Matador at 21
October 2, 2010 7:02 PM Subscribe
The "Matador at 21" festival is streaming live. The indie-rock ticket of the year is this three-day festival celebrating 21 years of Matador Records, and featuring notable Matador stalwarts of the past -- reunited Pavement last night, reunited Superchunk tonight, reunited Guided By Voices tomorrow. Didn't get tickets? Watch at home.
Hey, any other Gen-Xers remember mocking the Boomers and their endless reunion tours? No? Just me? Okay.
posted by entropicamericana at 7:16 PM on October 2, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 7:16 PM on October 2, 2010 [5 favorites]
Not me, I was busy shelling out to see the reunited Specials and the reunited Sex Pistols.
posted by escabeche at 7:35 PM on October 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by escabeche at 7:35 PM on October 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Superchunk is a Matador band? I always assumed they were a Merge band, being Mac's label and all. I have a Superchunk singles comp issued by Matador, but that's about all.
This quibbling being an weak protest; any reason is a good reason for Superchunk being live on stage, of course.
posted by ardgedee at 8:39 PM on October 2, 2010
This quibbling being an weak protest; any reason is a good reason for Superchunk being live on stage, of course.
posted by ardgedee at 8:39 PM on October 2, 2010
Hey, any other Gen-Xers remember mocking the Boomers and their endless reunion tours? No? Just me? Okay.
Yes, in fact. And it makes the retreading all the more disappointing. And no exception for what I obstinately insist is the greatest album of the last 25 years. I forgive that bunch in particular for being impossibly fearless otherwise, though.
And also, Pavement are the most overrated band of the last 25 years. Fling your hate, but I shall speak the truth.
posted by el_lupino at 8:46 PM on October 2, 2010
Yes, in fact. And it makes the retreading all the more disappointing. And no exception for what I obstinately insist is the greatest album of the last 25 years. I forgive that bunch in particular for being impossibly fearless otherwise, though.
And also, Pavement are the most overrated band of the last 25 years. Fling your hate, but I shall speak the truth.
posted by el_lupino at 8:46 PM on October 2, 2010
For me, the quality of the video & sound is really good. It's great to be able to watch up close like this.
posted by Flashman at 8:52 PM on October 2, 2010
posted by Flashman at 8:52 PM on October 2, 2010
this is awesome! thanks so much for cluing me into this feed.
posted by sarastro at 9:13 PM on October 2, 2010
posted by sarastro at 9:13 PM on October 2, 2010
hmm, from what I can figure time-wise Superchunk are on now but all I see is some video from Chavez, whomsoever they might be.
I saw Superchunk in 1992 in Lyon. They supported, along with Mudhoney, the French band Les Thugs who I had not heard of, did not watch and have not heard of since. They (Superchunk & Mudhoney) were ace. Even if I don't get to see them now, it's a nice reminder - thanks! *plays Slack Motherfucker*
posted by jontyjago at 9:43 PM on October 2, 2010
I saw Superchunk in 1992 in Lyon. They supported, along with Mudhoney, the French band Les Thugs who I had not heard of, did not watch and have not heard of since. They (Superchunk & Mudhoney) were ace. Even if I don't get to see them now, it's a nice reminder - thanks! *plays Slack Motherfucker*
posted by jontyjago at 9:43 PM on October 2, 2010
Superchunk is a Matador band?
The first three albums were on Matador, although they've since been reissued by Merge. The band opted to leave after Matador signed a distribution deal with one of the major labels.
posted by Rangeboy at 10:06 PM on October 2, 2010
The first three albums were on Matador, although they've since been reissued by Merge. The band opted to leave after Matador signed a distribution deal with one of the major labels.
posted by Rangeboy at 10:06 PM on October 2, 2010
People who don't like Pavement kick puppies and have dry, shriveled genitalia.
posted by bardic at 10:33 PM on October 2, 2010
posted by bardic at 10:33 PM on October 2, 2010
Les Thugs are 100 times better than any other band mentioned in this thread. Unless someone accidentally mentioned the Stooges above, I'm too lazy to check.
(seriously Les Thugs are gods)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:41 PM on October 2, 2010
(seriously Les Thugs are gods)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:41 PM on October 2, 2010
Just double checked and my genitals work fine, especially on your mom.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:42 PM on October 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:42 PM on October 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Just watched the entire Superchunk set, very good, played most of what I wanted to hear ("Detroit has a Skyline", "Slack Motherfucker", "Precision Auto") and I liked the new song "Learned to Surf".
As for Pavement, I re-listened to "Brighten the Corners" recently and it still sounds pretty good. Even though I'd agree with the criticism that most of their songs sound like recordings of a band goofing off during practice I still like them.
posted by bobo123 at 10:51 PM on October 2, 2010
As for Pavement, I re-listened to "Brighten the Corners" recently and it still sounds pretty good. Even though I'd agree with the criticism that most of their songs sound like recordings of a band goofing off during practice I still like them.
posted by bobo123 at 10:51 PM on October 2, 2010
GBV reunion... that's the best news I've heard all day! Thanks!
posted by Crane Shot at 11:52 PM on October 2, 2010
posted by Crane Shot at 11:52 PM on October 2, 2010
Pavement is the sound of a fart aspiring to be a queef.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:08 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:08 AM on October 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
All these bands re-uniting is so sad, but I think it's an inevitable by-product of the end of royalty checks, now that no one buys anything anymore. When these bands break up, it's because they're done -- either with each other, as people, or with the genre or have simply run out of things to say. These reunions are zombie versions of bands you love, and just like zombies, they may resemble your friends, even your family, but they no longer have souls.
posted by orville sash at 1:55 AM on October 3, 2010
posted by orville sash at 1:55 AM on October 3, 2010
Um, Superchunk isn't "reunited", because they never broke up. Prior to the recent Majesty Shredding, they haven't had an album release in a number of years, but they'd still play the occasional festival or benefit, and the odd single would come out every couple of years.
I saw Superchunk in Tucson in 1994(?), and I just saw them last month in DC, and I can assure you, they're not zombies. They still have it, they brought it, and it rocked.
posted by genehack at 5:43 AM on October 3, 2010
I saw Superchunk in Tucson in 1994(?), and I just saw them last month in DC, and I can assure you, they're not zombies. They still have it, they brought it, and it rocked.
posted by genehack at 5:43 AM on October 3, 2010
Pavement are the most overrated band of the last 25 years.
Nah, man. You just don't get it.
posted by ekroh at 6:13 AM on October 3, 2010
Nah, man. You just don't get it.
posted by ekroh at 6:13 AM on October 3, 2010
Superchunk is a Matador band?
Matador released their first three albums from '90-93 and at least one of their early singles. The band and Matador were pretty heavily identified back then.
I'll second the "Superchunk really doesn't belong in any reunion tours are like Boomers" discussion. There's an interesting interview at The A.V. Club where they talk about the break:
AVClub: Mac, over the years you’ve consistently said that Superchunk hadn’t broken up, and that the band would get back together when the time was right.
Mac McCaughan: I’ve been vindicated! ...And we didn’t totally stop playing; we play three or four shows a year, and when we’re doing those shows they’re always a special occasion like Coachella or a show in Chapel Hill or a fundraiser. We do those shows with the mindset that it’s not supposed to be anything but fun, both for us and the audience, so we play a lot of songs from early records, where we don’t need keyboards and extra people...And that definitely informed this record.
Jim Wilbur: My take was that you don’t know. You don’t know that you never want to play these songs again. You might want to. And it turned out that by taking the break, we were able to keep it all together psychologically, and be like, “Okay yeah, I can still be in this band, with these people, but without obligations that I’m dreading fulfilling.”
Jon W: We weren’t huge by any means, but it was still fun for us to see what was coming next. But definitely by that last record, I was thinking, “This is as far as it gets.” [Laughs.] I was seriously just tired of our sound. Nothing against it, but I wanted to do other things and play with other people. And yeah, there was kind of a glass ceiling in some ways, where it was like, “You guys should be so much bigger!” and, well, that’s not happening. So there’s a little disappointment in that, but you can’t let that drive you. And it was fun to go off and play with other people and then come back to Superchunk once or twice a year and do something and not have to have that whole year ahead of you planned out. And now it’s 10 years later, and we’ve all done a lot of things since then, and it’s not the end-all-be-all anymore, which is really nice. There’s no pressure or expectations anymore...
AVC: At this point in your life, do you think of yourself as more of a businesswoman or a musician?
Laura Balance: A businesswoman. And a mother.
Laura doesn't talk much, as usual. But the business she's talking about is a tiny label that had 3 records in Billboard's top 10 this year. Kind of a side point, but still: Superchunk releasing a new record after deliberately taking things down a couple notches isn't really a "reunion."
posted by mediareport at 6:46 AM on October 3, 2010
Matador released their first three albums from '90-93 and at least one of their early singles. The band and Matador were pretty heavily identified back then.
I'll second the "Superchunk really doesn't belong in any reunion tours are like Boomers" discussion. There's an interesting interview at The A.V. Club where they talk about the break:
AVClub: Mac, over the years you’ve consistently said that Superchunk hadn’t broken up, and that the band would get back together when the time was right.
Mac McCaughan: I’ve been vindicated! ...And we didn’t totally stop playing; we play three or four shows a year, and when we’re doing those shows they’re always a special occasion like Coachella or a show in Chapel Hill or a fundraiser. We do those shows with the mindset that it’s not supposed to be anything but fun, both for us and the audience, so we play a lot of songs from early records, where we don’t need keyboards and extra people...And that definitely informed this record.
Jim Wilbur: My take was that you don’t know. You don’t know that you never want to play these songs again. You might want to. And it turned out that by taking the break, we were able to keep it all together psychologically, and be like, “Okay yeah, I can still be in this band, with these people, but without obligations that I’m dreading fulfilling.”
Jon W: We weren’t huge by any means, but it was still fun for us to see what was coming next. But definitely by that last record, I was thinking, “This is as far as it gets.” [Laughs.] I was seriously just tired of our sound. Nothing against it, but I wanted to do other things and play with other people. And yeah, there was kind of a glass ceiling in some ways, where it was like, “You guys should be so much bigger!” and, well, that’s not happening. So there’s a little disappointment in that, but you can’t let that drive you. And it was fun to go off and play with other people and then come back to Superchunk once or twice a year and do something and not have to have that whole year ahead of you planned out. And now it’s 10 years later, and we’ve all done a lot of things since then, and it’s not the end-all-be-all anymore, which is really nice. There’s no pressure or expectations anymore...
AVC: At this point in your life, do you think of yourself as more of a businesswoman or a musician?
Laura Balance: A businesswoman. And a mother.
Laura doesn't talk much, as usual. But the business she's talking about is a tiny label that had 3 records in Billboard's top 10 this year. Kind of a side point, but still: Superchunk releasing a new record after deliberately taking things down a couple notches isn't really a "reunion."
posted by mediareport at 6:46 AM on October 3, 2010
Around their homebase, we don't think of Superchunk as "reunited." They may not tour much anymore. But they make regular enough appearances.
posted by 3.2.3 at 8:18 AM on October 3, 2010
posted by 3.2.3 at 8:18 AM on October 3, 2010
Man, I like Sonic Youth (I first saw Pavement when they opened for SY on the Dirty tour), but a Sonic Youth fan calling Pavement overrated? That's rich.
posted by seventyfour at 9:20 AM on October 3, 2010
posted by seventyfour at 9:20 AM on October 3, 2010
I know that matador will be releasing the 6-cd box set in a little bit, but does anyone know if the video recordings of the concert itself will be for sale at any point?
posted by sarastro at 11:34 AM on October 3, 2010
posted by sarastro at 11:34 AM on October 3, 2010
As an obsessive and eclectic music geek from way back, I was more a Homestead Records and SST Records person, and by the time Matador came around (founded partly by ex-Homestead founder Gerard Cosloy) in the early 1990s, I had really lost interest in indie rock/post-punk. For instance, I never owned a record by Pavement (or for that matter any record on Matador to my knowledge), and never became familiar with their music, but I owned a lot of Sonic Youth and Minutemen and Gun Club and Saccharine Trust records. By the early 1990s I was just more into jazz and other stuff, and stopped paying attention to post-New Wave rock. That's why it's odd for me to now have to go to YouTube to actually hear a song by Pavement circa-1994: when that band was gaining traction I had already lost all interest in post-New Wave.
posted by existential hobo at 1:02 PM on October 3, 2010
posted by existential hobo at 1:02 PM on October 3, 2010
A Sonic Youth fan calling Pavement overrated? That's rich.
Well, this makes two. I absolutely do not understand the rabid obsession with Pavement. And I don't think I ever will.
posted by naju at 4:46 PM on October 3, 2010
Well, this makes two. I absolutely do not understand the rabid obsession with Pavement. And I don't think I ever will.
posted by naju at 4:46 PM on October 3, 2010
People who don't like Pavement actually remember how it ended the last time around.
posted by dobie at 10:29 PM on October 3, 2010
posted by dobie at 10:29 PM on October 3, 2010
orville sash: Yeah, the Mission of Burma reunion strikes me as a zombie move, too.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:25 AM on October 4, 2010
posted by pxe2000 at 5:25 AM on October 4, 2010
Oh yeah, Mission of Burma -- I saw their reunion show a few months ago and they absolutely smoked. Last month I saw Pavement put on a show as good as any they did in the 90s -- in fact, if you wanted to see them play a zombiified, obligatory set, you kind of needed to catch them while they were still together. You guys are talking yourself out of seeing some great shows!
(I'll concede the Pixies phoned it in a little.)
posted by escabeche at 6:16 AM on October 4, 2010
(I'll concede the Pixies phoned it in a little.)
posted by escabeche at 6:16 AM on October 4, 2010
Yes, Pavement played some terrible terrible shows in the late 90s. I'm admittedly rabidly obsessed with Pavement (my favorite band), and I skipped the Terror Twilight shows. I thought the show in Austin last week was many many times better than any other Pavement show. SM and the rest actually seemed to want to be there, which is about 90% of it.
posted by seventyfour at 9:18 AM on October 4, 2010
posted by seventyfour at 9:18 AM on October 4, 2010
I haven't seen Mission of Burma yet, but I'll risk a reputation as a crackpot and declare that their post-reunion albums are as good or better than VS and Horrible Truth. There's no "Academy Fight Song", granted, but that's okay.
Speaking of acknowledging your age while rocking out, Mac McCaughan was on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me this past weekend. (link points to NPR page with transcripts and audio files)
posted by ardgedee at 9:27 AM on October 4, 2010
Speaking of acknowledging your age while rocking out, Mac McCaughan was on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me this past weekend. (link points to NPR page with transcripts and audio files)
posted by ardgedee at 9:27 AM on October 4, 2010
>These reunions are zombie versions of bands you love, and just like zombies, they may resemble your friends, even your family, but they no longer have souls.
orville sash: Yeah, the Mission of Burma reunion strikes me as a zombie move, too.
This is literally the first time in the 8 years of the Burma reunion that I've heard anybody suggest anything like that. Mission of Burma strike me as a model of how to do this kind of thing with integrity and passion. Have you guys actually seen them lately, or are you talking out of your asses?
I mean when I think of zombie bands, I think they'd be pretty hard to miss, like whatever is being called "Smashing Pumpkins" these days, or "Hole featuring Courtney Love" or that kind of thing. But I find blanket kneejerk reunion-purism to be really silly. There are too many great bands playing too many great shows.
posted by anazgnos at 10:57 AM on October 4, 2010
orville sash: Yeah, the Mission of Burma reunion strikes me as a zombie move, too.
This is literally the first time in the 8 years of the Burma reunion that I've heard anybody suggest anything like that. Mission of Burma strike me as a model of how to do this kind of thing with integrity and passion. Have you guys actually seen them lately, or are you talking out of your asses?
I mean when I think of zombie bands, I think they'd be pretty hard to miss, like whatever is being called "Smashing Pumpkins" these days, or "Hole featuring Courtney Love" or that kind of thing. But I find blanket kneejerk reunion-purism to be really silly. There are too many great bands playing too many great shows.
posted by anazgnos at 10:57 AM on October 4, 2010
I saw Mission of Burma in Toronto about 3 years ago, and they absolutely kicked arse... they put bands half their age to shame.
Television, on the other hand, had a reunion show that same year, and made bands twice their age seem like... Mission of Burma.
posted by Crane Shot at 2:46 PM on October 4, 2010
Television, on the other hand, had a reunion show that same year, and made bands twice their age seem like... Mission of Burma.
posted by Crane Shot at 2:46 PM on October 4, 2010
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