Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 119 - 2012

119
2012/02/15, Fox theatre, Boulder, CO
All over gently
Brain gallop
Spazz
Discretion grove
Scattegories
Long hard book
Tigers
No one is (as I are be)
Stick figures in love
Church on white
Polvo
Independence street
Baby C'mon
Senator
Real emotional trash
Jenny and the ess-dog
Us
1% of 1

2012 will prove to be an interesting year – 'Wheels of fire' was released in january, phases two and three of the writing of 'Wig out' over the summer, Stephen's last recorded solo show (to this day) in june, the 'Wig out' album sessions in october and a one-off live full album cover version in december. Plenty to get excited about. But first there was an 11-date february US tour.

This Boulder recording is the second night of the tour. I'm not wild about it, to be frank. In my opinion, it's an example of an existing Jicks problem with consecutive tours to promote the same album. The first nights' setlists of a new tour consist of the same songs in the same arrangements they played the most/they remember the best from the last tour. But the excitement levels are lower.
Only after a couple of nights of warming up and after a couple of soundchecks to develop new ideas do the setlists start evolving. I can appreciate they want some vacaction after a long tour, but really, a couple of days rehearsal before the tour starts, should remedy the problem.

So you get an 18 song setlist: eight of the mainstays of the last album plus its b-side 'Polvo', two (by now familiar) new songs 'Independence street' and 'Scattegories', three oldies from the first album ('Discretion grove', 'Church on white' and of course the Boulder-naming 'Jenny and the ess-dog'), one from the third album ('Baby c'mon') and at the end of the show three jam-favorites (three!). 'Real emotional trash' is long and aimless, much like the unrecorded version I witnessed in november 2011. The most noteworthy aspect is how it threatens to break into the Grateful Dead's 'Sugar magnolia' riff for a while there. 'Us' is more interesting. The stop-start deconstructed version from the Fall 2011 tour has transformed into a truly epic, rolling groove with nice organ work from Mike. '1% of 1' is the one song here that, to my knowledge, wasn't recorded during the Fall 2011 tour. But it was definitely on the menu. In Hasselt, when I saw them, they almost played it but for curfew. There's no doubt whatsoever that what the Jicks like about the track is the improv-section. Hell, they don't even sing the verses anymore. Just rip through 'em on the way to jam-nirvana. And this track, of all the Jicks jam-vessels, offers the best guarantees they'll reach nirvana too.

Both 'Us' and '1% of 1' are highlights in this unremarkable set. I mean, there is a lot of goodwill between band and audience. They keep each other in a good mood. There are some nice moments throughout the set ('Long hard book', 'No one is', 'Stick figures', 'Church on white', 'Polvo'). But it doesn't add up to much in the cold light of day, listening to the recording a couple of times in a row. Both 'Us' and '1% of 1' will be easily superseded tomorrow, by better versions a couple of nights further in to the tour. They're warming up.

Maybe it's the recording that colours my perception as well. Some time during the set Stephen compliments the onstage sound, 'studio sound', but not much of that translates to the recording; cavernous, booming, muddy.

Let's skip to more exciting recordings – 2012 will offer plenty.