With Jody Stephens and Nels Cline a forgettable band plays a rare gig

7/18/14 15:30

I have no regrets about last night.  Well, maybe I saw a band that was forgettable.  But, I got the chance to hang with Mike Sweeney who was my long time concert partner.  I spoke to the one and only Jody Stephens from Big Star at the gig.  He was playing drums for the forgettable band.  My eyes may have deceived me, but I thought I spotted Lee Ranaldo in the sparse crowd at Bowery Electric last night.  Lee plays with the one of the musicians from the forgettable band.  But they play together in Lee’s band.  I hope to see that band.  Saw Sonic Youth many years ago at Jones Beach.  Last night, we were all there, all fifty plus strangers; to see the tired band "End of Love," who were making what was promoted as a “rare” New York appearance.  You bastards, you sold me.  Honestly, I wanted to hear Jody and Nels play, but after I noticed Lee, I hoped he would pick up a guitar.  It’s a small stage.  No room for another player.  End of Love consists of Jay Deegan, Jennifer Groves, Irvin Menken and Jody Stephens.  Special guest was the accomplished and idolized guitar god Nels Cline who plays with WILCO.  Before I write on.  Excuse the brief interruption since I saw Jesse Malin last night after the forgettable band played.  Jesse was a friend of a friend (15 years ago) and he is a rock star.  Back then he was sort of a rock star, finding his way after D Generation.  Even Jesse sighed when he watched Nels pack his things in the trunk of a taxi, and head out of the Bowery.  It was late by then.  Jesse said he was still sober and the night was early for the rock star.  He clasped his hands, bowed slightly and blessed us before we departed the blue neon residue station.  Back to the gig which is the reason we were there.  Earlier in the night, I checked with the door and was told the forgettable band was getting on the stage at 10:30.  They must have been on minutes early, meaning Mike and I missed the first three songs.  We walked in as they were playing Big Star’s September Gurls.  Let’s remind ourselves this was the forgettable band’s first gig and so far by the indications of their web site – the only gig for this band.  Just as well?  Just a suggestion?  If you practice together - you will play better as a whole band instead of this piece meal collaboration.  Look at the set list, there are instructions for the musician who obviously did not know the songs. Jennifer’s voice was lacking. her bar band stage presence was embarrassing.   She barely moved and her voice was reaching too many times.  There was the small contingent of fans or were they family? She cupped her hands over her eyes a few times and waved.  I have not seen that behavior since the open mic show in Patchogue.  Same goes for the other one in that band, Jay Deegan. When someone called out from the back, he called back the little circle of giggling intoxicated pals.  The same pals who did not, “shut da fuck up” while the band played their boring songs.  I could not hear Irwin’s banal comments before most the dire songs.  It seemed like a tactic to avoid the next song.  Before they were over, I moved down to the floor to the dozen or so who stood there.  There were the video goons and the camera addict who did not stop snapping.  But before we sweep it up and toss it in the can, the band came out to the encore, kicked it out with another Big Star copy, In the Street.  Thank you for the last breath of empowering impact. The music ended.  The minimal audience slowly merged out into the night.  Under the half moon, their bodies and hearts went far off to their own distractions - under summer ceilings, and leaving behind the conventional conditions of the city.

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Enjoy the pictures

Next review BB King in Patchogue, 7/20

Everybody Goes As Far as They Can, Big Star memories

7/11/14 train to Mineola

I’ve been listening to a lot of Big Star lately.  This was the band that influenced REM, The Replacements and so many others.  They were a mythical band which were unheard while they were together.  My Big Star kick started out with the documentary “Nothing Can Hurt Me” which was released a couple of years back.  If you have not seen the movie and are at least curious what the story is behind this influential band; do yourself a favor and watch it.  The band was compared to The Beatles and heralded in Rolling Stone, Creem and other rock magazines back in the early seventies.  There is awareness on some songs to The Fab Four, but Big Star was original.  They created an Americanized mix, a little country twang, check their version of Velvet Underground Femme Fatale. The sound created a buzz within all corners of rock establishment and made their first album a must have classic.  If you have not heard it, the layers of instruments will grip you and give you a ride through various emotions.  The first song of the album, FEEL had Chris Bell singing the lead.  It starts off very slow, plucking power chords and then Bell screams the lyrics.  The choir, “I feel like I am dying!” with the rest of the band backing him up.  Sure it sounds like Beatles in some harmonious parts, but then we’re rocking with a sax and a true authentic jangly American guitar sound.  This sound made the band different from other established rock bands. It drove Chris Bell to perfect the quality of their recording while engineering at Ardent Studios in Memphis. This is where the band originated - but the story of their demise is layered like their sound.  It was a lack of record sales which is a story within itself.  There was a clash of ego, but from the movie’s perception, I don’t think there was the violent fall out, the big conflict, the fists; the rift was mental.  It was created in Chris’s head being jealous that Alex Chilton received most of the attention.  It was Chris’ early departure which could have devastated the band, but they did not go their separate ways.  The second album was a bold departure from the first.  They were a three piece.  Their musical style had changed to a more jazz/folk even a WHO influence.  Their singles September Gurls and Back of a Car are examples of what I am trying to disseminate.  The third album, Third/Sister Lovers was their final.  For some listeners they will hear the sound track of a band breaking up.  Some will say it was Alex Chilton who was breaking apart at the seams.  It was the first Big Star album I heard and I knew it very well by the time I saw Big Star perform their 2009 show in Brooklyn.  It was the last time Alex Chilton performed before his passing early in 2010.  That night in Brooklyn was memorable, there was the slightly intoxicated blur. There were too many Polish beers and not enough food.  The band was tight although I recall Alex kept going back to check on his heavy winter coat which he stored behind one of the amps.  Just a thought, but there was something in one of the pockets he did not want to lose.  Thank you Friends is the second song on Third.  I attended the Third performance at Baruch in New York back in 2011 which had Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Matthew Sweet and a heck of a lot of others who sang the album in entirely as well as other Big Star covers…some of these songs as well as clips from that last show in Brooklyn are captured in the documentary. There is a brief second when you see me as I am walking out of the auditorium and about to shake Jody Stephen’s hand who stood in the lobby and shook many hands before calling it a night…Nothing can hurt me…Big Black car…to sum it up Big Star never had the opportunity to succeed.  From the movie, there was just a sense of bad luck with the band.  Chris Bell recorded a 45, I am the cosmos, and tragically died at 27.  The original bassist left after the second album.   And to capture the thought are the lines from their song Holocaust, “Everybody goes as far as they can.” (Big Star/Third)

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