Black Sabbath - Live Aid (1985-07-13)

 

Black Sabbath, Live Aid rehearsal 1985

Last weekend, I did the pay-per-view for "Back to the Beginning", the farewell concert for Ozzy and Black Sabbath.  Artists often manage to have several "farewell" tours, with some of them lasting years, but with Ozzy's Parkinson's diagnosis, this really did feel like the last time we'll see the original four play together.  Given their activity and apparent good health, I suspect Tony and maybe Geezer will continue to be active, even if not as "Black Sabbath".

Ozzy is unable to stand and performed while seated in a "throne". Danette and I both noticed that there were several times where it was clear he wanted to get up and move around, but alas he could not.  Regardless, he sounded great, as good as ever in fact. It was also great that Bill participated, since contract disputes had prevented his involvement with their final studio LP and farewell tour.  

But this post isn't really about the "Back to the Beginning", it's really about the deja vu and nostalgia that I felt, watching a festival and waiting for Black Sabbath to play.  It was 40 years ago nearly to the day that Black Sabbath played in Philadelphia for Live Aid.  That was also a reunion of the original four members, albeit only six years out from the Ozzy leaving the first time in 1979.  

Still, I remember the anticipation of their brief reunion in 1985. I had the TV on, but was frequently in the back yard, doing something that I have long since forgotten.  I'd come in periodically and see who was playing, and then head back outside to the heat of July in Virginia -- not totally unlike last weekend. 

I was happy that my schedule allowed me to watch this concert last weekend -- and in 1985 as well.  It's hard to overstate the role of Black Sabbath in creating the genre of heavy metal, and I enjoy their music non-nostalgically and non-ironically even to this day.  

The video of their Live Aid performance is included below, but although this is the from the official Black Sabbath YouTube channel, the opening minute or so of "Children of the Grave" is cut off.  I'm also linking a Japanese feed, which is complete but has subtitles.  

Explosions in the Sky - Live at the 9:30 Club 2016-05-19

 

Another recommendation I make on a regular basis is this full concert, courtesy of NPR, of Explosions in the Sky.  I saw them at the Norva in Norfolk on May 17, 2016, and this professional, multi-camera shoot at the 9:30 Club open May 19, 2016 is basically the same show.  The only difference is that Norfolk got "Infinite Orbit" as the 5th song, and DC got "The Ecstatics".  

I've blogged about EITS before, and my 2010 review of "Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever" gives a more in-depth description of their aesthetic.  In addition to the influences I listed then, I'd now add shoegazing, as well as Sonic Youth and "Lesson No. 1" era Glenn Branca. 

The show should really be consumed as single, 84 minute experience. But if you don't have 84 minutes, I'd say "Greet Death" and "The Birth and Death of the Day" are highlights.  

That night at the Norva, I was moved, transformed even.  A YouTube video can't even begin to capture the live experience, but I hope this will give you insight into what I felt that night.  

The B-52s - Live on SNL (1980-01-26)

 

We saw the B-52s on Halloween night at The Anthem in DC.  We had not seen them before, and given their ages (e.g., Kate is 76), there are surely not many chances left to catch them live.  They gave an objectively great show, even accounting for the fact that it's not 1980 anymore...

Speaking of 1980, Danette often talks about the time she first head the B-52s: their appearance on Saturday Night Live on January 26, 1980.  She would have been 13 at the time, the most impressionable and formative time for receiving new music.  She describes the scenario of digging their kitsch aesthetic and sound, and her father coming in and saying something to the effect of "what is this? this isn't music!" Her father, a musician himself and a very "serious" jazz aficionado, had just unwittingly given the indirect approval that every teenager desires.  She was a B-52s fan from that moment on, as were most of the freaks and geeks of our generation (even before their "comeback" LP "Cosmic Thing", recorded after the death of Ricky Wilson).

Danette enjoyed the show, but was a bit sad that they did not do "Quiche Lorraine" or "Strobe Light" (both from their second LP, 1980's "Wild Planet").  We had a discussion afterwards where I think we finally agreed that while those two songs were popular in her HS circle, they were not broadly popular. 

The SNL performance is regularly deleted from YouTube, so the two songs here are sourced from Facebook and TikTok (we'll see how long they stay up).  It's hard to imagine back to 1980 and understand how irreverent, fun, and fresh this sound was.

SNL, January 26, 1980: "Dance This Mess Around", "Rock Lobster" (both from their self-titled debut LP) (Trivia: the host for that episode was Teri Garr, who died two days before we saw them on Halloween.) 

Pics from October 31, 2024:

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Live KEXP 2023-03-25

 

This is for Terry, who recently turned us all on to Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (aka Pigs x7) a UK metal band that he's seen in concert (just once, I believe).  They straddle the stoner, doom, psychedelic genres, and like all such bands, they have a significant sonic debt to Black Sabbath (though on their second track, "Big Rig", there's also a definite Rage Against the Machine influence). I've yet to explore their full discography, but I've certainly liked what I've heard so far.  KEXP concerts are always excellent, and this one does not disappoint.  I don't see any nearby shows on the schedule now, but hopefully this will change in the future. 

The Pogues - Live at the Town and Country Club (1988-03-17)

 

Shane MacGowan, best known as the frontman for The Pogues, died a few weeks ago.  If you know anything about Shane MacGowan, you're probably surprised he made it to 65.  

I first learned of The Pogues in my final year of college, courtesy of my roommates (I can't recall if it was Jason, Frey, or Terry -- perhaps all of them).  With their (then) unique blend of Irish folk and punk, their LPs were in heavy rotation at our house on Wharton Street.  Only later in life was I able to understand what they were doing as an Irish/UK equivalent of what, for example, the Violent Femmes were doing in the US.  

To mark Shane's passing, I turn to their 1988 video release, "Live at The Town & Country Club London 1988", of a St. Patrick's Day concert, featuring collaborations with Joe Strummer, Steve Earle, Kirsty MacColl, Lynval Golding, and others.  The video was edited down to about an hour, but the setlist for the full concert makes me hopeful that and extended release could happen in the future.   

Aside from an occasional reunion, The Pogues haven't been active since 2014.  But in 1988, just a year or two before my discovery of them, The Pogues were at their height.  

MacColl (2000), Stummer (2002), guitarist Philip Chevron (2013), bassist Daryl Hunt (2022), and now MacGowan (2023) -- all featured in the 1988 video -- sadly have all passed.  This single concert may be the greatest collection of artists you've never (or barely) heard of. 

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night

Liz Phair - Live 2021-06-23 (concert)

Is it still a "Tiny Desk" concert if it's held on a quite large remote stage?  

Liz Phair, promoting her most recent LP "Soberish", appeared last month on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. Because of the pandemic, they're calling them "home" concerts and leaving it to artists to choose their own venue.  Liz apparently chose something slightly larger than the typical intimate, closed quarters that artists chose.

More importantly, she's got new material for the first time in 11 years.  The first three songs, "Spanish Doors", "In There", and "The Game" are from "Soberish" and it's quite good -- certainly an improvement over 2003's "Liz Phair" and 2005's "Somebodys' Miracle".  I don't have "Soberish" yet, but it's planned for my next bulk music purchase.  The four song set closes with a good version of "Never Said" from her 1993 debut LP. 

Be sure to also check out the advance singles from her new LP: "Spanish Doors", "The Game", "Hey Lou", and "In There".  

Liz will be at the Va Beach Amphitheater next month.  Our friend Michele is planning on going, but we'll probably sit this one out.  First, we're still a bit covid-hesitant, and second she's opening for Alanis Morissette and Garbage.  Nothing really against either of them, but... well, let's just say both should be opening for Liz.  

Also a preview: some day I'm going to get around to presenting my argument that now, in the 21st century, "Whip Smart" is actually a better LP to listen to than "Exile in Guyville".

Finally, although April is long gone, I'm retroactively claiming this is a Women's History Month post.

Ramones - Live 1977-12-31 (concert)

 

I'm way behind on all of my posts with several stuck in draft form, including several in memoriam posts.  Instead of doing the hard work of finishing those, I'll leave you with this gem I recently uncovered.  

"It's Alive" by the Ramones is considered one of the best punk live LPs, if not one of the best live LPs,  of all time.  The basis for that LP was this show at the Rainbow Theatre in London, which was one of the classic live venues in the UK during the 70s and early 80s.  In 1977, the Ramones were at their peak, enjoying a blistering streak of three classic LPs: Ramones (1976), Leave Home (1977), and Rocket to Russia (1977).  

This 26 minute clip is not the full show that comprised "It' Alive", but instead appears to be a 14 song compilation from the 2007 DVD release "It's Alive 1974--1996".  I'm not sure if the full concert is available online.  I need to return to my incomplete drafts, but until then enjoy this slice of 1977. 

Thou - Live 2019-05-06 (concert)

Scott just turned me onto Thou, a doom metal / sludge metal band from Louisiana.  I did not know about them before his note, despite their extensive discography.  The LP he sent me was their just-released "Primer for Holy Words", a LP of covers, including songs from Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and, of course, Black Sabbath. 

I liked that LP enough that I did some poking around to learn more about them, and in the course of my research I uncovered this NPR Tiny Desk Concert they did just over a year ago.  They did three songs from their 2018 acoustic EP "Inconsolable".  Apparently part of their discography is dedicated to exploring different sub-genres that connect to primary sound.  I certainly don't have a full command of their canon, but this particular concert (and the EP from which it draws) invites comparisons to slow-core bands like Codeine and Low. 



Bonus link: "Inconsolable" EP
Second bonus link: a live set from 2019-03-29, with some of the same songs as above but done in their usual (i.e., much heavier) idiom. 

Liz Phair - Live 2003-08-09 (concert)

For another installment in Women's History Month, I turn to Liz Phair, one of my favorite artists.  I've been meaning to get to her landmark LPs "Exile in Guyville" and "Whip-smart", but that's going to have to wait as well.  Also, as a preview, her 2010 LP "Funstyle" was pretty good too. She's scheduled to be in Va Beach this summer, but we'll see if coronavirus has other ideas (update: they're being rescheduled).  We saw her in 2011 when she was at the Norva and it was a great show (I found this version of "Nashville" from that show -- not my video).

Last week I also finished reading her memoir "Horror Stories" (reviews: NPR, NYT, Pitchfork, CBS This Morning).  When I saw that she was releasing a book I added it to my Christmas wish list and was happy to receive a copy.  I had not read that much about it before I started it -- I knew it was about Liz Phair, and that was all I needed to know.   As a result, I was rather surprised to learn that the choice of title was not arbitrary -- her collections of stories are more about personal loss, conflict, and "horror" than the Liz Phair-meets-Spinal Tap rock & roll war stories I expected (the chapter "sotto voce" being a notable exception).  I read the first three chapters in one sitting and decided it wasn't the soothing "escape-from-coronavirus" experience I was looking for, but I recalibrated my expectations and enjoyed the rest of the book.

I eventually determined that the stories reminded me of Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine", one of my favorite books.  Even in Bradbury's childhood nostalgia, there is a fantastical and dark spectre (e.g., the "Lonely One") that hangs over the stories, and I connected that to the "horror" which glues Phair's stories together.  I posted this observation on Twitter and got a reply back from Liz, which made my day as well as making me the envy of Danette and my "cool" friends.

High praise indeed! Thank you 🙏

— Liz Phair (@PhizLair) March 24, 2020

To celebrate the book as well as Women's History Month, I decided to post about this lovely video I found on YouTube.  There are many Liz Phair videos online, but the lo-fi intimacy of this set (13 songs, limited instrumentation) shot in a record store some 17 years ago seemed to capture the spirit of "Horror Stories" better than a professionally shot video.  The video doesn't provide a set list, but it's:

• 6'1"
• Polyester Bride
• Rock Me
• Divorce Song
• Extraordinary
• Fuck and Run
• Perfect World
• Johnny Feelgood
• (a small segment of Patrick Park's "Thunderbolt")
• Why Can't I?
• Uncle Alvarez
• Glory
• Little Digger
• Supernova

 

Apparently this is the only photo I took from the 2011-01-27 show at the Norva in Norfolk.  It was a great show.

I'm not a great photographer.

Yo La Tengo - Live KEXP 2013-01-18 (concert)

In the first installment for Women's History Month 2020 I'm going to feature Yo La Tengo, a band that I'm quite fond of but so far have only mentioned in passing.  At the core of YLT is husband and wife team of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals) and Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals).  Active since 1984, their discography includes 15 LPs and countless other releases.  Although Ira is the front man, singing most of the songs and playing guitar, Georgia also sings, and their combination really defines the sound of the band.

Herbert turned me on to Yo La Tengo around 2000, right after "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out" came out.  Herbert is a big fan of Yo La Tengo, but not a fan of Sonic Youth, which I consider strange since I find a lot of similarities in their respective sounds.  Sonic Youth might have a harsher, more aggressive, punk-influenced sound on some songs, but in my opinion if you like one band you'll the other.

This entry is from KEXP's excellent in-studio concert series, where they were supporting 2013's "Fade", one of the few LPs of theirs that I don't have.  Georgia sings on the last song, "Before We Run".

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Live KEXP 2019-08-18 (concert)

Terry recently turned me on to Australia's King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.  In their 10 years they've amassed an extensive discography, far more than with which I'm currently familiar. What I have gathered is that their sound has explored various genres and sub-genres.  But based on Terry's recommendation, the first link I listened to was a KEXP concert from last summer while they were promoting their most recent LP, "Infest the Rat's Nest", which is apparently their foray into thrash metal, while retaining their space rock / psychedelic origins.

The best way I can explain their sound is to imagine if "In Search of Space"-era Hawkwind were cryogenically frozen, and after reanimation they asked "what did we miss in the last 48 years?", whereupon they quickly consumed the back catalogs of Iron Maiden and other NWOBHM luminaries, as well as the discographies of Metallica and friends, and then recorded "Infest the Rat's Nest".

It's certainly fun to listen to, and I'm about 99.99% sure it's not a well-executed parody.

Thievery Corporation - Live KEXP 2016-10-05 (concert)

Two weeks ago Drew, Lian, and I saw Thievery Corporation in concert at the National in Richmond.  Drew had seen them many times, having lived in Adams Morgan some 20+ years ago, but it was a first for Lian and me.  It was also appropriate since I first learned of Thievery Corporation via Drew and the "Dubbed Out in DC" compilation LP, and I've been a big fan ever since.

I had often wondered how their DJ / electronic / studio focus translated into a live setting (for example, they did not do my favorite song "The Foundation", which perhaps is less suitable for live performance), but I was pleased with the result, with the changing cast of guest vocalists providing the necessary variety.  The bassist also high-stepped through the entire show, providing some on-stage movement to contrast with, for example, when the guitarist would sit on a couch and play the sitar.

The setlist for this show hasn't been posted, but this five song KEXP set captures the feel of what we saw two weeks ago, although in Richmond they did not have a horn section. In both shows Eric Hilton was not present and the best explanation I can find is this brief reference from the Phoenix New Times: "Hilton, who is not an enthusiastic live performer, opts to run his side of things from Washington..."




I need to eventually review "Dubbed Out in DC", "Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi", and some of their other classic LPs, but for now this KEXP sampler will have to do. 

The Comet is Coming - Live 2019-03-18

This entry is courtesy of Mat Kelly, who sent me a link to the London-based trio The Comet is Coming.  I had not heard of them before, but I really liked what I was able to hear via YouTube clips.  This is a live, in-studio recording presumably captured before their NYC show later that day.  This clip features songs from their (then upcoming) 2019 LP "Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery":

1. "Blood of the Past"
2. "Birth of Creation" 
3. "Summon the Fire" (official video for the studio version)

The sound is engaging and evokes the sci-fi, space-jazz sound of artists like Sun Ra, as well as the irreverence of bands like Art of Noise.   It also reminds me, in aesthetic if not exactly sound, of the the band Algiers that Herbert recently turned me onto. I'll cover Algiers later, but in the mean time I wanted to draw your attention to this tip from Mat. 

Judas Priest - Old Grey Whistle Test 1975-04-25

Drew, Terry, and I went to see Judas Priest in Washington DC a few weeks ago, and they did not disappoint.  It's almost two years since Drew shared his renewed Judas Priest appreciation with me, and he set up the trip to DC so we could reenact our own version of "Heavy Metal Parking Lot", some 33 (!) years later.  At this point only bassist Ian Hill and more importantly singer Rob Halford remain from the classic lineup (guitarist Glenn Tipton remains a member of the band but has retired from touring due to Parkinson's).  But as long as Halford's there, it's still Judas Priest and they still rawk.

They had a good set list that featured most of their "hits" and none of their stupid songs, so I was pretty happy.  Furthermore, they dug deep in their catalog to come up with early, less well-known tracks "Killing Machine", "Starbreaker", and "Victim of Changes".  This inspired me to share what is probably their earliest TV performance, from the BBC's "Old Grey Whistle Test" in 1975, which is in between their forgettable debut LP "Rocka Rolla" and right before their tremendous sophomore LP "Sad Wings of Destiny".  For this performance they played the title track "Rocka Rolla", which will give you an idea of why they no longer play songs from that LP, and "Dreamer Deceiver / Deceiver", which is a good representative track from "Sad Wings of Destiny" as well as revealing their musical debt to Black Sabbath.  It also shows their hippie fashion debt to Black Sabbath, since this is before they adopted their renowned biker / punk / leather look ca. 1978.






While they may have aged since then, it's a good thing we haven't.  Here we are looking like teenagers...

 Heavy Metal Parking Deck!

  Heavy metal pre-concert tacos! (Dave joined us for dinner but not the concert)

Very metal game faces.

One of many wardrobe changes for Rob Halford.

The concert isn't over until the Harley comes out.

Slowdive - Live in London, UK 2017-03-29

Even though I've only mentioned them here a few times so far, I'm a big Slowdive fan and I was ecstatic when they reformed in 2014 and then released an excellent new LP in 2017.  Until I make the time to review their 2017 LP, I offer this 2017 concert featuring three songs from their then forthcoming LP.  There are several good Slowdive concert videos on the web, but this 90 minute set is one of the best that I've found.  The only thing that would have made it better is in they included "Shine".

Julee Cruise - "Industrial Symphony No. 1" (concert)

Continuing for Women's History Month, we return to Julee Cruise, one of my college-era favorites.  I already reviewed "Floating Into the Night" many years ago and while I should eventually cover her other LPs, I wanted to revisit her first LP by highlighting an even rarer entry in her catalog.  "Industrial Symphony No. 1" is concert/play and a continuation of David Lynch's work with Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise.  It begins with Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern effectively reprising their roles from Wild at Heart, and then enters a dream sequence featuring songs and characters from Twin Peaks where Cruise lip syncs to studio versions of her songs.  The opening song, "Up in Flames", would be released on her 1993 LP "The Voice of Love", but otherwise "I Float Alone", "Into the Night", "Rockin' Back Inside My Heart", and "The World Spins" all appear on her 1989 debut "Floating Into the Night".  There are additional interstitial instrumental tracks that as far as I know only appear here.

I love Julee Cruise, and her work with Badalamenti and Lynch is amazing, but unfortunately their collective output is pretty limited.  So if you're a fan, you'll want to watch this video.  If you're not a fan, I'm not sure it will make you a fan.  For me, "Industrial Symphony No. 1" is simultaneously engaging and indistinguishable from a parody of an art film: smoke, strobe lights, a half-naked woman furtively scurrying about the stage, Cruise singing from the trunk of a car, Michael J. Anderson sawing on a log and then doing spoken word, a person on stilts, and for most of the time at least one cast member in the air.

I don't actually have a copy of "Industrial Symphony No. 1", but Terry had a VHS copy (2020-10-18 edit: turns out I have a copy).  Since I'm a completist I'll eventually get a copy and probably pay too much, but Julee Cruise is a treasure and we should celebrate her entire canon.

Waxahatchee - Live in Berlin 2015-03-22 (concert)

Continuing with Women's History Month, I'd like to feature this nice four song set from Waxahatchee.  Why?  1) Katie Crutchfield is awesome, and 2) this takes place in the Ramones Museum in Berlin -- who knew there was a Ramones Museum in Berlin?!

I need to get around to reviewing "Ivy Tripp" and "Out in the Storm", but in the mean time this set features "Grass Stain" and "Swan Dive", which are easily in my top 10 favorite songs of hers. 

Sidney Gish - Live WGBH 2017-10-19

This tip comes from friend and colleague Alexandra, whose SO manages Sidney Gish.  She's generated a good bit of buzz recently (Billboard, Fader, Pitchfork) and the best way I can think of to describe her is occupying the charming, quirky, lo-fi triangulation of Courtney Bartnett, Lisa Loeb, and Times New Viking (with an honorable mention to the fictional Corey Flood).

I need to explore her catalog further, but in the meantime this live, four song set at WGBH is a great place to start, with "Hexagons and Other Fun Materials" and "Presumably Dead Arm" the stand out songs.  Her first LP is "Ed Buys Houses", her second and most recent LP is "No Dogs Allowed", and it would not surprise me to learn that she has an unreleased demo tape called "65 songs about Joe".

Japanese Breakfast - Live ACL 2018-10-06

Today's entry is Japanese Breakfast (aka Michelle Zauner) which comes via a recent recommendation from Terry, which he described as a "sort of a cross of Bjork and 10,000 Maniacs".  She/they are coming to the Norva May 2, 2019; unfortunately I'll probably be out of town that day otherwise I'd make a point of catching this show. 

Terry's description is pretty accurate, with a strong, bright guitar sound that also reminds me a bit of "Damon and Naomi with Ghost".  The concert video he shared with me is from the Austin City Limits Festival, Oct. 6, 2018.

Peaches - Live KEXP 2015-10-07

I'm about two weeks late for Pride Month and about six weeks late for the Samantha Bee controversy, but today I address both, via a live in the KEXP studio three song set by Peaches, aka Merrill Beth Nisker.

Why?

1. Peaches is awesome, and her entire canon is a wickedly-clever blend of feminist, LGBTQ, and social commentary.  Even though you've probably never heard of her, a scan of her guest appearances and remixes will establish her alt-cred. 

2. The Peaches song "Boys Wanna Be Her" is used as the theme song for Samantha Bee's TV show "Full Frontal".  Samantha Bee is also awesome, wickedly clever, fierce, and... I don't think she should have apologized.  One word should not distract us from the larger message, but I suppose this leaves us with the other "c-word".