Now Hear This

Still a transcendent live experience after all these years, Sonic Youth rocked me OUT last night at the Independent in San Francisco to close out the first US leg of their current tour. At a capacity of under 500 folks the Independent is by far the smallest place they played around these parts since I had the pleasure of seeing them at the I-Beam back in July of 1986. That night 23 years ago saw the death of the Kent hollow body that they wrote “Kill Yr. Idols” on, its neck snapping in two in Lee Renaldo’s hands. While nothing so dramatic occurred last night we were treated to so many old songs from all the way back to the debut LP it certainly felt like a special occasion. That this surprise show (announced just  a week ago) sold out in about two minutes drove that thought home. Lee Renaldo & Thurston Moore jumped around like indie rockers half their age and Kim Gordon spent most of the evening wielding a third guitar with former Pavement bassist Mark Ibold now appearing to be a permanent member. Kim did pick up her base for a double thunderbroom (as Mike Watt likes to call it) treatment on older songs like “World Looks Red” (complete with screwdrivers and drumsticks stuck in the guitars for old time’s sake) and the encores.  The lone exception was “Brother James” delivered by the classic four piece lineup.

The setlist:

onstage @ 9:55 PM

1. No Way
2. Sacred Trickster
3. Calming the Snake
4. World Looks Red
5. Walkin Blue
6. Poison Arrow
7. Anti-Orgasm
8. Silver Rocket
9. Malibu Gas Station
10. Antenna
11. Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso)
12. Massage the History
13. White Cross

offstage @ 11:10 PM

Encore:
14. What We Know
15. Expressway To Yr Skull
Encore 2:
16. Brother James
17. Death Valley ’69

done @ 11:35 PM

And a nice video of “Anti-Orgasm” (thanks to hurricanewe)