- I did a Post Office run yesterday evening, so all paid orders are on their way
- Prompted by an interesting conversation with photographer Ben Syverson at his open studio last night, I am starting my day off with "Metal Machine Music." It was about time, anyway...
- And, a great show at Enemy last night... Sub-minimal drone from Jeff Host - his first solo show since relocating to Chicago, starting slowly, quietly, and in deep-bass territory, carefully and deliberately increasing in volume, while at the same time shifting from low-end to more ear-gouging high-end, and then fading away at the same speed that it began... punctuated by a Blue Line train rumbling by, like so many subtle sets at Enemy. Ratatosk were up next, and Ben and Jason raised a strudy and cohesive racket, with excellent "punctuation" provided by Ben's startling floor tom. Cowards - from the devastating Far Rockaway scene - were up next and, true to form, they created a mind-melting fusion of electro-acoustic sound, harsh noise, a nod to power-electronics, and what I can only describe as true psychedelic darkness... a term that I would also use to describe aspects of their pals Yellow Tears. Well worth trudging through the bone chilling rain to get to. And then there was more... Vadim set up for what was a hair raising and abrasive Shattered Hymen set, which included what was simply the sound of raw electrical apparatus... as if we were all about to be hit by the current of an out-of-control live power line. Loud, harsh, dangerous, and imbued with a strong sense of dynamics. Nice to see a bunch of friends there, too, despite the shit weather.
