Smash Yr Head

It was time for my indie-rock flashback last night at the Knitting Factory, where I was there to see Jason Loewenstein. Yeah, he played some Sebadoh songs, but that wasn't really the draw for me even though my affinity for that band stretches back a long ways. I was there based on the strength of his new album, At Sixes and Sevens, which has been a pleasant surprise. Dang, these are crunchy, hook-fillled songs! Of course "Codes" and "Casserole" and "Circles" push all the right pop buttons, but there's even a little post-punk guitar skronk lite mixed in for good measure, as in the recurring bit that opens "Angle" (an homage to Josef K's "The Angle"? Nah...).

Live, I knew that I was in for a Rock Show. I'd seen Sebadoh enough times to know that pop would have to more than share the stage with hardcore, sludge-rock, some pointless guitar wankery and the like. And -- hey! -- some of that I enjoy. A girl cannot live on pop alone.

He opened with "I'm A Shit" then moved right into the poppiest number ("Casserole"), before mixing it up a bit later in the set. I'd nabbed one of those theater seats along the front edge of the balcony which afforded a perfect perch from which to observe the band and the crowd. One thing I gotta say: indie-rock boys, un-root yr feet from the floor! Is it just me, or does no one dance at shows anymore? Spastic arm-flailing or disco-boogieing not required here, just enough enthusiasm to show that you're digging the music. I left my seat to go downstairs about 3/4 of the way through cuz I was getting a bit antsy just sitting in my chair. I can't deal with listening to some of the really noisy stuff at home while sitting on my couch, but having it blast from the stage live in a rock club with a Woodchuck cider in my hand -- hell, yeah!