Sonic Boom!

Call me crazy but when a band can play their entire new album, mix in some obscurities and some favorites while also managing to play guitars with their feet, their torsos, violin bows and drumsticks; that makes for a damn good time.

The Sonic Youth show at the 9:30 Club, last night, involved all of those things and more. It was the noisiest most thrashed-up ass kicking that I’ve ever seen them deliver. The material on the new album translates so well to the live setting it’s mind blowing. Those songs are really something to behold live. The band brought such a sense of power and urgency to the new songs that one can hardly complain that they dominated the setlist. It absolutely unequivocally rocked.

Highlights of the show were Steve Shelly’s drumming being in the front of the mix. Last night the guy was a force of nature. Kim Gordon fully embracing her inner Rock Goddess and with her spooky vocals, ear-shattering shrieks and sexy stage play. And of course Thurston, Lee and Jim shredding about 16 guitars.

Originally published on August 11, 2004.

I think this is my second published concert review.