sonic youth @ stubb's bbq (6.23.06)

thurston moore looks like he could be 26 or 27. with a boyish shaggy haircut and second-hand store jeans you would never guess that he was pushing 50. it wasn't until he acknowledged steve shelly’s own 50th birthday that night, was age brought to the audience’s attention. akwardness ensued when thurston’s spiel quickly turned bittersweet after requesting that because of the occasion, anyone born in 1958 should cheer.
“let’s hear it for 1958 babies! anyone?, anyone?” and as was to be expected, it was pretty quiet.

at this point I was sure most of the fans there on friday night were clear on one thing: sonic youth had gotten old.

but praise to them for continuing to tour and creating albums that sell. the founders of dissonant rock have clearly become a staple in mainstream music—regardless of age. we won’t delve too deep into how the albums as of late (i.e. nyc ghosts and flowers, murray street and sonic nurse) are only ghosts of their rock n’ roll past, but suffice to say that i remember a show of theirs from just four years ago having an entirely different energy to it. and although i can also say i’m not a die-hard fan for thurston’s 30-minute distorted guitar solos, there was something immensely missing from friday night’s show without it. at the very least, i begged for something to be played that was written before 2000.

i'll be the first to admit that i was late joining the sonic youth club, as it were, not even knowing about them until my freshman year of college. those were the days when anyone who was anyone knew all the lyrics to “silver rocket” or could impersonate kim gordon impersonating robert palmer on “addicted to love.” and yet i can recognize, unlike almost all other no-wave bands of the days past, that they possessed the amazing ability to evolve. they have matured into refined and distinguished rock musicians (read: safer/quieter sound, but still good) not to mention that they are all wildly successful outside of the band. and i believe this important progression of the band over the years might be what explains sonic youth’s staying power, heavy on the distortion or not.