Blue Eye Shadow + Distortion = Bliss
March 14th, 2004 | Posted by Shannon
Things I should have learned in my early 20’s but oh well I’m almost 40 and I haven’t learned:
1.) Really loud music will make your ears ring the next day.
2.) Perhaps more than two Black Russians is Not a Good Idea.
It’s too bad I love Really Loud Music. Because, eventually I probably will be one of those old ladies (assuming I live that long) who constantly says “What? WHAT?” When I went for my check-up the other day the doctor/nurse person said (reading my “fact sheet”):
“So. When you get ringing in your ears, is it usually on the left side or the right side?”
“I dunno,” I said. “Both?”
She said, “well, try not to stand too close to the speakers at concerts.”
How did she KNOW? I mean, is she like psychic or something? I not only like to stand close to the speakers, I like to touch them - keep my hands on them. I like the vibration they make. Probably, I’m just thinking ahead to when I won’t be able to hear so I’ll have to rely on my hands to hear music.
Last night. Oh, last night. I went to a tiny club called the Casbah, to see an Australian band called The Sleepy Jackson. I fell in love with their debut record, called Lovers, which is sort of soft and quiet and almost twangy (and I usually hate - no, LOATHE - twangy.) Well! The show sure wasn’t twangy! It was extremely loud and totally punk rock. I LOVED it. There was much smashing of guitars and bass players writhing on the ground. I can’t explain the pleasure that this insane loudness, almost to the point of distortion, gives me. The only thing I can say is, I would give up travel before I’d give up an electric guitar plugged into an amp with the volume turned up to eleven.
The Sleepy Jackson didn’t go on until midnight - this is where the Too Many Black Russians comes in. After a fine dinner (Vitello Tonnato, Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach) in Little Italy, we got to the club at around nine. Three hours! What to do? Chill and have some Black Russians I guess.
I have a Sparklehorse baby doll T that I got at the Sparklehorse show in Munich. It’s tight and white with red lettering that says in sort of a circus script (duh) Sparklehorse. I always wear it to shows - it is a never-ending conversation piece. Last night was no exception to the Sparklehorse Baby Doll T rule. First, sitting at a table in the bar, a chubby guy from New Hampshire says “So, you like Sparklehorse?” Yes, I say. (duh.) He then proceeds to reel off, one after the other, numerous bands. All of which I like.
“Do you like Cat Power? Mogwai? Elbow?” For someone from New Hampshire, this guy knows his shit.
Later, very close to midnight (this occurring after I don’t know how many Black Russians) we were at a table near the stage and the Sparklehorse Baby Doll T strikes again. Very good looking hipster (the kind that has a Muscle Car - the coolest kind of hipster) starts talking to me about music. His wife (also extremely cute) is there, also my boyfriend. So it’s not like this was a pick up thing or anything. The thing that cracked me up about this conversation was, he asked me what band I could not live without. (This is the kind of question that people like me or the guy from New Hampshire live for.)
“Radiohead,” I said. Blank stares, silence. “I just don’t get them,” Muscle Car Guy said.
“That’s cool, you don’t have to.” I said. More silence as Muscle Car Guy searches for a reason to like Radiohead. I asked him - “You?”
“The Clash.” Fantastic - good answer - one that should satisfy any music freak.
Top five? He tells me: “The Clash, (I forget the next two), Husker Du, The Who.” Husker Du? Well I must admit I was scratching my head on that one, so we are even.
Then the band came on, and I was gone. Up to the front, where a gay guy was flailing about. (Lots of gays were at this show. I am thinking, there are two reasons. One, the frontman wears blue eyeshadow. Two, the band members are all unbelievably hot.) At a non-flailing moment I edge my way in - now I am touching the speaker. There I remain and that is the reason I cannot hear you today.
