Month: July 2008

A Hopi word meaning “parasitic way of life” or “life in transition, Powaqqatsi is also 1/3 of the ‘Qatsi’ movie trilogy. The soundtrack was performed live in perfect Brooklyn summer weather. This movie contains more human voices than the others in the series and they were surprisingly represented in the orchestra pit. Children from a local school began the hypnotic intro to the movie and the entire score was perfectly timed to the visual. A cleric from a local mosque sang the final call to prayer to end the incredible night.

Pictures from the show.

Finally, I get to check out L.A.’s No Age live and join the significant buzz around this band. I am really digging what they are doing with energy + music. With only 2 members they create some of the most interesting mix of soft, loud, noisy, artful punk. These guys were awesome live and I was probably the oldest in the overly excited crowd. These guys don’t sound perfect but I think that’s part of the point. The potential within their innovative sonic noise is very exciting.

Despite the incredibly long lines to get into this free show, I did catch some of The Feelies play their guitar no-wavish rock. Reuniting after 15 years, I was impressed how tight they were on stage and felt their songs held up in today’s musical world.

The sold-out crowd enthusiastically welcomed New York’s Sonic Youth to Battery Park. Kim Gordon started the evening with “She is not Alone” and then into “Bull in the Heather”. The band played a great selection from their past catalogs and even forgot the lyrics to one of her songs. Ending with “100%” for their second encore made this 4th of July memorable. After 25 years, this band continues to impress me with the direction they take their music. Afterwards we didn’t see fireworks from a rainy roof on the Upper East Side.

Pictures from the show.