Last night Arthur and I had the pleasure of attending the summerstage dinosaur jr. concert. We had no interest in going to this until a coworker offered extra tickets last minute and then I knew I would have to go. When you have to go to no trouble except giving someone cash at your desk, no decision process. Reunion concerts always seem pathetic although i seem to be going to a number of them...also went to the pixies reunion show last spring and the new york dolls(not so good). What is wrong with me? next stop, jimmy buffet. Anyway i have some thoughts.
nostalgia. hmmmm... what to make of it. Am I responding more to the nostalgia of what this band meant to me 15 years ago or to the actual music? Hard to decipher and hard to not hear it otherwise. But they were awesome. They can truly wield some magic with their playing - fucking accomplished chops. I forgot how much metal/hardcore elements were in their music. and they play loud. Lou Barlow's bass playing is fantastic and J. masic redeemed himself in my eyes (see previous post) His long white hair shineth like saraman up there. At one point in the show they played their cover of a cure song and the crowd went crazy singing. This depressed me. My pal P said I shouldn't worry about it. Their intention as a band was never to write songs to sing along to. he is right i guess. And it is a good cover. But truly the dinosaur wonder is one of those chemistry things. When the instruments and voices, simple as it is in a way, combine to create something that really shines.
I was also thinking about abstract gesture painting last night, in relation to the songs. There is a wash of noise in their music and against this there are lots of guitar solo-ing riffing stuff and subtle, sometimes unusual chord changes. There is a melody, but it is not dominant. I think of blocks of colors moving against architecture, yearning to be song-like but within its own terms. Their music is so atmospheric and unmanipulative. It's funny because I claim, in my taste in music, to like pop-songs, short, melodic, punchy songs and this is not what they are really doing. After listening to the show I am finding melody insipid. ha. It will pass. This is what is going on in the relic shack too so I am looking for examples perhaps.
Last thing. This band was from 15 years ago. I don't feel like 15 years have passed. I am old and scared.
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Also, I kid you not, one of the few things J. mascis said into the mic was "i am a mountain man."
dinosaur jr is analgous to dekooning. part lovely, lots of violent, shifts in scale also the emotive element that is somewhat cryptic? This may be crazy talk for some. It is hard to talk about the non-literal in painting and this is a good metaphor. I will need to suitable load my ipod today for the relic shank encounter. I have faith it will be less grim.
Pd, I wished you could have come too! If they come back i do recommend seeing.
Great post FB. I often try to think of music that echoes what I am doing in the studio. Uncle Fritz has an idea for a radio show where he talks to artists about what music they are listening to in the studio and why, how it relates to their work.
The getting old thing....what the fuck. I know. It's here. Might as well be drunk, is my thinking. (Do you think I have a problem?????)
ha, relic shank.
Washes of sound instead of melody can be better for the paintings sometimes...sometimes not.
I'll give you a shank FB. You heard me.
MM, I like Uncle Fritz's idea. Music is still a big deal for the relics. It's funny how at times one can feel very much on the same track as a particular band and then it fades to another. I could make the longest list ever. I like how it relates very much because it is so open.
PD, yes. I am slathering on the crisco in anticipation.
MM, it is hard to know how much melody. I am constantly plagued in this regard. I brought home some pics for Arthur to view of things and he believes the less melodic ones are the answer. I am not sure.
Maybe just try it out, the less melody...you can always switch back. Do not fear the changelings.
MM, yes I agree. In reality it is all subtle shifting around anyway. Mostly in my head. As long as my intention is not to make something good. Good is the killer of all invention. I am drawing persian cats on mushrooms instead.
Arthur does not like the cats. I am obstinate. I like to make baddies.
Sloth recommends viewing "Punk: Attitude" on IFC. A love-letter-type documentary. Beautiful.
Yes PD. Dungen good. I think he is playing tomorrow at the siren fest thing. I am staying away from there though.
I will look into this docu sloth! I hope it is on the netflix. I love this kind of thing - scary collection in my nest of dvds like this.
Sadly, I remember that episode. Who am I?
i have just invited arthur to contribute to this. he probably will do so only rarely anyway. i have to go to the hot box. it is far too late. i am bad again.
i will see youse later.
The docu is directed by Don Letts. Not sure if it's out on DVD yet, but it is a must-see.
Good luck at the hot box, FB!
you know it's a reunion show when you desire to hear it on your ipod again, reliving the glory, but you realize you only have their brilliant records...on record, not cd. Booo! I wanna wrawk out to the lung that's in a jar living allover me covered in bugs.
Play that vinyl - it was good then, it's good now.
FB. I just wanted to say that you are the wackiest and funniest character I have ever met. I heart.
FB: You maka me laugh so much last night. I am sorry to laugh so loud....but you are so incrdeibly funny, I could not help the snorts and giggles.
just add some liquor to me and the babbles come out and the weird sounds. ? i woke up seriously early and had to finish the annoying hell book this morning. I am trying to determine if I need to pick it apart in a blog entry. Probably not fair or interesting since no one else has read, but the rage is there.
With your humor, the post will still appeal!
invented tragedy, lame art talk, very surface, bad dialogue, i can tell the author had a lovely, intellectual upbringing but there is no spark in her. all pat, no struggle in there. tedious and cliched. but I had to find out what happened - skimming many, many pages. ARthur told me i was being an art snob. Ugh. I am so irritated by this book. More than the last horrible book, american gods. at least there were creatures in that book.
I may have to vent my rage on amazon now. I have never done this.
You should write reviews--you are so direct and articualte about everything. I tend to stay away from books about artists (fictional) or art history (in fiction) because I am most critical of the depictions. It is not snobbish...I think people often get icky and corny when writing about art in novels.
you know what. I can't do it. I can't be the ruiner. People celebrate the book. they like I guess. Some reviews cautioned readers because there was so much "non-fiction" included. This must be a reference to the boring, bogus art history, seeing the straight line in art history and how it relates to man's understanding of the world crap on a cracker. This book like was a fucking celebration of intellectual parents. My father is so great and smart and I am so lucky and aren't I great too.
I have to stop. The book is called "The Effects of Light". It started out good.
thank you pd. I am a critic at heart, but sometimes I need to lighten up and not expect so much. That is why I like movies and books about the non-real life, ie. space travel, magic world, etc. I am excited to read the new harry potter.
It is infuriating to read a "celebrated" book and find it so tedious and annoying. I feel that way about some of the memoirs that have come out by young people who grew up super-wealthy and have problems. Pah-lease.
I understand that impulse and it makes sense with the relics you create.
Speaking of which, I am going to the shack now...to sweat and look at the mess I have made.
Enjoy the garden!
i also have a strong aversion to "chick-lit." why do people like bad stuff? hatessssss.
good times at the shack i deem upon you. I am thinking i may have art time there too. must wake the brain differently. edge out of the irritation celebration.
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