05.17.2006, 04:53 PM | #1 |
bad moon rising
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 234
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So, Jim O'rourke played at the stone last night. I caught the 10 o'clock set which was him on acoustic guitar and Tim Barnes on percussion. It was really really good, extremely weird in a way, but really sweet and pretty.
Jim came out and his posture was completely hunched over. No one clapped. He said "hello," and everyone clapped, to which he replied "It's okay... you don't..." So yes, another akward clapping incedent at The Stone... I tell you the set-up of that place makes clapping when the person comes on weird... Like the audience needs a cue other than just the performer coming out. Jim then explained his posture by saying "Sorry, I have a broken neck... So I'm gonna be stuck in this position." He was really really obviously fucked up on pain killers and spoke in that dreamy, I'm fucked up on pain-killers kind of way. Let me preface that with a clear statement that I'm not talking shit or being judgmental, and I really am just speculating that he was on perscription drugs, but the man looked like he was on medication and his neck really did look it was hurting. Don't want to start like gossip or something That must suck to have a hurt neck (wonder if it was really "broken" he didn't have a neck brace on or anything, maybe he took it off before playing) and try to play guitar, especially the kind of acoustic guitar he improvised, with crazy intervals and fucked up timing and weird chords. He was looking at the fretboard the whole time and kind of bobbing his neck with out bending it, and looked like he was in pain, rubbing it during sections while he wasn't playing. Well anyway he seemed really out of it when he talked to the audience. A before he played he just kind of stared at this one girl at the audience and smiled and kind of nodded his chin at her awkwardly. She apologized, and he said "No, I'm interested... Whatcha writing?" She explained, she was text-messaging a friend who was going through a rough time and who had tried to call her just then, saying that she couldn't talk because she was at the show. Jim than said "Oh, tell her I apologize..." It was really really sweet... and got a huge laugh from the audience. To which Jim kind of slurred out "No, I'm serious..." Someone then turned off their cell-phone and it had a real etheral turn off sound, to which Jim got a startled look and said "What was that? Sounded like angel arrived..." It was real cute... I hope he gets better soon. Anyway the set itself was very dreamy, and pretty. It was a Derek Bailey tribute show and you could tell Jim brought out a bunch of his influence in his playing, but mixed with his own personal style. Lots of harmonics, lots of jumping around to weird intervals, interspersed with harmonics, and odd chords, vaguely jazz like, vaguely folk like... Tim Barnes played excellent percussion... a lot of stuff with his hands and rubbing some little bell-like hand balls on the snares... Jim wasn't plugged into anything so it was just his straight acoustic guitar and very quiet, and the audience was extremely quiet and attentive. Ambulances passing outside were louder than his playing so everyone was straining to listen. My girlfriend almost nodded out during it because it was so pillowy and relaxing. It sounded kind of like the more coherent/normal sounding parts of like Xylophonen Virtuosin, as well as other records Jim has put out... not as Folky or thick as like Bad Timing. He did use reoccuring themes and phrases though changing the rhythm and timing as he came back to them. He stopped playing for several oddly timed moments, and thoughtfully came back in. It was actually really hard to figure out when they were done playing... like it seemed at moments that they would stop playing and maybe waiting for the audience to clap, but then continued playing. They played awhile at least 30, maybe 40 minutes. It was hard to keep track of how long it went on because I had my eyes closed during a lot of it... I got lost in it. They stopped and Jim kind of put his guitar off his knee and got a nice round of applause. Jim thanked us and said some words about how great it was people were coming out to support the kind of music Derek Bailey played and liked. He sounded really really sad when he talked about Derek. Anyway, it was a nice show, and I hope Jim's neck feels better soon. |
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05.17.2006, 04:57 PM | #2 |
children of satan
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Japan
Posts: 345
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Thanks for the great review... sounds like a cool show!
Where is this so called "stone"? |
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05.17.2006, 05:14 PM | #3 | |
bad moon rising
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 234
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Quote:
The Stone is located in the Lower East Side, Manhattan, 2nd and Ave. C... Its owned or at least curated by John Zorn. Its less a venue and more of like a performance space. There's no bar and I believe all profits go straight to musicians. Its tiny. I can't imagine it fitting more than 100 people, probably holds way less normally. I think there were about 50 last night. $10 for all shows, $5 for students. www.thestonenyc.com |
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05.17.2006, 05:15 PM | #4 |
expwy. to yr skull
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: London
Posts: 1,657
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Wow top 40 squeeze what a great review... I almost felt like I was there for a hot second.
Jim rules.
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05.17.2006, 05:24 PM | #5 | |
bad moon rising
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 234
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Quote:
Thanks, I'd totally down to like write music reviews for a magazine or online thingy, but I don't feel like I'm opinionated enough to, or really understand the technical language of music enough to. Oh, and I also don't mind ending sentences with prepositions. |
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05.17.2006, 05:35 PM | #6 | |
expwy. to yr skull
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: London
Posts: 1,657
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Quote:
Well enthusiasm counts for a lot in my book... being able to translate your gut reactions and feelings in an entertaining and engaging manner is all that I ask for. You place your prepositions where you like!.
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05.17.2006, 05:44 PM | #7 |
invito al cielo
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 7,808
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Ha, another awkward welcome! Thanks for the review.
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Confusion is next and next after that is the Truth. |
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05.17.2006, 06:19 PM | #8 |
invito al cielo
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,358
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better review than i have read in any mag, but then again if you write for a mag you have to review stuff you hate.
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05.17.2006, 08:30 PM | #9 |
children of satan
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: toronto
Posts: 270
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sounds kool. I wish I could see him here in Toronto.
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05.18.2006, 02:45 AM | #10 |
little trouble girl
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 49
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I miss Jim!
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05.18.2006, 04:45 AM | #11 |
invito al cielo
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Arrived in Smoke, Arrived in Gold
Posts: 2,569
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fantastic review... i've given you some rep...
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05.18.2006, 06:39 PM | #12 |
100%
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 789
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Anyone know what he is up to these days?
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A hundred dollars used to be more than enough and now a hundred times a day and still it's not enough |
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