Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth detail ‘Daydream Nation’ film event; Gordon Withers covers SY for RAINN

Sonic Youth‘s seminal and influential 1988 album Daydream Nation turns 30 later this month, and in celebration, there will be a special “30 Years of Daydream Nation” event at Portland, OR’s Hollywood Theatre on October 20, consisting of three films and additional “unseen gems from the band’s archives.” One of these films is a new concert video from filmmaker Lance Bangs, who documented the band playing Daydream Nation in its entirety in 2007, mixed with Super8mm and 16mm footage of the band from over the years. The other two films are Charles Atlas‘ 1989 debut documentary Put Blood in the Music, which focuses on the 1980s NYC downtown music scene, and the documentary Rust, which compiles Sonic Youth’s performances on Dutch television. Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, alongside Bangs and archivist Aaron Mullan, will be hosting the program. Tickets are on sale now, and you can view the trailer for the Daydream Nation concert film below. Sonic Youth are promising that a few more screenings will be announced soon.

In other Sonic Youth-related news, cellist Gordon Withers — known for his cello covers of Jawbreaker, Jawbox and others, and a collaborator of Jawbox’s J Robbins — recently released instrumental cello renditions of Sonic Youth’s “Youth Against Fascism” (from 1992’s Dirty) and “Protect Me You” (from 1983’s Confusion is Sex). The songs were released partially in protest of US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (Withers thanked “#MeToo and everyone coming forward to protest the Kavanaugh nomination”), and proceeds from downloads will benefit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). “Youth Against Fascism,” which was written in support of Anita Hill (“I believe Anita Hill. The judge can rot in hell”) and featured guitar by DC hardcore icon Ian MacKaye, feels especially topical here. Listen below. (Meanwhile, Jawbox’s Bill Barbot was recently interviewed about Kavanaugh, who he attended Georgetown Prep with.)

A few days after co-hosting the Daydream Nation film event, Steve Shelley and his band Spectre Folk will play a fundraiser for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jess King and Justice Democrats at Jersey City’s FM Restaurant Bar and Lounge on 10/26. SAVAK and Sunwatchers are on the bill too. Admission is $10 at the door, and representatives from Justice Democrats will be on hand.

Steve Shelley also joins his former Sonic Youth bandmate Thurston Moore for the “New Noise Guitar Explorations” tour (which has Thurston Moore Group member James Sedwards too). Thurston also has upcoming residency at The Stone.

For another Daydream Nation 30th anniversary celebration, there’s a Classic Albums Sundays happening at Ridgewood, NY bar Nowadays on October 14 with a seated listening session for the album and a Q&A with David Browne, author of Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth. It starts at noon, and anyone who comes also gets in free to the Mister Sunday party that starts at 3 PM at Nowadays.