Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ McCarren Pool: Gonna Dress You Up In My Love
I never knew there was such a distinct disconnect between Sonic Youth and YYY fans. I definitely fall into this latter category but the division was very apparent last night. Before YYY hit the stage, I heard some folks asking (very loudly) WHO THE BAND WAS. They also were mumbling that they had heard of the song 'Maps' but couldn't really remember it until they heard it, or that they saw a video of theirs on MTV2 and turned it off because 'the lead singer is a crazy bitch'. I'll refrain from talking smack about Sonic Youth but well, here's one jab, when was their last good album? 1992?
In spite of the overzealous Sonic Youth fans, the YYY fans stormed right up to the front of the stage and enjoyed one of the best shows put on by Karen O and the boys, in years. Karen O came out in what only can be described as a typical Karen O outfit (via band costumist Christian, who was later thanked on stage before 'Maps'). As you can see, the keywords attached to this piece would be: gold, glitter, stripes, ridiculousness, shiny, and loud. It was phenomenal!!
I didn't attend the Friday show but I doubt the setlist had so many EP or FTT tracks as Saturday! Here's what we got: Black Tongue/Mystery Girl/Gold Lion/Cheated Hearts/Honeybear/Bang!/Phenomena/Dudley/Maps (acoustic)/Warrior/Rich/Y Control/Turn Into.
I nearly lost my shit multiple times. First, when I heard 'Bang!' which I haven't seen them perform live since the Siren Festival of '02. 'Rich' was also a pleasant surprise as it was high on my list of songs I was really itching to hear, and also one they rarely play.
Sadly I missed the Maxwell's show earlier this year where they busted out the acoustic version of 'Maps' (I was slightly sad when they opted for the electric version at the Bowery show) but I got a taste of that beauty last night. Finally the Sonic Youth fans shut their traps and soaked in the brilliance of that little ditty!
Followed by 'Warrior', Karen O's voice soared, just the way we love it. A perfect back-to-back treat. Of course, she went back to her signature growl on 'Rich' and throughout the rest of the set until the closer, 'Turn Into'. God love her!
As for Sonic Youth, I endured their set for 4 songs. 'Teenage Riot' was a nice opener but I stayed with the other tentative SY fans in the back. We all left shortly after one another. On the way out I contemplated asking one of the Sonic Youth fans WHO THE HELL THEY WERE but refrained. I guess YYY fans are more tactful. Or maybe we just love that crazy bitch.
In spite of the overzealous Sonic Youth fans, the YYY fans stormed right up to the front of the stage and enjoyed one of the best shows put on by Karen O and the boys, in years. Karen O came out in what only can be described as a typical Karen O outfit (via band costumist Christian, who was later thanked on stage before 'Maps'). As you can see, the keywords attached to this piece would be: gold, glitter, stripes, ridiculousness, shiny, and loud. It was phenomenal!!
I didn't attend the Friday show but I doubt the setlist had so many EP or FTT tracks as Saturday! Here's what we got: Black Tongue/Mystery Girl/Gold Lion/Cheated Hearts/Honeybear/Bang!/Phenomena/Dudley/Maps (acoustic)/Warrior/Rich/Y Control/Turn Into.
I nearly lost my shit multiple times. First, when I heard 'Bang!' which I haven't seen them perform live since the Siren Festival of '02. 'Rich' was also a pleasant surprise as it was high on my list of songs I was really itching to hear, and also one they rarely play.
Sadly I missed the Maxwell's show earlier this year where they busted out the acoustic version of 'Maps' (I was slightly sad when they opted for the electric version at the Bowery show) but I got a taste of that beauty last night. Finally the Sonic Youth fans shut their traps and soaked in the brilliance of that little ditty!
Followed by 'Warrior', Karen O's voice soared, just the way we love it. A perfect back-to-back treat. Of course, she went back to her signature growl on 'Rich' and throughout the rest of the set until the closer, 'Turn Into'. God love her!
As for Sonic Youth, I endured their set for 4 songs. 'Teenage Riot' was a nice opener but I stayed with the other tentative SY fans in the back. We all left shortly after one another. On the way out I contemplated asking one of the Sonic Youth fans WHO THE HELL THEY WERE but refrained. I guess YYY fans are more tactful. Or maybe we just love that crazy bitch.
Labels: concert review, mccarren park, yeah yeah yeahs
posted by m | 12:03 PM
13 Comments:
its one thing if u dont like a band but when you make a ridiculous comment like that about sonic youth your just asking for backlash. last good album was 1992? get over yourself. just because they arent as trendy as the yeah yeah yeahs doesnt mean they deserve that kind of attack. sonic nurse, rather ripped, murray street, these are all great records, and all very recent. the band has been putting shit out for over 20 years, nothing they do sounds derivative of itself, thats certainly worth something. how about this, show your bones is awful. gone are the edgy guitar parts and in are is more singing from a vocalist who strives on spastic impulses. but i neglect the fact that the yeah yeah yeahs are trendy, and your a blogger, oops.
I really like the new Sonic Youth record.
*bimbles back off into the music-slut-kitchen*
i love it when the left part of my brain starts a battle with the right side of my brain.
-matt
Aaaaactually, most of the Sonic Youth fans probably fell asleep during acoustic "Maps". I used to really like YYYs (when was their last good album? 2003?), but GODDAMN was that shit boring.
great review and great pics, especially the 4th one. me likey
Anonymous(es), that's a lot of anger you got there.
Tell me, have you thought about how the LORD could help you with that?
Hallelujah, brother (and sister)!
friday setlist:
Fancy / Rich / Honeybear / Machine / Gold Lion / Phenomena / Art Star / Mysteries / Cheated Hearts / Miles Away / The Sweets / Maps / Turn Into // Y-Control / Porcelain / Date With The Night
I normally love this blog, but the above review put a sour taste in my mouth. It was such a juvenile, petty, immature response, a "nanny-nanny, boo boo, my band is better than your band!" approach to criticism. Regardless of a few select fans' behavior, to write off Sonic Youth's immense history and contributions to rock music because of jealousy, and annoyance? Really shabby reporting to point of negating the review, the reviewer, and the site itself's credibility. YYYs wouldn't be where they are without Sonic Youth's influence, and in particular, Karen O wouldn't be able to front a band so fiercely without Kim Gordon helping make it safe for women in rock music. I was at the show too, and probably more excited to see YYYs than SY because I'm more familiar with their music, but after reading this I'm really disappointed in this review and this site, and kind of ashamed to be a YYYs fan!
We had credibility?
Dammit, that goes against everything I thought we stood for - I don't want you to trust ANYTHING we say. We're SLUTS. We change our minds hourly!!
Gotta work on losing some cred... I know, I have some Paris Hilton around here somewhere, that should work...
Oh yeah, and WE LOVE YOU TOO, ANONYMOUS!
If you want, you can send us some money.
Having never really listened to either bands (I had heard maps on the radio before), my gf took me to the show that friday. The yeah yeah yeahs kicked a bunch of ass, and sonic youth seemed kind of lame, and I thought the songs were kind of lacking.
I know it's more of a personal preference, but as a factual note - the yyy's had way more stage presence. I understand that SY used to be good, but seeing their portion of the concert totally turned me off to listening to them for a while. Maybe now that i'm talking about them I'll go check out some of their earlier stuff...
I havn't really listened to much sonic youth yet, I really like what I've heard (Dirty boots, 100%, Teenage Riot, Kool THing) but lets face it, doing things like signing with Starbucks makes them automatically less relevent than they were, even if their new stuff has been labeled a return to form, they are older and they don't stand for as much. I'm not dissing them though, I'm just kind of defending the review.
The Yeah Yeah Yeah's are a great band, people who don't like Show Your Bones because it is somewhat a departure from Fever to Tell are probably the same people who didn't like Room on FIre because it was too similair to Is this it without being as good. THe second album shows them growing and adds more acoustics and better melodies whilst retaining the rock out moments (If you listen to SYB properly often halfway through songs the big guitar will kick in) and Karen O (crazy bitch) is as charismatic and cool as ever (coolest women on the planet? probably) whilst having more tender moments and adding depth to her lyrics. I don't blame the reviewer for hitting back at sonic youth fans if they were ignorant enough to close their minds to the genius of the yyy's when they were lucky enough to see their legenddary live show!
My best argument though is this, sonic youth are clearly losing their edge because a band once loved for being uncompromising and counter culture now have a fanbase that is scared of someone being a bit "crazy" on stage, pathetic!
I have tried listening to Sonic Youth with an open mind, but quite frankly its a bunch of noise. None of the sounds match, and just when you think you have the beat, they throw in new sounds. I guess if you have no knowledge in music theory you might like them, but like I said, all I hear is a bunch of random sounds that don't resemble music. Now, lets bring on the you are stupid/shitty comments.
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