NEIL! Sounded pretty damn good. I've never seen the Youth live but it seemed good to me.

Just got back from the show. I see the board has been following along. Sorry you all coudn't be there. It was really hot. I mean temperature wise. Neat place for a show. Very scary neighborhood downtown. The new songs are good, but too short. SY never have any time to stretch out, and they seem unwilling to improvise very much.

I was at the Troubadour show as well, and that was better, I thought. This was by no means a bad show though. Far better than Arthurfest last year.

Please tell me someone recorded the stream and will post it up for all the people that went to the show and would like a copy? I got there super early and got to see Mark, Lee, and Steve play a ball game. While Kim and Thurston got taco's. Good times.

so it was good then?

fuck yeah it was good! the venue was fantasic, brick warehouse, solid sound. good crowd, good vibe, crazy neighborhood for a rocknroll show (the la city hall was the only building you could see, it was like the 1950s before the skyline was built up). sonic clearly had a good time, and so did we. I smoked a fat spliff, chilled with steve and lee, well worth camping out in front of aomeba. god bless sonic youth for giving LA such a fantasic show!

The show was fucking amazing. I was right in front of Lee the entire time. Kim's dance moves were fucking awesome too.

The stream sounded pretty awesome!

Man what an awesome show! It was really great. Better than the time I saw them in San Diego HoB. SY were clearly having fun, and so were we. I was up in the front a little to the right of Lee (my right). I got lots of pictures, and video. I'm not sure how the audio on those vids sound though. I got a shirt and grabbed the setlist, I took a picture with Steve, and got him and Lee to sign my magazine. I feel like such an idiot though, because I forgot my sharpie and had to bring in this shitty pen that I found in the car. I bought an Awsome Color CD and got them all to sign the insert. Allison, the drummer, was really nice. Pictures will be up soon.

I don't know how to work 'flickr' very well, I just got it, and it would only let me upload a certain amount so here= http://www.flickr.com/photos/61839834@N00/show/

Nice pics! Yea, that neighborhood looks sketchy. Probably a stones throw away from Skid Row if that's in the downtown area. How many people did that place hold? Looks like an awesome time.

Were you the dude with the Snakes on a Plane shirt?

Well other than being hot as hell inside, the show was great. Wish they played more non-RR songs, though. Awesome Color was quite entertaining, too. I was the guy who passed out in line, heh.

I really liked the venue, though. It wasn't nearly as sketchy as it looked. Especially at night, it was pretty safe.

Didn't get too many good pictures cause I wasn't as close as I wanted. I was right in front of Thurston with maybe 3-4 people in front of me. But I'll post a few of the better ones.

The Little Radio simulcast was acting up on my computer, did anyone record it? Thanks.

Ya, I tried to record it before I left for the show, but the stream kept crapping out on me as well.
Others have said they got it; it should appear soon.

It was really a great show; the whole atmosphere was really friendly.
The city of LA needs to powerwash that sidewalk where everyone was lined up, though..the smell was wretched.

I was in front of lee the best day of my life. They played my favorites from RR so it was a fucking great time for me.

I was right in front with one person in front of me. I was between Kim and Lee and right in front of Thurston when he played bass. Lee shook my hand when he left after the main setlist and Thurston shook my hand sometime after that when they were coming back for the encore or when they were leaving; I can't remember. When they left for the last time Thurston grabbed 2 water bottles and threw them. They both passed right by me. I didn't catch any of them but my friend got the second one. I bought him a shirt and some buttons. I told him if he gave me the bottle, he wouldn't have to pay me back for the stuff, so he gave me the water bottle. What should I do with it? I think it was Kim's. She drank a little bit out of it.

After the show, we bought some stuff and went outside. We came back in and Thurston was standing near the SY table that sells stuff. I took a picture for some guys and then I walked up to him and didn't know what to say. I just said "Hi" and he smiled and shook my hand firmly.

We went back outside and Mark was there. I called out his name and I shook his hand too. I asked him if Pavement was getting back together and he said they had no plans. He said those internet rumors weren't true. Steve was then right next to me but I didn't want to interrupt his conversation. He left. Lee and Kim were standing about 10 feet away from me but were talking to some people. I didn't want to bother them either. Kim had a little black dog and said its name but I have since forgotten. My ride arrived so I left. I really wanted to talk to Steve but when he was done talking he just left and I didn't want to bother him.

Oh, I forgot some stuff. Awesome color's bassist was really kick-ass. Other than that they didn't sound too good. All I could hear was bass and drums. When their singer came on I thought it was someone from the audience. He totally ruined the band for me.

Now some SY stuff. Kim is so much hotter live and her dance moves rocked. I didn't even try talking to her because she just seems intimidating for some reason. Here are some quotations that I remember.

T: The last timre we played in downtown LA was in 1982 when I was born.

T: How is it over there on your side of the stage?
L: It's good. (or something like that) How is it over there?
T:Total destruction. (Starts playing)

Thurston said Lee was going to release a solo album next year. He said if it wasn't out by next spring to email him at Lee@sonicyouth.com. Lee then playfully said that that wasn't his e-mail address.

i bet it was rubbish really.

(i am only joking and just somewhat envious)

Yeah that was me.

That was classic. When Thurston said that his face looked like he was having a blast. I wish I had that part on video.

It was really hard to meet the band because they were constantly talking to people. So I just kind of shook their hand and said great show. Lee seemed really cool, though. He actually looked happy to hear me say that, even though I'm sure it was the 800th time he heard it that night. Kim seemed pretty distracted and didn't really say anything. Thurston just said "hey" and laughed; kind of awkward. Steve was talking to people when I saw him and I couldn't find him after that. But it was a good experience.

I actually liked Awesome Color. Even the random singer guy that I didn't even know was in the band. They were fun, and if I hadn't been anxiously awaiting SY I would have thoroughly enjoyed it. The drummer seemed like an interesting person. She looks 15. The guitarist was great. At one point he just started drinking a beer while strumming randomly, and then started using the bottle as slide. His strap fell off half way through a song and he made the best of it, which was cool. Turned it into a show. The singer was...Different. I thought he was really entertaining, but I can't really begin to describe him.

I don't think that he was officially in the band. I bought their CD, and there are only 3 people in the band, and some people that added stuff to songs. There is only one song that has additional vocals, I can't read the name because Derek (the singer) signed over that spot. Maybe he is just a friend.I got all 3 of them to sign my CD. Allison, the drummer, was super nice. She was really cool, she asked me my name, and talked to me a little about the show. Her drumming reminded me how much I wanted to buy a drum set and started learning drums, so I've been looking around for a kit. The CD is a bit repetative, but it's rockin'.

Ha, that's what I thought as well.

Ditto.

If you drink it, you'll get 'Kim' powers.

Yeah he's not actually in the band. When they played sac they said it was their good friend from michigan.

Make sure it's hers though. You don't want to get Lee powers.

I like Lee's hair!

And at any rate, it is much better than J Mascis' hair.

Vincent Gallo, Carla from Autolux, the keyboardist from the mars volta. Satan. Cody, lee's son.

s

No kidding? Where did you see Vincent Gallo?

I didn't know Gallo was into sonic youth.

Great show, I really liked the venue apart from the heat. I wish they could have 'jammed' a bit more, but I guess Rather Ripped isn't that kind of album. I thought the sound was really good though, especially the loud drums in the mix. I guess I sort of hoped they might pull out a few surprises being a "secret show" but I like the new album so it wasn't a big deal. I left with a new (renewed) excitement for Sonic Youth.

Also, the Awesome Color drummer seemed to constantly smile as she played...reminded me a bit of the youngest Hanson, not in a bad way.

P.S. Wasn't it something like "In 1982 at Al's Bar?" May have heard it wrong myself, but...

My same thought at the start, but I remembered that the show was being brodcasted live on the radio, and they had to be done at midnight. For example, their set was originally going to include "Neutral," but they ran short on time.

At least we got to hear "Eric's Trip" y'know?

I bet you if they weren't brodcasting it on the radio, they would've done a little more "experimenting"

oh well...it's fuckin' Sonic Youth!

"Hey, it's nice to be back downtown again. I think the last time we were here was in 1982 at Al's Bar. That's right. We just went over and saw Ed Colvers' uh photography exhibition at the brewery, which is on Main Street."

I saw him in the crowd. My friend saw him when he came up to Thurston & Watt to say hello during AC (who were standing right in front of us), and then went back to his date, who, for a time, we were certain was PJ Harvey...turned out to be someone who just looked a lot like her from the back.
Also spotted: Eric Erlandson from Hole. He's at pretty much every show in LA, though.

Tons of Pics from Sat
 

Was Vincent Gallo trying to prostitute himself out or sell people his sperm? Thats the only reason I can think of why he would be there.

Or perhaps he's got deep connections with the New York Art scene of old, and likes Sonic Youth?

Its possible...but I doubt it.

You're kidding me, right? :eek: