Thursday, May 28, 2009

There Must Be Smoke in My Eyes

Caught the Meat puppets in-store appearance at Waterloo record shop on Memorial Day afternoon 2009. An appearance in support of their new CD 'Sewn Together' and the kick-off of their latest tour. Maybe 40 or 50 fans in attendance- almost a personal show and what a treat! Those Kirkwood brothers bring a special nostalgia to my heart as I remember listening to their early releases back in junior high school circa 1985. Their brand of country punk psychedelia made an impression on my formative years. In retrospect it was strange that I liked them because they didn't exude the sort of firebrand angst that my youth so thirsted for. In truth they transcended the genre of punk. They were far ahead of most in that movement. However, this ain't no nostalgia act. In fact, this latest release surpasses my exalted fawning over their last. It is a more cohesive whole that hearkens back to the creativity of the early SST days. Of course, it is more polished with 20 years having dripped through our fingers since those times. the CD lights me up from the opening vocal notes. And, as expected they opened the Waterloo show with the CD opener. They played a generous sampling from the new offering, but tossed in a few gems as well. A more expansive and psychedelic Up on the Sun I have never heard...Curt is a fucking godhead on the six-string and has been for decades. And every time I see them the audience is perpetually pleased to see and hear his brother Cris back on bass. There is simply something magical about the the two together; the vocal harmonies are exquisite. A marvelous and triumphant return for the man. They pulled out the classic Plateau from Meat Puppets II for the encore. And who doesn't cherish that fucking song? Hell, I could gush ad nauseum- buy the fucking CD and crank it up while smoking in your car on a desert highway. Man, I hope they keep at it. The show whetted my appetite for more, and fortunately they play again on the 20th of June here in Capital City at Emo's.

"There's nothing at the top but a bucket and a mop and an illustrated book about birds. See a lot up there but don't be scared. Who needs action when you got words?" - Meat Puppets 'Plateau'

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