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ateolfI had a day of doing some stuff yesterday. In the afternoon I went to a talk up at Memphis Listening Lab with Jen B. Larson who just wrote this book they were talking about called Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA | 1975-1983. Andrea Lisle was the moderator. It was a pretty good discussion. The solo interview part didn't last very long and then the members of The Klitz came up (they're featured in the book, the sole band from Memphis) and mostly it was a discussion with them. It kinda turned into just a string of name dropping of Memphis people from back in the day (which is common at these types of things) but it was still good. They were supposed to have copies of the book there but it sounded like someone forgot to order them, but afterwards I went ahead and ordered a copy from elsewhere.
Then just a little later at night I went up to Growlers for the Etran de l'Aïr show. Then opening act was Graham Winchester (of Turnstyles) and that was horrible. It was like singing with piano or piano adjacent sounds from a Nord along with drum machine. About halfway through it a violinist came up to accompany him and on occasion the violin parts were almost good but it was too much to handle to help the songs it was up against. Okay, enough badmouthing. We can just say it was "not my thing."
Then Etran de l'Aïr played and everything was better. I mean, fuck, they were absolutely phenomenal. They're from Niger and in the same genre of Mdou Moctar. Where Mdou's sound relies more heavily on guitar acrobatics, their sound is more focused on the interlocking guitar rhythms (I mean, both artists rely on both, I'm just stating which way the scales tip). As much as I love Mdou Moctar, I think Etran de l'Aïr were even better (or am I just blinded by the fact that it was last night versus over four years ago!?). And that's not to diminish how incredible Mdou Moctar was, just to elevate what an amazing show it was that I got to see last night! Growlers was pretty packed too and everyone was into it and there was lots of dancing and I was nodding my head all over the place (I mean, that's a lot coming from me!). I mean yeah, the opening act sucked and it was crowded and people kept getting too close to me (I was leaning against a pillar 'cuz my foot has a tendency to hurt from standing too long, so I couldn't move away when they'd drift almost right up against me) but Etran de l'Aïr made everything worth it! I picked up some merch afterwards: a t-shirt and their two cds: Etran de l'Aïr: No. 1 and Etran de l'Aïr: Agadez. So anyway, yeah, great night!
Then just a little later at night I went up to Growlers for the Etran de l'Aïr show. Then opening act was Graham Winchester (of Turnstyles) and that was horrible. It was like singing with piano or piano adjacent sounds from a Nord along with drum machine. About halfway through it a violinist came up to accompany him and on occasion the violin parts were almost good but it was too much to handle to help the songs it was up against. Okay, enough badmouthing. We can just say it was "not my thing."
Then Etran de l'Aïr played and everything was better. I mean, fuck, they were absolutely phenomenal. They're from Niger and in the same genre of Mdou Moctar. Where Mdou's sound relies more heavily on guitar acrobatics, their sound is more focused on the interlocking guitar rhythms (I mean, both artists rely on both, I'm just stating which way the scales tip). As much as I love Mdou Moctar, I think Etran de l'Aïr were even better (or am I just blinded by the fact that it was last night versus over four years ago!?). And that's not to diminish how incredible Mdou Moctar was, just to elevate what an amazing show it was that I got to see last night! Growlers was pretty packed too and everyone was into it and there was lots of dancing and I was nodding my head all over the place (I mean, that's a lot coming from me!). I mean yeah, the opening act sucked and it was crowded and people kept getting too close to me (I was leaning against a pillar 'cuz my foot has a tendency to hurt from standing too long, so I couldn't move away when they'd drift almost right up against me) but Etran de l'Aïr made everything worth it! I picked up some merch afterwards: a t-shirt and their two cds: Etran de l'Aïr: No. 1 and Etran de l'Aïr: Agadez. So anyway, yeah, great night!
