummus and were prepared to demand that Sean made it, but they were all out. Sean made a nummy cheesy-mushroomy open faced baguette thing instead. It was the last food they had. Word must be getting out. In any case, tip Sean. Nuff said.

Missed some of Mouse on Mars because I needed to eat. Pretty much the same as last time, but the place was sold out so it was less comfortable. A passel of hippies showed up, but they didn't bother anyone.

Stereolab played a set similar, but shorter than the previous show. Stereolab and Mouse on Mars played together during the last song of the encore. Mouse on Mars did an admirable job of plugging everything (millions of cords) back in even though the strobe was making things difficult. A good value for my entertainment dollar.

PS, I read that the only place that Stereolab has actual old skool groupies is Portland, and it weirds them out.

Miranda July (peripheral produce experimental movie night)
at the Hollywood Theatre

I wasn't expecting Miranda July to be at a film thing. Hell, I wasn't expecting to *like* Miranda July. I've had some bad experiences with performance art (or whatever you want to call it) in the past. Despite technical problems, Miranda put on a good show. She's a pretty interesting person to look at even without her hypnotically schizophrenic stories. She has both the presence and the talent to get you really interested in what she's talking about. Check out her CD (10 Million Hours a Mile on Kill Rock Stars).