Sebadoh at the Paradise
Photographic Evidence
by Mark Jenko
by Mark Jenko
The Paradise
Boston, MA - 3/24/11
Boston, MA - 3/24/11
Jason Loewenstein in Control
I experienced perhaps the best rock performance to date this year in Boston at the Paradise last Thursday (*our most worthy preview by writer Nick Parker) as Sebadoh dished out polished versions of their old low-fi masterpieces and some wild, fiery favorites. The band still has criminal leaning... they still wanna tear down the house and burn up the night, but the realities of playing for years best defines them as marksmen - not spastic kids. Jason Loewenstein's screaming vocals transported the audience to different, simplier times. One could readily envision the band ripping up Boston much the same two decades earlier. Lou Barlow, who plays the counterpart to the madness, is just absurd on his guitar - he really has his own personality with the instrument. And, notably, Barlow was his talkative self - telling stories and anecdotes that tickled fans between numbers up on the stage. A couple of times his banter seemed to lose the band, but he deviated back and the rock resumed.
Bob D'Amico was amazing
A big tip of the hat to Bob D'Amico, who played flawless throughout. You could definitely hear him synced up with "Jake" Lowenstein, who he has played with for years - most notably with the Fiery Furnaces. The Sebadoh songs have never sounded better with D'Amico behind the drums. Purists may prefer the dissonance, fuzz (and sometimes even slop) from the earlier recordings, but I really have a hard time denying the obvious: the band is playing exceptionally well. What unfolded for us was a gift of a night - and with many dates still ahead, that's great news for those of you finding yourself reading this.
Sebadoh in Boston - 3/24/11
Tonight: Orlando @ The Social
03/31 Birmingham @ Bottletree
04/01 Nashville @ Mercy Lounge
04/02 St Louis @ Off Broadway
04/03 Chicago @ Lincoln Hall
04/04 Cleveland @ Grog Shop
04/06 Toronto @ Lee's Palace
04/07 Montreal @ La Sala Rossa
04/08 Northampton @ Pearl St
04/09 New York @ Bowery Ballroom
04/10 New York @ Bowery Ballroom
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