SWANS

The show last night was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Upon initially hearing that Swans were playing in Nashville, I wasn't terribly excited. I'd heard one song off their new album and didn't feel strongly about it either way. Mary Beth is the one who pushed us to go and so I have her to thank fully for that! The way they started off the show was incredible. There was this drone from either a loop or just feedback before they went on stage. It went on a good while. Then slowly each member came on one by one and began adding something monotonous to it with this intense, slow buildup. We'd gotten there early and I had been sitting down, but once the first "song" started and the band began pounding a rhythm in unison, I was not physically able to sit any more and had to stand up. It was loud, so it was a good time to have my custom earplugs again (without losing any of the sound quality). They mostly played new stuff, I don't think I really recognized anything, but they could have just played stuff off of Love of Life or one of their other shit albums and it would still have been amazing. It definitely about those six people up there in that particular configuration and the sheer physical presence of the sound they procuded. It was these (mostly) old guys putting just about everyone half or a third of their age to shame with their energy and intensity. At one point one of the amps (either the bass one of the guitar or both) was having trouble and Michael Gira started angrily commanding the sound guy to go fix it with his face and hands. He was also bossing the other band members during the set with the same methods but less vehemence. And throughout the beginning he's looking very intense and angry in that Michael Gira fashion and when they finish he walks up to the mic and says "thank you very much, it's great to be here." And the end of the show, after they did a brief encore he even smiled when he thanked us and said something about all the "beautiful young people." I don't think I recognized any of the songs, but it really was a transcendent experience. Easily one of the best shows of my life. And in my age I've been to some damned good ones.

So about the other details. One thing I forgot to mention in my last post was how I got a flat tire Monday morning as I left for work. I hadn't gone far so I turned around and had to borrow Mary Beth's car (which I did for almost a week, so I owe her for that as well!). Yesterday I finally changed my tire and we took it in to get repaired while out. I also had 'em fix that brake light that had been out for a month. I figured at this rate I wasn't gonna figure out where the fucking bulb was supposed to go myself. Then we were off to Nashville. We got into town, found the venue and went to a nearby hot chicken place (400 Degrees). We only got the "200 degree" chicken and it was really fucking hot and burning. It was good. I was a little worried it'd have me end up with stomach issues which would be bad during the show, but that didn't happen. At least not until the drive back home and I got what I guess was my first case of acid reflux where it suddenly started coming back up and burning the motherfucking shit out of my throat as I'm driving home after 2 am on the interstate. It was pretty horrible, it burned to the point I almost felt like I was choking. Stopped at a gas station to get something for it and it pretty much calmed down after that. So never HOT chicken again, Nasvhille. Before that it was good in a I-could-eat-this-once-every-few-years sort of way. The place was kinda weird in that it was in a fucking Quiznos. But Nashville has this weird uber-corporate vibe that sticks out even in today's disconcerting climate. It was a small, local thing in itself, but it had to exist in this weird sort of environment. Anyway, then to the show. I bought a couple shirts beforehand. Ones for Filth and Holy Money. I also got a site specific poster. The opening act was that dude from Sun City Girls. He mostly played instrumental stuff with a surfy/spanish-guitar/western feel that was pretty decent. Unforunately, into the set he brought in the vocals with some Sun City Girls songs and it was, once again, utterly horrible. It's like if Tom Waits did it with Ween (and no good can come of doing it with Ween). After that it was Swans and I've told you about that. I spent so much "holy" money at the damn show. They were so awesome I had to buy the new album (the version with the bonus disc) and the shirt for the 2010/11 tour. Good thing they took credit cards. Holy money, holy love. Should have driven straight home, but Mary Beth and I hung out with Jacques and Amber at this late night place and had some alright food. We were talking about someone we'd seen at the show (from Memphis) in a not-so-flattering way and then turn around and they're standing just about behind us. A little later they saw us in line and talked to us and were nice and it was awkward. Also, there was a wedding below the show. At one point two dudes came up from it in their tux vests. I guess they'd heard Swans coming out of the wedding and decided to check it out. At first they seemed into it and I thought it was cute that Swans had made some new fans (even though they seemed obnoxious and fratty), but after a little bit they seemed nonplussed and were not able to take it anymore and left. So close to the time we should have been arriving back in Memphis, we left Nashville. We got in around 4:30 am, almost the time I wake up during the damn week. Well, that's that. Yay, good things!