My Time With Swans
Well with all that has happened in the last few days I guess it’s forgivable that my post about the Swans gig last week is a bit late.
My home is dry and flood-free as is my office. My mother was trapped in her apartment for a few days but was thankfully evacuated with less than a half hour of oxygen left in her tank. Fortunately she is in a good med facility getting great care. I am so grateful that I live in Canada, where my loved ones can get the care they require with no questions asked. I know that the situation in India and Nepal is desperate and I hope that they get some relief soon.
However, at the risk of seeming uncaring and lackadaisical, there are a million posts and stories about the terrible floods and I haven’t seen much about one of the most brilliant bands I have ever heard so here is my review.
Oh my glob Swans kicked serious buttock on June 19th.
Lots of droney noise, 20 minute songs with crazy eastern instruments, mountains of percussion and Michael Gira using his whole body as a conductor's baton to lead the rest of the band.
The set was delightfully long and (with the exception of Gira giving the bass player odd nebulous direction at times) a joy from start to finish. It was a rather young crowd - beards, ironic t-shirts and stretched out earlobes as far as the eye could see. Eric and I were among the oldest in the audience but I’m glad to see that kidsthesedays dig on this experimental ensemble. I loved how all band members looked at each other with such intensity to keep in sync. You could tell they were working their asses off yet the music from each instrument melted together into such a grand mix you could eat it like ozone flavoured cotton candy. At times I was positive I was hearing a hurdy-gurdy but when I looked for who was playing it, I realized it was actually an orgy of guitar strings blending in a way I have never witnessed before.
Super impressive. Even with plugs my hear-holes were not thrilled with me. They were such a heavy, heavy sound. It was like I was breathing in the noise and processing the songs through my diaphragm up my nose, under my eyes crawling towards my ears from the inside.
Thanks for coming to my wee city and leaving behind a brief taste of the apocalypse in your wake, gentlemen!
Gira the ringmaster. I totally enjoyed the process of his singing. You could see his breathing technique and how that affected his cadence and rhythm.
Thor Harris the Renaissance Musician. Thor played drums, cymbals, squonky things, trombones, all of it and didn't slow down at all. And he digs Cowtown manhole covers!
Christoph Hahn - hope he’s feeling better. He had a nasty cough at the gig. His fingers must be like oak branches, he was strumming like mad.
Norman Westburg - this guy was so kewl throughout the show. Seriously, just played and chewed gum, so suave. If Christopher Walken's character from King of New York and a glass of top shelf whiskey had a son, I think it would be Norman.
Phil Puleo I just disovered he was a founding member of Cop Shoot Cop - they were such a grand heavy rock band! He was fantastic to watch.
Chris Pravdica. The guy didn't stop, best dressed on stage and was the acting spinal cord of the songs.
