photos by Benjamin Lozovsky, words by Andrew Frisicano

Michael Rother and friends performed an entrancing set of music by Neu! and associated acts at Lincoln Center Damrosch Park Friday night (8/6), after a Maxwell's set earlier that week. With support from Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and Tall Firs bassist Aaron Mullan, both dependably on track, Rother's buzzy guitar cut through the atmospheric haze, as the pieces, each about 10 minutes, entered slowly, built up and faded. The maestro worked with a number of sounds, from a shred-worthy roar to subtley layered harmonics. Under that, a backbeat of laptop clacks and synths (and something that sounded like a gurgling faucet) drove along the pieces. Only a few minutes into the opening number Shelley burst into the late Klaus Dinger's trademark 'motorik' beat, to cheers from the crowd.

With the rhythm up front, the music was infinitely danceable. But nearing the one hour mark, frankly, the scene was a bit dire. The crowd, many of whom were just passing by, or attending for the night's curious opening act, Brazilian jazz fusion bandleader Hermeto Pascoal, seemed to be leaving in swarms. And many that stayed were vocal about their ambivalence ("And now for something completely different" heckled one senior, in reference to the Hallgallo's steadily-paced songs. "It's not unpleasant," said another before shuffling off into the night. Others just conversed loudly on about their day, or the Arcade Fire show the night before. Before the show, Steve Shelley explained to one clueless inquirer: "Neu! is this band from Germany...they were very influential to what would become indie rock, and bands like Sonic Youth and Stereolab." [pause] "Oh maybe, I'll stay," she said, clearly not intending to.)

It was also right around the one hour mark, during the set's extended last jam, that a small crowd started gathering near the front of the stage and down the aisles. A few pogoed, some bounced around, and even more just joined the group to make their presence felt, an appropriately warm gesture to end the night.

Michael Rother and band are done with this round of shows (until ATP NY in September) but they'll be on WFMU Tuesday (today), 3-6pm on the Brian Turner show. Guitarist Bill Orcutt visited the same show on August 3rd, and performed in WFMU's 4th Floor bathroom. His full set is up at the Free Music Archive, and a video of it is below.

More Neu!/Hallogallo 2010 pictures are below too...

Continue reading "Hallogallo 2010 (Neu!) played Lincoln Center w/ Hermeto Pascoal (pics), is appearing on WFMU (today)"

Sonic Youth @ MHOW in 2009 (more by Lori Baily)

"What I'm aiming for all the time when we play live is a balance between the high energy of loud music, and a calm meditational energy you sometimes find at its core. Recording tends to restrict too much experimentation, 'cause when you're making a record it's a part of you, for that time it's your whole fabric. But when we tour the songs, they tend to get more and more expansive, and actually evolve over time until they are something quite different. For this reason I never go back and listen to the recorded document. The thrill, instead of listening to our cds, comes when the balance I was talking about can be attained. Everyone in the room can have a shared, communal rock experience. I'm only too happy to be the conduit of it, after all rock'n'roll saved my soul." [Thurston Moore]

On Saturday (7/24), Thurston Moore will be opening for Bill Orcutt (of '90s noise band Harry Pussy) at Glasslands. Opening up are Weasel Walter's Cellular Chaos (who play the Charleston the next night and have lots more shows coming up) and Family Battle Snake.

Another member of Sonic Youth, Lee Ranaldo will join Leah Singer and Nick Zinner at the New Museum to "offer multimedia tributes to the Dreamachine," its new exhibit, on July 30th Tickets are on sale.

Lee Ranaldo plays with Text of Light at ATP NY (where Sonic Youth are also playing) and (Le) Poisson Rouge in September.

Sonic Youth are at Prospect Park on July 31st with Talk Normal and Grass Widow (who return to NYC at the end of September).

Bill Orcutt videos and all Sonic Youth and Grass Window dates are below...

Continue reading "Thurston Moore playing w/ Bill Orcutt, Lee Ranaldo @ New Museum & other Sonic Youth-related & Grass Widow dates "