IRT Magazine

SONIC YOUTH w/ WOODEN WAND

Webster Hall 2/16/08, 6:30 PM

KURT ELLING

The Blue Note 2/16/08, 10:45 PM

It was perhaps the most dynamic shift I had ever seen between an opening act and the headliner in all my years. In the last 12 years, I was lucky enough to see Sonic Youth 9 times, the last being the group’s second appearance at “The Ritz”, as Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore have so lovingly referred to Webster Hall as onstage, this past Valentine’s weekend. And I’ve seen a lot of different acts open up for them, from the Dirty Three to US Maple. But Wooden Wand, former IRT cover star and recent signee to Thurston Moore’s Universal-distributed Ecstatic Peace!, was by far the most relaxing. Eschewing his Brooklyn-based free rock ensemble the Vanishing Voice in favor of an acoustic guitar and vocal accompaniment from frequent collaborator and wife Jessica, James Toth gracefully took us through a little over a half hour’s worth of Martyn-esque British folk by way of Staten Island’s only known Shaolin troubadour, including tracks from his upcoming release James and the Quiet.

As for Sonic Youth, they were amazing as always, although they did stick “rather” heavily to their Rather Ripped material, dipping into their catalog only sporadically, breaking out gems like “Silver Rocket” and “Bull in the Heather” for the veteran Geffen-era fans. Nevertheless, they were joined by former Pavement bassist Marc Ibold, who Moore accidentally introduced him to the crowd as “Mark Arm” in one of the Sonic Youth guitar man’s livelier stage appearances in recent memory. From my vantage point, I wasn’t sure if he was just being drunk or being a dick, that was, until he swipeed the beer off Ibold’s amp shortly thereafter. Whatever, man, take the new guy to school. Kim Gordon seemed happy to have her hands free from that heavy bass to dance around like a grrl half her age.

Taking off before the encore, just as the dance club early birds are starting to perch themselves on the line outside Webster Hall, Michele and I race over to the Blue Note for a comedown. When I met Michele that night at McSorley’s, she had told me how she always wanted to check out the Blue Note, albeit when we went, she thought it was going to look different inside. And when she described the atmosphere she had in mind, she was talking about the Village Vanguard, which we will be going to very soon, yes noodle? Regardless, it’s not the place but the talent they have on stage that makes the night, and the Blue Note has some pretty good food, and they were giving out snorts of vintage whiskey to the crowd on the second-to-last night of NYC improv crooner Kurt Elling’s Valentine’s Day week stand at the club. The guy is 39, which is practically high school age in jazz years, but shines with the wit and charm of a performer who has been wooing the Catskills for the last 50 years. Pulling predominantly from his brand new all-covers release and debut on Concord Records, Nightmoves, Mr. Elling and his band were definitely on top of his game on this evening, particularly during their exceptional renditions of The Guess Who’s “Undun” and a “vocalese” take on Dexter Gordon’s 1962 Blue Note nugget “Where Are You”, which was just about as sweet as the Blue Note’s delicious honey-glazed wings we were chowing down on before the show.

All in all (for lack of time and a better term –ed.), it was a great night of music that rang in me and Michele’s third year together as a couple. Next year, however, I plan on taking her to a real jazz club. -Ed.

Last Modified : March 26th, 2007
Filed under : In Concert
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