I've wanted to see Jesus Lizard since the mid to late 90's, but for one reason or another never got the chance. Finally got my chance Friday night at The Metro here in Chicago. The Jesus Lizard are legendary. The rhythm section especially. Goat is considered by some to be one of the greatest records ever forged. It's certainly up there.
The show was odd though. For the most part I blame the audience for this feeling; old drunks looking for fights and some exhibitionists in the balcony having sex for most of the second half of the show, all very distracting. Plus, Yow seemed to be holding back. I believe this is because of the filming they were doing for an upcoming DVD. Shame, because the rhythm section was blistering. They were jaw-droppingly staggering at times.
Jim DeRogatis review of the show is pretty accurate. But don't take our word for it, check out these obligatory YouTube videos from the show:
Jesus Lizard - Glamorous
“Yow sounds like a kidnap victim trying to howl through the duct tape over his mouth.” Michael Azerrad from Our Band Could Be Your Life
Jesus Lizard - Destroy Before Reading
"For the record, the resuscitated Jesus Lizard is just as good as the regular old everyday one from the early 90s, and pretty much destroys any other band working right now. They have been playing brilliantly and blowing minds anew, and I hope they wring the sponge and get everything they can out of this revival." -Steve Albini
Once upon a time I had a decision to make. I was emigrating to the UK and could either fly over and see the Shellac curated All Tomorrow's Parties or I could sail over aboard the QE2. Ended up sailing. (A few years later I found myself sailing back, finding the expatriate life not nearly as romantic as I was hoping. ...Meaning I ran out of money.) Anyway, it seems I now have a chance to play catch up with the release next week of a best-of DVD featuring many of the great shows to date.
To quote Steve Albini, "There are three things in the world that I endorse, Abby Road Studios, Nutter Butter Sandwich Cookies and All Tomorrow's Parties."
I’ve found there are very few complete resources for a man wanting to build on his style, even with the explosion in media. (Or maybe because of it?) I’m thinking of the early Playboy and Loaded magazines here (minus the gratuitous T&A.) As it pertains to fashion specifically, a good jumping off point is Sir Hardy Amies, “ABC of Men’s Fashion.” In his introduction Ian Garlant writes of Amies being asked by a reporter:
“What do you think is your greatest achievement?”
“Hardy Amies of course,” was the irritated reply.
“…Do you mean the House or the Company?” asked the journalist.
“Neither you idiot…I mean ME!”
What a man wears, what he reads, what he listens to, his appreciation of film, art, travel, food and drink, in short his aesthetic values, these parts put together help form a picture, blurry at the edges maybe, always evolving, of who he is. How he sees himself and how he’d hope others might see him.
I look for a certain timelessness and find most trends to be ugly and garish. I look to my standard bearers; each can make their own list. I look to Steve McQueen, Robert Culp, Paul Smith, among others. I don’t claim to have a scintilla of the style this list brings to mind. This is a pattern, a guide to follow. Lists like this are useful. They provide a quick snapshot.
Let’s not forget Sturgeon’s Law though that, “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” For every beautiful thing there are ten ugly that more than counterbalance. War all the time then.
A diagonal pedestrian crossing has opened at the intersection of London's Oxford and Regent Streets, inspired by the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo. Very cool.
