Jay Reatard's Blood Vision Arrives in the 'Burgh

So when I heard that Jay Reatard was making a stop in Pittsburgh on November 23rd, I bought tickets the moment they went on sale. I had only seen video footage of his shows and I knew that this was the type of act that does not come to Pittsburgh very often. He is basically a punk rock throwback in terms of his aggression on stage and general surly behavior towards anyone who gets near him. Needless to say, knowing that the show was at Brillobox, and that crowd control would be at a minimum, I imagined that some black eyes and broken noses were a possibility.

Don't let the schtick fool you though, his songs are masterfully constructed and precise, both in the studio and in concert. Anyone who doesn't believe me should check out the song "My Shadow", which packs in so many catchy riffs and transitions into three minutes and 20 seconds it's sick.

Enough build up - I am pleased to report that Jay Reatard was just as good live as I imagined, which is to say, incredible. I stood about fifteen feet in front of him and was at the edge of the mosh-pit. There was no crowd control. At one point a dude got thrown into Jay's pedals and he stopped mid-song to ream the guy out.

He played a blistering set with almost no talking between songs, except to call out the name of the next song (which is what he typically does). He played a good mix of songs from Blood Visions and from his Matador Singles. His performances of "My Shadow", "Blood Visions", "It's So Easy" and "Hammer I Miss You" really cooked. I would guess that he played about 20 songs in 50 - 60 minutes and then finished without an encore.

After the set, Jay came back to the stage about five minutes later and my friend Dave and I started talking to him. He was a really nice guy and very gracious when we complimented him. He said this was his first time in Pittsburgh in 12 years of touring. We asked him if we could take him out and buy him a drink but he said he had to rest up for their show tonight in New York where he is opening for the Pixies. All in all, a great show and a cool dude.

Now I would be remiss if I did not mention the opening act - Kim Phuc. Probably the loudest band that I've ever heard. When the music started, the lead singer went into a zombie-like trance and started getting right into the faces of the people in the crowd - including myself. Towards the end of the first song, the lead singer started whipping the mic stand around and since I was directly in front of him he nailed me in the balls. It was at that point that I decided it was not in my best interest to stand at the very front any longer. There was also a terrible stench throughout the set, which added to the horror-show theme for the night.

Needless to say, I will not forget this show any time soon. I would rank it up there among the best shows that I've ever seen at Brillo, probably tied with the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Donora show from last year for best ever.

Revisions to the '09 playlist

Well, I dropped "French Navy." I think hearing it a few times among the batch of tunes on this playlist just made me realize it's not on par with the rest. Also dropped "Nothing to Worry About" for similar reasons, and per Jimmy's earlier comment.

One addition: Alela Diane's "White As Diamonds" thanks to the ever-present Anon.

One substitution as well: "Stillness is the Move" for "Knotty Pine." Both great songs, so maybe both should be on there. Maybe a 'one per customer' rule is stupid in this scenario. Or, if not, maybe "My Girls" should also sub in for "Summertime Clothes." Tough decisions...

Will Neon Indian or Toro y Moi make the cut? I guess it depends how deep you got into the whole chillwave thing this year. Jury's still out for me. Is longevity a prereq?

The closest 'maybe' track on deck right now might be Edward Sharpe's "Home." Good song, but how good?

Concert Preview: The Wiyos

Reader and friend of the show JP turned us on to the Low Anthem a bit ahead of the curve. That's about all he's done, but it's a decent track record.

Another band he's been touting since seeing them in February is the Wiyos. They're not your standard Brooklynites, though they call that hipster haven home. He describes them as "a rollicking, vaudevillian good time" and that seems to be in line with the general consensus around the net. So we're taking his advice ("we" being either the royal we or perhaps including Henry, who has all but quit the blog).

Fresh off a stint opening for this summer's Dylan/Nelson tour, the Wiyos roll into Calliope's new 150-capacity venue at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts tonight. Just look for the big yellow building on the corner of 5th and Shady.

For the record, I've never seen a band with a washboard and kazoo that I didn't like. I expect tonight will only solidify that streak.



Download/Stream:
The Wiyos - "Promenade"

A literary aside

I'm not sure what this is all about, but I'm seeing either a pure coincidence, a collective focus of contemplations, or just a weird marketing trend in the world of short fiction. Three books I'm hearing about are:

• Barb Johnson's More of This World or Maybe Another;
• Laura van der Berg's What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us; and
• Lori Ostlund's The Bigness of the World.

Ladies, I don't undertsand what's happening with the world and I have no idea what any of your stories might be about, but all of your titles intrigue me as phrases suggesting vague, profound things often do. I will read the first three to five pages of whichever of your books is in stock/most easily accessible at my local branch of the library, and then possibly read more.

New Wiz Khalifa single: "This Plane"

This track's been floating around the web for about a month now I guess. If you haven't heard it yet, give it a listen. Wiz's best yet, IMO.

His new album is out November 24 on Pittsburgh-based Rostrum Records (also home to Donora), and he'll play Club Zoo in the Strip the night after.

Download/stream:

Wiz Khalifa - "This Plane"

Stop the music

Let’s break for just a brief moment from musical niceties and consider today, which can often go overlooked unless you happen to be in the market for a new mattress or some snow tires.

Admittedly, I never thought much about this holiday until just a few years ago, when I first attended the annual Friends of Danang Veteran’s Day Breakfast right here in Pittsburgh. I’ve attended every year since and, never having served myself, it humbles me each time. Irrespective of thoughts on war and peace, conflict is and has been a necessary reality of modern life and American history, and the sacrifices and successes of those who have nobly served us should not pass without--at the least--this one day of unified appreciation.

It was pointed out at this morning’s breakfast that (unlike this sentence) the Preamble to the United States Constitution uses only active verbs--eight of them if you're counting:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Perhaps by virtue of my personal background, I was first struck by the final two. I noted while hearing that single sentence read aloud that the Constitution was not, by its own terms, ‘written’ or ‘set forth’ or any such thing; it was ordained and established. That’s intense.

Later, while perusing the news and reading of the recent beating of a Cuban blogger who publicly criticized the Castro regime, I was struck by the use of “secure” in the Preamble. By the establishment of that document, it was intended that the Blessings of Liberty be secured. Dissect each of those three words, meaningful enough one by one, and really take a moment to think about how they become profound when combined as above.

Consider the other verbs, and what each means in the context of America.

Then, reflect again on our veterans.