I love roller skating even though I haven't gone in several years due to Covid. I really need to get my own pair and start doing it regularly again. It's not quite as much fun as skateboarding, but it's still one of the best activities ever. So how about a bunch of music videos featuring roller skating today.
Yeah, I know I should be posting more Martin listings from the past, but I've been super busy with a job rotation and just my usual up and down emotional rollercoaster of life. I did go to my first show since Covid-19 hit. I saw Kurt Vile and the Violators at the Ryman with Chastity Belt opening. I had heard Chastity Belt before, but seeing and hearing them live was just so wonderful I bought all the records they had for sale at the merchandise table. Kurt was amazing as always. I'm loving his new album "watch my moves" which is out on Verve Records. I pre-ordered it and got the neat signed lithograph with it. There was a moment during his concert at the Ryman when I gazed over at my daughter who accompanied me to the show and I felt like there was nowhere else in the world I would want to be at that time. I just dig the mesmerizing slacker rock vibe he consistently brings. I do so hope his guitar tech gets paid well since Kurt changes his axe almost between every song. I highly recommend seeing him live.
Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)
Kurt Vile and the Violators at the Ryman
Chazzy Don't Mind
Chastity Belt were rocking in a indie jangle pop/shoegaze 90's sort of style, but they really impressed me when the singer/guitarist Julia Shapiro swapped with the drummer Gretchen Grimm for several songs. It reminded me of seeing the Smithereens swap instruments when I would see them perform. Just like with Kurt Vile I hope to see Chastity Belt every time they make it to Nashville. Guitarist/singer Lydia Lund rocked out "Fear" at the end of the show while my daughter thought the always bouncing bassist Annie Truscott looked like Ren Stevens. As for the sparse crowd pictured: they were the opening band so lots of people always file in late plus there was a Nine Inch Nails concert just outside of Franklin and Jack White was playing Ascend Amphitheater too. Couple that with Covid fears and the fact that the Kurt Vile concert was streamed and the turnout was light. It didn't fill up much even when Kurt came on. Too bad for those who missed the evening. It was quite magical.
Chastity Belt at the Ryman
Different Now
Fear
Another huge highlight of the Kurt Vile concert was his cover of the Silver Jews's "Punks in the Beerlight" which was totally ripping with a smoke machine cranking out over the front rows while the stage lights strobed. This led me to revisiting the late David Cloud Berman's work with the Silver Jews and his last Purple Mountains project. It's a shame he's gone, but his work will live on.
Random Rules
Sharp eyed viewers will have noticed that the Chastity Belt video for "Different Now" was a great homage to the video for Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike" so let's take a look at one of my favorites from the grunge era. That moment at around 2:28 when the vocals drop out and the chords change and later at 3:23 when Chris Cornell comes back in yowling is perfection. Cornell is another one who is greatly missed.
One of the albums I'm looking forward to is by the Chicago band Horsegirl who I discovered via Bandcamp some time ago. They came out with an all new video and tune today. This song has a Swirlies vibe to it which is just cool. I keep wondering how these younger folks are channeling the 90's indie sound so well, but I really shouldn't be surprised as there were always lots of bands in the 80's that sounded like 60's bands. Anyways, dig "Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty" from Horsegirl. I already love the ooh's!
Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty)
Finally here's a below the fold bonus. I may be old, fat, and goofy (and I am working on changing fat back to skinny...I do that every few years for kicks), but I am still writing tunes and shoving them out on to YouTube where they rarely get seen. So let's get one rarely seen here too. It does have a line which goes "K.V. in the AM and CB in the night, hey good buddies do you have your ears on, are you picking me up tonight?" where the K.V. is Kurt Vile. CB is another pop culture reference which was inspired by the movie Out of the Blue
I was late to the Kurt Vile party. But since discovering his music my life has become a wonderland of plenty. I would say he's become my spirit animal, but that's just weird. I was lucky to see him at the Ryman earlier in the year with The Sadies and that was a night for the ages. If I am ever lucky enough to sit on a porch in the Catskills with Kurt I would probably just stare like a dummy even though I am older than him, and don't usually go into the whole hero worship when I'm face to face with people I admire. If you don't own any of his records you should remedy that posthaste by ordering some or all from Matador Records. Note: this isn't some paid shill promotion. I'm just a (now old) music fan trying to spread the gospel of Kurt.
