Boy was that Gossip show at bottom of the hill on Saturday great! You know, the one I’ve been telling you all about for months now. Yeah it was a promise fulfilled essentially, a stellar performance by one of the best bands on the planet. Hands down this trio of super-talented individuals create a solid sound with nothing lacking, no holes, no aching for another musician to fill them out, three is quite enough for this band to be complete. I used to think that with such a powerful performer like Beth Ditto handling vocals in her inimitable way the rest of the picture was easy to complete but tonight’s show really opened my eyes to just how incredibly brilliant the other members of this trio are. It’s hard not to be bowled over by the sincere, soulful, undeniably, gutsy blues/rock genius of Beth’s voice, she’s a star among stars whose voice ranks up there with some of the greats like Etta James and Koko Taylor, yeah she’s that good. When she sings its like a revelation, theres more purity and spirit going on in just a moment than most contemporary vocalists can muster in an entire studio recording. However, tonight , as with their previous stop here in January, Beth raises the bar pretty high as usual but the guitarist Nathan has proven to be an astonishing instinctual player himself, aggressive and succinct and powerful, effortlessly providing layers and depth to the guitar sound that seem to defy physical possibility, like for instance where does that oh so solid bass-line come from when they don’t have a bass player? How does he manage to make that on top of those tasty percolating scratchy guitar riffs that serve as a precise counter-rhythm to the drummer who clearly means business with her steadfast and precise drumming, simple and powerful, bringing up her third of the chores in creating this highly accomplished sound with zeal. It continues to astonish me when groups of three or even two people can create such a full and complete sound, especially without the aid of a bank of electronic equipment, but even certain electronic groups impress me with their richness of sound and creation of complex layers and musical depth.
From the very first time I saw the Gossip about five years ago one of the things that really made a distinct impression on me was the inherent sexiness of their music. It wasn’t something they smacked you in the face with or worked in an obvious way, it was just there, something that smoldered increasingly from the first note to the sweaty satiated end of the set, something just grabbed you by the hips in a very primal way, leaving you undulating and breathless, exalted. With their latest records’ decided lean towards a more rhythmic and danceable approach (something I saw described recently in a snotty more indie than indie blog as “when the Gossip went disco,”) this sexiness has evolved to an almost feverish new level, another quality each member seems to equally burn with in their own way. I mean music is a lot like good sex it seems to me, and the gossip are knocking out a very sexy set of songs. Every time I see them they just get better and better. They really are one of the best bands on earth I think, and by now its no secret that I feel this way considering the amount of Beat This column inches they’ve gotten in the last five years, but how can I not write about them when they are? It’s simple.
I’m trying to finish up this column early so I can enjoy a carefree two day retreat to the Russian river with all of my fellow employees at the Hole in the Wall and Eagle, something we do annually as a staff after the hectic and very busy Folsom street fair weekend—a nice quiet relaxing rejuvenating and contemplative time will be had by all I’m sure, and if you believe that then go ahead and continue doing so.
Theres a couple of shows looming in the distance this month that I would like to point out. One band that I’ve been going on and on about besides the gossip are coming to the bottom of the hill on October 24 and that is Awesome Color a three piece from Michigan who are one of two bands signed to Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth’s new record label Ecstatic Peace and are also the best new band I’ve heard in a long time. Search for them on My Space and YouTube to get an idea of what they’re like, I personally cannot stop listening to their debut record. It’s been my favorite of the summer months so I’m very excited to see them finally. Also on the same bill is the other band signed to Ecstatic Peace and they are Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet who I’ve seen once before and was very disappointed in their performance but apparently they just got a new drummer who is even younger than the bands median age of 18. Perhaps this time they’ll live up to all the great advance press they’ve garnered and wont seem as sloppy and insolent and snotty as they did when I saw them. Incidentally the drummer was the one I wanted to slap the most and now he’s gone. Awesome Color will rule the night I predict.
On November 11 the elusive Dr. Octagon will play mezzanine in support of his latest LP The Return of Dr. Octagon, one of my favorite discs of the year. I have absolutely no idea what to expect from this artist with a live show but I bet it will be fun. Also this month at the Yerba Buena center we’ll see Diamanda Galas perform DEFIXIONES: Orders From the Dead on Oct 19 and 21. these performances are likely already sold out as she hasn’t appeared in the bay area in about ten years or so and she has a huge and loyal fan base here and truly there’s nobody quite like her. So there ya go, now I’m out of here for some well deserved rest and quiet time in a natural environment!