I know that I am supposed to want to rock out all the time, but you know, sometimes I'm OLD and TIRED, so these shows on weeknights get to me. Still, I HAD to go see Sloan. I missed them once and that just didn't seem right. The band tonight are OBSCENELY LOUD. SO LOUD I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY ARE SO LOUD. I am wearing earplugs and when I take them out it's SO LOUD I CAN HARDLY STAND IT. Why am I writing in all caps? BECAUSE IT CONVEYS THE UNCOMFORTABLE LOUDNESS. That complaint aside I've come to realize that Sloan should now only be heard live. Recent records, sure they've got their good points, but they just don't snap the way the band nail their songs live. Sloan open with the new single from Parallel Play, "I'm Not A Kid Anymore" - doubtless alluding to the fact most of the band is on the brink of their 40's now. Ah, but the boys make it look so good, don't they? Greying but fit, songs crisp and tight, even new songs which have not yet won me over on CD (and there are an inordinate number of them tonight) sound so much more compelling live. Oh Sloan, despite Patrick Pentland's terrible new haircut (kind of a asymetrical faux-hawk), I give in! Even though your last few albums haven't grabbed me the way Twice Removed, Navy Blues, or One Chord To Another did; live, you are still dreamy.
The only thing not so dreamy about this show is this idea the band had about having a fake radio station which broadcasts from their merch table to the club. Apparently their merch guy, talking about stuff was supposed to fill time when the band are changing instruments, but more often than not the band seemed to be waiting for the merch guy to start talking, only to have nothing happen and wonder aloud if he'd gone to the bathroom. Inter-band banter is far better than this (well, except when Merch radio played the Meow Mix ad from the 70's where the cat sings the song where all the words are "Meow" - that was pretty great), can we go back to that time honored model in the future?
The show was also unreasonably weighted with Andrew Scott songs, I don't know why. Lord knows that man is not only a hot drummer, but just hot in general, but still, I like him behind the kit best no matter what kind of eye candy he is.
Unlike the topic of his song below, I was just too tired to stay for the whole set. That's what it's like when you're not a kid anymore.
Sloan play I Can't Sleep at TT the Bear's
Audio is not so great, because they are SO FUCKING LOUD.
Download the new single "I'm Not A Kid Anymore" here, free from Stereogum.com
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