Sonic Youth launch live audio/video archive, online shop with tour gear
Sonic Youth are celebrating Daydream Nation's 30th anniversary with film events/Q&As in various cities, but that's not all. They also launched a live archival audio and video release program on nugs.net, which fill feature audio from Daydream Nation-era 1988 concerts at CBGB and Chicago's Cabaret Metro, as well as a 2002 Chicago show, a 2007 Glasgow show (which there will also be video of), a 2009 Berlin show, and what ended up being Sonic Youth's final NYC show, 2011 at Williamsburg Waterfront. Here's more info via press release:
Effective immediately, Sonic Youth fans can access the initial live audio and video content being offered through nugs.net's ongoing archival release program. This content is available in the nugs.net music streaming service as well as in multiple download formats ranging from MP3 to hi-resolution audio, as well as on CD.
"Through the years and as the times changed we recorded our live shows as often as we could, on cassettes, DATs, CD-Rs and later on multi-track recorders. We collected fan-generated audience tapes, shady bootlegs and anything we could get our hands on. We now maintain an archive of hundreds of hours of Sonic Youth concerts and we'd like to share some of our favorites, often from the best uncirculated source possible via nugs.net." said Sonic Youth drummer, Steve Shelley.
Lance Bangs' new Daydream Nation film, which is being screened at those aforementioned film events, will also be made available on nugs.net. Head to nugs.net for more.
As mentioned, the Daydream Nation film events happen in Portland, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Philly, and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn one is on 11/19 at Alamo Drafthouse with Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley scheduled to be in attendance, and that's sold out.
Reverb.com is also launching The Official Sonic Youth Reverb Shop on October 30 which "will feature more than 200 pieces of gear used on tour and in the studio as far back as the 1988 and 1989 Daydream Nation tours through to 2011. The shop will also feature nearly 200 screen-printed show posters, rare poster-sized photographs, memorabilia, and personal relics from concerts throughout the band's career." More info here. You can also check out the Sonic Youth Reverb LP shop, which is open now and has "exclusive test pressings, reissues, and rare records."
Steve Shelley's band Spectre Folk are also playing a fundraiser for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jess King and Justice Democrats in Jersey City with SAVAK and Suwatchers on Friday (10/26).
After that, Steve will join his former SY bandmate Thurston Moore for the "New Noise Guitar Explorations" tour. Thurston also has an upcoming residency at The Stone.
Last but not least, Sonic Youth have been rolling out restored Daydream Nation era music videos and the one for "Providence" is out now. Watch: