So Sonic Youth was in town last night. Of course I went. I failed to take my concert camera (my busted one, the one I have to smack a couple of times before it works), so words and crappy photoshop drawings from poor memory will have to suffice.

Now, I love rock concerts, especially ones that involve ear-bleeding, inner-organ-vibrating noise levels, but my favorite part of concert-going is people watching. While we were waiting for the opening band to play, the boy and I stood there, sipping beer and snarkily commenting on the fashion of the concert-going populace, funny looking people, and molestaches.

Such a serious mug on such an overall goofy ensemble. I hope the 3D glasses weren’t just for show. The back of his shirt read “young, rich, and beautiful.” Indeed.

We couldn’t decide if that was a wig, or if she had just deep-fried her hair. I felt sorry for her scalp. Also, I wanted to buy her a sandwich.

AMBER ALERT

I feel bad laughing at this guy, because he cannot help that he has a protruding jaw, but every time I looked in his general direction, he was making this face, and I couldn’t stop laughing. I kept picturing his jaw unhinging itself from his face and going to town on all the hipsters down in front.

Also, about 1/3 of the people in the crowd were over eight feet tall.

Now onto the bands:

My friend Indie Dan mentioned that SY have a tendency to tour with unknown and generally crappy noise bands. Since we’d never heard of Awesome Color, I was a bit concerned. Yet they were generally all right, not too bad, and some of their songs were kind of catchy. I did wonder about their sometime-lead-singer, who came out for a couple of songs and had an okay voice, accompanied with T-rex gestures:

The style of music is kind of garage-grungish stuff, nothing terribly out there - certainly not as bad as I was expecting, from Indie Dan’s dire predictions.

Sonic Youth, as expected, were amazing. Since my last experience in a Sonic Youth concert, I decided to stand towards the back, so I could a) see better, and b) not get trampled by rampaging assholes. I wouldn’t get to touch Thurston Moore’s hand this time, but that was okay. He started the set by holding up his cup and announcing, “let me down this velvety cote du rhone here,” doing so, and then proceeding to wail on the guitar.

He is forty eight, according to Wikipedia, but still looks like he’s eighteen. Botox, maybe? He also appears to be over eight feet tall, or everyone else next to him are midgets.

I love when she screams. They closed with “Shaking Hell,” from “Confusion is Sex.” Joy! I definitely prefer this to when she sings slower songs (see: “Turquoise Boy”).

He’s got such an awesome voice. Also, he looks very happy and friendly.

Also, I am too lazy to draw them, but I think Steve Shelley was playing the drums (though I thought he quit after Sonic Nurse?) and some other random dude was up there playing bass.

Overall the show was awesome, and my ears are still recovering. I hope they come again. Next time I will bring a camera, to spare you all the PS drawings with my crappy mouse!