Dec 31, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg

Photos of Gibby didn't come out too well, I was on Paul's side and Gibby was blocked by his tronix. Same for Pinkus, too far away for clear photos. And King, well, he is back there drumming the shit out of it. I'm thunderstruck by how consistently amazing these guys can play.










Below are videos from New Years Eve. Looks like so far more people posted videos from 12/30, which I'll link in the post below for that date.

SWEATLOAF


COWBOY BOB


BBQ POPE





Rocky


Dust Devil/New Years Eve countdown


CHERUB


EDGAR & GOOFY'S CONCERN

Dec 30, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg

A great show. A great weekend. Music Hall of Williamsburg is an excellent venue to see a band like this, big enough for good sound, small enough to feel intimate.


Songlist as posted on the BHS forum - but it's missing Rocky

SweatLoaf
Cowboy Bob
100 Million
Suicide
Rocky
Negro Observer
BBQ Pope
Hey
x-Ray
2 Parter/Tornado
Dust Devil
Goofy's Concern
O-Men
USSA
Webber
Lady Sniff/Pepper
Graveyard
22 Going On 23
Some Dispute
Edgar
Fast
Gary Floyd
----------
Bong Song
Blindman
No Rule
Shah Sleeps


Sweat Loaf


Another version of Sweat Loaf


BBQ Pope


X-Ray


Another X-Ray


Goofy's Concern


O-Men


Weber


Graveyard


Another Graveyard


Rocky


Another Rocky


Fake New Years Countdown

Hello Williamsburg

It has been announced. The Butthole Surfers will play in Williamsburg Dec 30 & 31. Personally I will be a vegetable by the time Jan 2 comes around because I also have tickets to Gogol Bordello and Man Man on Jan 1. I need a nap, starting now.

Thanks for the alert to Brooklyn Vegan, and for linking to my post about my Austin adventure.

The Videos are In

From Scoot Inn, Oct 29, 2010 videos.

SWEATLOAF


HUMAN CANNONBALL (only the first minute)


USSA


THE O-MEN


AND ANOTHER RECORDING OF THE O-MEN


JOHN-E SMOKE


LADY SNIFF/PEPPER MASHUP


CHERUB


THE SHAH SLEEPS IN LEE HARVEY'S GRAVE

Scoot Inn, Austin, Oct 29, 2010

The idea of Butthole Surfers performing Locust Abortion Technician in its entirety was a curious one, I thought, when I first saw the announcement. I listened to the album carefully and wondered how they were going to pull it off with all that electronica and distortion and sampling and mixing, without it seeming like they were just playing a recording. Few of the songs are melodic tunes that are probably easier to recreate in a live show. It's a great album, but I just had trouble picturing it. It could have been a disaster if they hadn't prepared so well. And prepare they did. It was clear how hard they were working up there to pull off the performance, professionally and technically, and I for one truly appreciated the effort they made.

Turns out that playing this album was a genius idea, executed perfectly. It was clear that not only had they been rehearsing, but they orchestrated the songs with a fresh spin. They played the entire album in one long, continuous exhale that gave a shape to the over-arching themes of the music in a way that isn't immediately apparent when you listen to the album.

To be honest, I had never listened to LAT as a holistic work. I always thought it one of the more esoteric compilations, a little hard to latch onto, requiring very close listening to make something of it. And while it opens with the incomparable Sweat Loaf and the chanting of Satan Satan Satan, it closes with what is their most disturbing song, 22 going on 23. That song never made much sense to me and always left me feeling uncomfortable. It's one part misery and one part exploitation. After hearing that song last night, it all made sense, and the entire album was tied together as a piece of storytelling, a psychedelic opera, that was extremely satisfying.

Paul Leary said he was nervous about doing this, which is understandable. It just can't be easy to transpose something that was very much made in a studio, into a live show. It worked brilliantly and I am so glad that I was able to be there to experience it. Bravo.

Surfers On Tour

After the disappointing finish to an otherwise agreeable show in New York, the Butthole Surfers are playing more shows, but not in a city near me. I am totally willing to go to New Orleans but alas, at my far advanced age I know of nobody who wants to spend their weekend with me while I'm being a stupid fan while they gag on oysters and beer waiting for me to get over my excitement. So I will perish in New York while everybody else is having fun.

Here is the upcoming 2008 schedule that I will be missing out on. Cue the tears.

Sept 27 - Austin, TX, Stubbs
Oct 22 - Dallas, TX, Granada Theater
Oct 23 - Houston, TX, Meridian
Oct 24, New Orleans, LA, One Eyed Jacks
Oct 26, New Orleans, LA, The Voodoo Experience Festival
Dec 5-7, Minehead, England, The Nightmare Before Christmas