This review was created by Krisbee and first appeared on Krisbee's Website. |
Knitting Factory: November, 5th, 2002 Antifolk European Tour Benefit Concert Lineup: The Babyskins, Toby Goodshank, Prewar Yardsale, Major Matt Mason USA, Fashion show by Seth, Dufus, Jeff and Jack Lewis, and Kimya Dawson I never wrote a review of a live show before, but I know one thing... as a reader of music, I don't really give a fuck about what songs were played. Unless it was an odd cover, or an amazing rendition; a setlist doesn't read well. After being at work for an eight hour day, and battling an hour and a half of traffic into Manhattan, I was ready for fun. Especially since the day didn't go so well; 13 layoffs in my division alone, with maybe 50 or so company-wide. Hopefully, some anti-folk will commiserate with my anti-establishment mentality of the evening. Eight bucks for eight performances; right off the bat I feel good about the proceedings. The Knitting Factory has always been my favorite place to see a concert. It has easy parking right outside, is not to far away from the village, and its' high ceilings and fans make for an escape route from the heat of the crowd. It's hardwood floors are worn in like a clipper ship, and its' balcony, if you are so lucky to snag a seat, provides a bird's eye perspective on the activities of the venue. I was on the main floor where all the action is. I tend to gravitate towards the side wall where I can lean up and rest my legs if need be. Tonight we will be lucky, the crowd will decide to sit in front, which gives my feet a break. I bump into Turner Cody and say hi; I helped design his mp3 music site, so we talk a little about that and some gigs that he had. I walk in to the performance hall, and Kimya is setting up stuff to sell in the back of the room. She looks up and says, "Hi, Kris!" which made my night. I have a video that I had promised to copy for her, so I hand it over. In return, she gives me a copy of her book, which I have been anxious to acquire. We talk a little bit, and I am stunned at how sweet of a person she is. I am always wary of wearing out my welcome, so I move along and peruse the table. I think to myself that I am glad I went to ATM before I came tonight. I buy a Toby Goodshank album, a Major Matt Mason album, Jeff Lewis's Austin Diary Comic, and I hand the money to Kimya, who was nice enough to be cashier for the first few hours. As my friend Thom and I look for a good place to set ourselves up, I see Major Matt. I go over and introduce myself, and he knows me from my website. I tell him that I just finally got to buy his album, which he is pleased by. We talk about the upcoming Europe trip, and all the different aspects of that. I mention that I have an interview with Peter Dizozza coming up, and he tells me about the progress of the album he is producing of Peter's. We mosey over to the front of the stage when The Babyskins start playing, and the two girls are dressed in rag-tag fashion created by Seth of Dufus. They both are playing guitars; no xylophone today. Their performance was lovely, with the both of them singing in sweet voices, in a tone reminiscent of a young girl singing to her dolls in the seclusion of her room. I am looking forward to hearing more of them. Jeff Lewis comes out to sit down, and I go over to shake his hand; we have only talked on the phone to each other. My friend has some cd's to give him that they had pre-arranged, and he forks them over. I show Jeff that I bought his Austin comic, and he asks if I have the other ones, which I didn't. He brings us over to the table and he gives me another one of his comics, Come to my Show which is awesome. While we are there, I ask Kimya if she saw my friends shirt. Thom opens up his sweater to reveal a t-shirt he created which has a picture of Kimya and emblazoned on it, the statement, "Kimya Dawson has a Posse." She smiled brightly and said she thought that was cool. Toby comes on the stage so quietly that we didn't realize he was there. Listening to Toby's mp3's, I wasn't bowled over by his music. The second he started playing, I realized I was wrong; he is incredible. I don't know if it made people uncomfortable, but most of the songs he sang somehow had a reference to sex in graphic terms, usually violent in emotion, or just violent. He sang how he wants his cock cut off, or how he doesn't care about women he slept with. It is the id that is signing, and it is obvious that this is the stuff that we are ashamed of that we all have running in our head; Toby lets it all out, but with a misleading soothing voice and gentle guitar. I am glad that I bought his cd, and plan on getting more after that tremendous performance. Prewar Yardsale came on next, and this husband and wife duo are a powerhouse. They start with a song not on their album, Psychadelicate, and Dina's voice was terrific. Having only sparse singing parts on their album, Lowdown, it was refreshing to hear her sing. After the song was done, Dina started drumming on her trademark bucket while Mike sang. Their stage presence was mesmerizing, and I thought that they are getting much more variation in their sound, which is great. Dina even played the flute during one song! I got the opportunity to talk a bit to Dina afterwards, and she was very personable. I am looking forward to hearing more from the group. Major Matt Mason USA took the stage and sang his heart out. I never heard his songs before, but I am a fan now. There was such empathy in his voice, and his guitar playing was solid. He was sporting fashion created by Seth as well, and he told us that he was drinking something backstage and there was glass in the liquid which he didn't know it until after he took a swig. He was worried that he might have ingested some, and had visions of his stomach being ripped open by a stray piece. Lucas Crane, from Dufus, provided a music concrete/electronic sound explosion with gadgets I can only assume that he made himself. Assaulting pierces of sine waves permeated the air, and Lucas dressed in what looked like a white lab coat, hunched over his briefcase noise factory. Seth's fashion show came on with Lucas still playing in the background, and most of the clothes had a tattered appearance with multiple fabrics draped over sections of the garment. Each model said a non-sequetor before they left the stage. The start of Dufus's set came on with a furious bass lead song, which was great. Then the chorus chimed in, and the stage was filled with what looked like ten to fifteen people, all adding their sound to the air. The crowd started dancing in a Gerard Malanga fashion, whipping arms here and there as if Andy was watching while the Velvets played their raw rhythms. The smoke and energy got too much for me and Thom to bear after being up all day, so this is when I took my leave to grab a bit of fresh air and a drink. We made it back in before Jeff Lewis started playing. He played a few new songs to me (ones not on his other albums), and two of the songs he played with, as he called it, "a low-rent video", which consisted of drawings he had on a sketch pad illustrating the lyrics of the song. He bridged one song into a strong version of The Man with the Golden Arm which rocked the house. He seemed more sure of himself live then he does on the earlier recordings, which could be because of experience, or perhaps it was the atmosphere. Kimya set was last, and she was playing a borrowed guitar which she wasn't used to. She had some slip ups, but that of course didn't matter; her singing was sad and sweet, and it captivated the entire audience. The guitar was merely background notes; her voice is the primary instrument. Singing so quietly, it set the mood of the songs perfectly; songs about child abuse, pain, longing, addiction, and childhood flights of fancy. She truly is an amazing lyricist, and her words are a window right into her heart. Kimya makes the enterprise look effortless, which shows true talent. Lights up, and I'm out the door. I have to face lurking potholes, and rayguns of work lights on the expressways, claw off the sleep deprivation, The next day I will return where the drudgery of an established career lies, in a conglomerate where power struggles and fear motivates action. For the past four hours I am free of that, lost in a land of creativity, congruency, and community. They seem to be free of the constraints that bind us; leaving for a trip where strangers offer places for them to sleep, touring without a dime, and certainly not for profit. They are neither rock'n'rollers nor neo-hippies, they are artists living for their craft. |
Reviews |
Krisbee reviews |
Knitting Factory: November, 5th, 2002 Antifolk European Tour Benefit Concert Lineup: The Babyskins, Toby Goodshank, Prewar Yardsale, Major Matt Mason USA, Fashion show by Seth, Dufus, Jeff and Jack Lewis, and Kimya Dawson I never wrote a review of a live show before, but I know one thing... as a reader of music, I don't really give a fuck about what songs were played. Unless it was an odd cover, or an amazing rendition; a setlist doesn't read well. After being at work for an eight hour day, and battling an hour and a half of traffic into Manhattan, I was ready for fun. Especially since the day didn't go so well; 13 layoffs in my division alone, with maybe 50 or so company-wide. Hopefully, some anti-folk will commiserate with my anti-establishment mentality of the evening. Eight bucks for eight performances; right off the bat I feel good about the proceedings. The Knitting Factory has always been my favorite place to see a concert. It has easy parking right outside, is not to far away from the village, and its' high ceilings and fans make for an escape route from the heat of the crowd. It's hardwood floors are worn in like a clipper ship, and its' balcony, if you are so lucky to snag a seat, provides a bird's eye perspective on the activities of the venue. I was on the main floor where all the action is. I tend to gravitate towards the side wall where I can lean up and rest my legs if need be. Tonight we will be lucky, the crowd will decide to sit in front, which gives my feet a break. I bump into Turner Cody and say hi; I helped design his mp3 music site, so we talk a little about that and some gigs that he had. I walk in to the performance hall, and Kimya is setting up stuff to sell in the back of the room. She looks up and says, "Hi, Kris!" which made my night. I have a video that I had promised to copy for her, so I hand it over. In return, she gives me a copy of her book, which I have been anxious to acquire. We talk a little bit, and I am stunned at how sweet of a person she is. I am always wary of wearing out my welcome, so I move along and peruse the table. I think to myself that I am glad I went to ATM before I came tonight. I buy a Toby Goodshank album, a Major Matt Mason album, Jeff Lewis's Austin Diary Comic, and I hand the money to Kimya, who was nice enough to be cashier for the first few hours. As my friend Thom and I look for a good place to set ourselves up, I see Major Matt. I go over and introduce myself, and he knows me from my website. I tell him that I just finally got to buy his album, which he is pleased by. We talk about the upcoming Europe trip, and all the different aspects of that. I mention that I have an interview with Peter Dizozza coming up, and he tells me about the progress of the album he is producing of Peter's. We mosey over to the front of the stage when The Babyskins start playing, and the two girls are dressed in rag-tag fashion created by Seth of Dufus. They both are playing guitars; no xylophone today. Their performance was lovely, with the both of them singing in sweet voices, in a tone reminiscent of a young girl singing to her dolls in the seclusion of her room. I am looking forward to hearing more of them. Jeff Lewis comes out to sit down, and I go over to shake his hand; we have only talked on the phone to each other. My friend has some cd's to give him that they had pre-arranged, and he forks them over. I show Jeff that I bought his Austin comic, and he asks if I have the other ones, which I didn't. He brings us over to the table and he gives me another one of his comics, Come to my Show which is awesome. While we are there, I ask Kimya if she saw my friends shirt. Thom opens up his sweater to reveal a t-shirt he created which has a picture of Kimya and emblazoned on it, the statement, "Kimya Dawson has a Posse." She smiled brightly and said she thought that was cool. Toby comes on the stage so quietly that we didn't realize he was there. Listening to Toby's mp3's, I wasn't bowled over by his music. The second he started playing, I realized I was wrong; he is incredible. I don't know if it made people uncomfortable, but most of the songs he sang somehow had a reference to sex in graphic terms, usually violent in emotion, or just violent. He sang how he wants his cock cut off, or how he doesn't care about women he slept with. It is the id that is signing, and it is obvious that this is the stuff that we are ashamed of that we all have running in our head; Toby lets it all out, but with a misleading soothing voice and gentle guitar. I am glad that I bought his cd, and plan on getting more after that tremendous performance. Prewar Yardsale came on next, and this husband and wife duo are a powerhouse. They start with a song not on their album, Psychadelicate, and Dina's voice was terrific. Having only sparse singing parts on their album, Lowdown, it was refreshing to hear her sing. After the song was done, Dina started drumming on her trademark bucket while Mike sang. Their stage presence was mesmerizing, and I thought that they are getting much more variation in their sound, which is great. Dina even played the flute during one song! I got the opportunity to talk a bit to Dina afterwards, and she was very personable. I am looking forward to hearing more from the group. Major Matt Mason USA took the stage and sang his heart out. I never heard his songs before, but I am a fan now. There was such empathy in his voice, and his guitar playing was solid. He was sporting fashion created by Seth as well, and he told us that he was drinking something backstage and there was glass in the liquid which he didn't know it until after he took a swig. He was worried that he might have ingested some, and had visions of his stomach being ripped open by a stray piece. Lucas Crane, from Dufus, provided a music concrete/electronic sound explosion with gadgets I can only assume that he made himself. Assaulting pierces of sine waves permeated the air, and Lucas dressed in what looked like a white lab coat, hunched over his briefcase noise factory. Seth's fashion show came on with Lucas still playing in the background, and most of the clothes had a tattered appearance with multiple fabrics draped over sections of the garment. Each model said a non-sequetor before they left the stage. The start of Dufus's set came on with a furious bass lead song, which was great. Then the chorus chimed in, and the stage was filled with what looked like ten to fifteen people, all adding their sound to the air. The crowd started dancing in a Gerard Malanga fashion, whipping arms here and there as if Andy was watching while the Velvets played their raw rhythms. The smoke and energy got too much for me and Thom to bear after being up all day, so this is when I took my leave to grab a bit of fresh air and a drink. We made it back in before Jeff Lewis started playing. He played a few new songs to me (ones not on his other albums), and two of the songs he played with, as he called it, "a low-rent video", which consisted of drawings he had on a sketch pad illustrating the lyrics of the song. He bridged one song into a strong version of The Man with the Golden Arm which rocked the house. He seemed more sure of himself live then he does on the earlier recordings, which could be because of experience, or perhaps it was the atmosphere. Kimya set was last, and she was playing a borrowed guitar which she wasn't used to. She had some slip ups, but that of course didn't matter; her singing was sad and sweet, and it captivated the entire audience. The guitar was merely background notes; her voice is the primary instrument. Singing so quietly, it set the mood of the songs perfectly; songs about child abuse, pain, longing, addiction, and childhood flights of fancy. She truly is an amazing lyricist, and her words are a window right into her heart. Kimya makes the enterprise look effortless, which shows true talent. Lights up, and I'm out the door. I have to face lurking potholes, and rayguns of work lights on the expressways, claw off the sleep deprivation, The next day I will return where the drudgery of an established career lies, in a conglomerate where power struggles and fear motivates action. For the past four hours I am free of that, lost in a land of creativity, congruency, and community. They seem to be free of the constraints that bind us; leaving for a trip where strangers offer places for them to sleep, touring without a dime, and certainly not for profit. They are neither rock'n'rollers nor neo-hippies, they are artists living for their craft. |
This review was created by Krisbee and first appeared on Krisbee's Website. |
