Love Rock Orgasm
Scout, the lead singer of soon-to-be-famous San Francisco alt.country band Firecracker, originally meant to include his best-ever gig experience in this past Friday's roundup of spectacular shows.
Unfortunately, his compelling memoir included the phrase "in a simultaneous love rock orgasm." While I happen to like that descriptive use of words, my e-mail filter system was a lot less enamored by it. Scout's e-mail sat in my e-mail quarantine area for several long, lonely days.
Until I liberated his e-mail today!
Now, in a slightly abridged form (but with the "love rock orgasm" bit included), I present to you, Scout's best-ever gig experience...
* * *
In 1993 I got to see the B-52's in Athens, Ga., at the 40 Watt Club. It was the first time they had been back in Athens (their hometown) in around 10 years. It was also the first time they had played with Cindy Wilson in several years, since she had left the band.
The 40 Watt, at that time, was an old furniture store that could legally hold around 400 people. The night of the B's return happened in the middle of a two-week heat wave that saw temperatures rising daily to around 110 degrees. There were around 700-800 people packed into the club.
When the band finally hit the stage, the place exploded. Sara Lee, the former Gang of Four bassist who had been playing with the B's for the last few years, quietly stepped to the front of the stage and, while the room fell hushed, played the bass line intro to "Rock Lobster." When the drums kicked in, I think the whole place erupted in a simultaneous love rock orgasm.
Every hipster in the room sang along to every song. "Dance This Mess Around." "Quiche Lorraine." "52 Girls." "Planet Claire." Hearing these songs played at full volume in a room no larger than your average corner store was exhilarating, no doubt about it.
The high point of the gig came, strangely enough, in the middle of that top-40 standard, "Love Shack." When the band paused, mid-song, waiting for Cindy's trademark part, the whole crowd surged forward in anticipation.
Cindy looked from side to side with a smirking grin on her face, letting the tension build.
Finally, she stepped to the mike and shouted: "Tin Roof!"
And 800 people shouted back as one:
"RUSTED!!!"
The whole room erupted in cheering, the band kicked back into the song harder than ever, and I'm pretty sure there were several babies conceived in that instant.
It was, without doubt, the best rock show I ever saw.
Unfortunately, his compelling memoir included the phrase "in a simultaneous love rock orgasm." While I happen to like that descriptive use of words, my e-mail filter system was a lot less enamored by it. Scout's e-mail sat in my e-mail quarantine area for several long, lonely days.
Until I liberated his e-mail today!
Now, in a slightly abridged form (but with the "love rock orgasm" bit included), I present to you, Scout's best-ever gig experience...
* * *
In 1993 I got to see the B-52's in Athens, Ga., at the 40 Watt Club. It was the first time they had been back in Athens (their hometown) in around 10 years. It was also the first time they had played with Cindy Wilson in several years, since she had left the band.
The 40 Watt, at that time, was an old furniture store that could legally hold around 400 people. The night of the B's return happened in the middle of a two-week heat wave that saw temperatures rising daily to around 110 degrees. There were around 700-800 people packed into the club.
When the band finally hit the stage, the place exploded. Sara Lee, the former Gang of Four bassist who had been playing with the B's for the last few years, quietly stepped to the front of the stage and, while the room fell hushed, played the bass line intro to "Rock Lobster." When the drums kicked in, I think the whole place erupted in a simultaneous love rock orgasm.
Every hipster in the room sang along to every song. "Dance This Mess Around." "Quiche Lorraine." "52 Girls." "Planet Claire." Hearing these songs played at full volume in a room no larger than your average corner store was exhilarating, no doubt about it.
The high point of the gig came, strangely enough, in the middle of that top-40 standard, "Love Shack." When the band paused, mid-song, waiting for Cindy's trademark part, the whole crowd surged forward in anticipation.
Cindy looked from side to side with a smirking grin on her face, letting the tension build.
Finally, she stepped to the mike and shouted: "Tin Roof!"
And 800 people shouted back as one:
"RUSTED!!!"
The whole room erupted in cheering, the band kicked back into the song harder than ever, and I'm pretty sure there were several babies conceived in that instant.
It was, without doubt, the best rock show I ever saw.
posted by erik hogstrom at 11:05 PM
1 Comments:
Scout's so cool.
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