Sebadoh
Artist Profile
by Nick Parker
Sebadoh in 1993
It’s always a moment of mixed feelings, when you can revisit something that you powerfully identify with your youth. There are the fond memories of the obsessive passion that music can elicit in your teens, but then there is some sadness that that time has passed. This Thursday at Paradise I will get the opportunity to revive those days, at least for an hour or two, and I’m grateful for it.
There are for me few musical memories more powerful than the summer I spent, in 1994, listening to NOTHING but Sebadoh’s Bakesale album. Between the various versions of the band that have existed off and on for more than twenty years, Bakesale was perhaps the apex of Sebadoh’s ability to write songs that were both intensely moving and yet energetic and fun.
There are for me few musical memories more powerful than the summer I spent, in 1994, listening to NOTHING but Sebadoh’s Bakesale album. Between the various versions of the band that have existed off and on for more than twenty years, Bakesale was perhaps the apex of Sebadoh’s ability to write songs that were both intensely moving and yet energetic and fun.
That combination was some achievement, mixing the visceral poignancy of the early, genre defining lo-fi recordings, and the pace of indie-rock classics by bands that would go on to win a bigger following, but never capture the weight that Lou Barlow, Jason Loewenstein, and (at that point) Bob Faye could muster.
Even without the mainstream fame, Bakesale, and it predecessor Bubble and Scrape, would ensure that Sebadoh would move out of the shadow of Lou Barlow’s old band Dinosaur Jr for ever. Lou has since patched things up with J Mascis, and re-launched a shadow of the former greatness of Jr, and videos from Bakesale like “Skull” feature images (blink and you’ll miss them!) of Jr in its heyday.
Even without the mainstream fame, Bakesale, and it predecessor Bubble and Scrape, would ensure that Sebadoh would move out of the shadow of Lou Barlow’s old band Dinosaur Jr for ever. Lou has since patched things up with J Mascis, and re-launched a shadow of the former greatness of Jr, and videos from Bakesale like “Skull” feature images (blink and you’ll miss them!) of Jr in its heyday.
It’s interesting to think about the connection, because Jr’s attempt to generate new material has largely been a dud, so it seems very wise for Sebadoh to re-release Bakesale now, instead of trying surpass it.
If Sebadoh can capture half of what they pulled off in ’94, this will be a show that will be hard to beat by any band coming in Boston in the near future. Just for the chance of that, you should be in the front row.
Complete Tour Dates
Tonight: New Haven @ Daniel St
03/24 Boston @ Paradise
03/25 Philadelphia @ Johnny Brendas
03/26 DC @ Black Cat
03/27 Carrboro @ Cats Cradle
03/28 Atlanta @ The Earl
03/29 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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