Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks: 130 - 2013

130
2013/09/26, Brisbane, Spiegeltent
Tune grief
Spazz
Brain gallop
Animal midnight
Senator
Independence street
Stick figures in love
Share the red
Forever 28
Jenny and the ess-dog
Pick up the spare
Lariat
Dark wave
Houston Hades
Long hard book
Tigers
Us

Stephen: 'Gareth, can you turn up the vocals in the monitor a little... Bring 'em all up.'
Joanna: 'Blast their faces off.'
Stephen: 'I would never do that.'
…
Stephen: 'Alright, this one's called... 'Face burner'.'
Cue 'Brain gallop'.

Four songs into this set, as promised and after an a capella first verse, the Jicks break into 'Animal midnight'. It's a definitive performance of the song and it lifts the set up out of ordinary real good-ness into awesome. That's how fast it can go – one rehearsal and into it. Everybody plays with great attention to the details (listen to the synths!). They breathe life into the song.

Again...a beautifully captured recording. The sound is perfect. I can hear every nuance.

In the first half of the set nothing extraordinary or rare happens, but it's a joy to listen to such fine performances in such nice sound. Captures a real friendly mood – like a Cheers episode, 'where I know the name of every song'.

Second half is more event packed. 'Jenny & the ess-dog' starts off piano and vocals (charmingly clumsy). From the bridge onwards Joanna and Jake fall in. It's that perverted Billy Joel feel, indierock Joe Jackson?

'Pick up the spare' in a perfectly rolling version. I can see the song might've upset the balance on 'Wig out', but it deserves better than to be forgotten.

Both 'Lariat' and 'Houston Hades' are examples of what I wrote about yesterday's show: lyrics and vocal melodies are anything but finished. Time to hit the studio and finish this record already.

'Us' ends the show on a jammy note. They break into a familiar other song halfway into it. I just can't put my finger on it – what's that song?

I can recommend this show.