Music is one of the things that really means the most to me. Like I think if I had to I would give up books before music (and believe you me, I love books), even though I spend a lot more of my time reading than listening to music. The ratio of tremendously important music related experiences I’ve had to the ratio of tremendously important book related experience is definitely tilted in the direction of music. Most of the most important music for me is punk from Chicago (which is why I love the blog Can You See The Sunset From The South Side - the author seems to be right about my same age, likes the same bands, and writes well about them - see his incomplete history of Chicago punk rock). One of these days when I’m not broke anymore I’m going to buy all the music I don’t have from Chicago. All of it.
I see live music a lot less than I used to (and I see the symphony more than rock bands these days cuz we have a hook up for symphony tickets and we’re broke and we like to get home in bed at a reasonable hour these days) and sometimes feel like maybe I don’t want to go to shows (or at least not all ages shows) anymore ever again because the young-boys-with-shit-to-work-out dynamics are so hard to handle, and if that happens it’ll be a major loss in my life. The change in music scenes was one of the hardest parts of leaving Chicago, and it feels kind of irrational to me, like it shouldn’t matter that much - in my mental kneejerk reactions the band/fan relationship is still a consumer relationship, so why should it matter so much? It does though, irrational or no. I miss seeing those bands in those places. A lot.
My wife observed last spring that music is probably the key to being really and truly happy to live in Minneapolis. We need to see more of it live. I like International Espionage! quite a bit, and we saw this band called Action vs Action that we liked. I like Dillinger Four a real lot (and I love to drink and eat too much at the Triple Rock), but I don’t think I could ever stop feeling like a tourist at a D4 show. Plus there’s the whole testosterone young boy thing in the crowd. Getting the Husker Du and Replacements records that I don’t have wouldn’t hurt. (I wonder if my interest in history came from the urge to collect all the albums by all the bands I love?)
To keep myself motivated in my latest round of returning to the gym I put together a sampler of fine Chicago punk tunes. It totally worked. I did just under two miles on the treadmill today and lifted weights. (I dislike exercise. I like having exercised and I like how I feel when I work out regularly but exercise is so dull. Except biking.) Tonite I looked up my play list on youtube. Youtube has to be the single greatest procrastination tool there is. This blog took me to new heights of non-accomplishment, but holy crap youtube is like another order of not doing what I should be doing. Here’s the tracks from my playlist that I found on youtube:
Naked Raygun, “peacemaker”
The Lawrence Arms, “Are there Margaret? It’s me, God.” and “Brick Wall Views”
I kind of grew up with this band, the people in it, seeing them in many other bands. Like the Broadways (whose “Police Song” is on the list) and Slapstick (whose “What I Learned” is also on the list - this video is from the second of their two benefit reunion shows at the Fireside Bowl, I was at the earlier of the two shows, by that point - this is, what, 1998? 1997? - I was already starting to feel old in punk years and they were all already in other bands)
Rise Against, “Alive and Well” and “Broken English” (I used to know the singer Tim when he was in this earlier band along with the drummer for the Lawrence Arms, they were called Baxter and were really good, we booked a show for them in the town I lived in in Indiana, he and I used to correspond when we were part of the Young People’s Socialist League. The bassist and the original guitarist were in 88 Fingers Louie, a classic Chicago punk band. I remember seeing Rise Against play Alive and Well at the Fireside, they were fantastic. It’s weird that they’re big now.)
Alkaline Trio “Stupid Kid.” This might be the saddest bitterest song I know. Their guitarist went to high school in northern illinois where I’m from and was in local bands and stuff. The bassist was in Slapstick and this pretty band called Tuesday. It’s also weird that they’re big.
The Methadones, “You Don’t Know Me Anymore”
Pegboy, “Superstar” I read once that J Robbins almost quit Jawbox to play in Pegboy. When I saw Jawbox in Chicago they apologized for not being Pegboy, which I think speaks to how good Pegboy is.
The Riverdales, “Outta Sight”
There are a number of other great songs on the list that aren’t on youtube, like “Jerk Lessons” by Apocalypse Hoboken (my youngest brother has apparently met and started occasionally hanging out with their singer, I’m definitely impressed), “Dayjob” by Oblivion, “Replacement Parts” by The Honor System, “Just Broke Up” by The Smoking Popes, and more.
I promise on my honor to obsessively check youtube to see if anyone uploads videos of live performances of those songs. It beats working.
awesome.
Comment by jim — October 11, 2007 @ 2:19 am