Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 115 - 2011

115
2011/11/15, Trix, Hasselt, Belgium (no recording)
Polvo
No one is (as I are be)
Senator
Brain gallop
Forever 28
Independence street
Jenny and the ess-dog
Asking price
Stick figures in love
Gorgeous Georgie
Tigers
Unknown new song
Long hard book
Tune grief
Real emotional trash
Share the red
Baby C'mon
Unknown

In contrast, the next day the Jicks travelled from London to Hasselt, Belgium where I saw them, but I only have my memory to back me up. No footage or recording from this night has surfaced. It was a fun night, funny monologues, animated playing, ethusiasm. But it wasn't an outstanding night – maybe I was expecting too much. Maybe I knew too much about some of the setlist surprises other nights offered. In Hasselt it was very straight: 11 'Mirror traffic' songs plus the 'Polvo' b-side and a couple of perfunctory nods to the past ('Jenny', 'Baby c'mon' and a very long 'Real emotional trash' that lost its momentum way before it ended).

'Independence street' was great. And then we come to the question mark part of the set. They closed the encore with a song I didn't recognize, but all I can find in my notes from just after the show is 'Unknown'. Probably a cover though. More interesting is the unknown song which appeared near the end of the main set. I remember this one as a quite fast and energetic riff song, the riffs circled and spiraled. The song was instrumental until right near the end when there was some punkish yelping over the riff (didn't seem to be words). I was familiar with most of the regular new songs at this point and it certainly wasn't one of those. Nor did I get a pang of recognition from any of the later new songs. It could have been a cover, of course, or a one time experiment of an original which was abandoned.

It wasn't his greatest song, but it puzzles me to this day. Does anyone know anything more about this mystery song?

I was really happy to see the Jicks again.