Sometimes there’s nothing I like better than seeing a band, especially a band that I really adore, play on a smaller, more scaled-back stage. The Backstage at the Black Cat has served as just that venue on many occasions, including several performances this year.
There couldn’t be a more intimate music experience then being able to literally stand right next to the band as they play through their set. For me, shows like this are reminiscent of the old days of garage and basement shows that were always such a raw experience. It’s hard for any venue to recreate the emotion and intimacy of a basement show, but backstage at the Cat comes about as close as it gets.
On Sunday night, Sebadoh, the legendary indie-noise rockers from Westfield, Massachusetts, packed the Cat’s back room with wide-eyed fans who welcomed all the melodic fuzz-toned sweetness that Sebadoh could dish out. Band members Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr., The Folk Implosion), Jason Lowenstein (Circle of Buzzards, Fiery Furnaces), and Bob D’Amico (Circle of Buzzards, Fiery Furnaces) pounded through new and old tunes, keeping the crowd on their toes and jam-enthralled throughout their entire set.
The last time they played the Black Cat, they mostly played songs from their Bubble and Scrape album. I referred to that tour as the Sebadoh / Sebadoh / Sebadoh Show, because the tour’s line-up consisted of Lowenstein’s band Circle of Buzzards, a Lou Barlow acoustic performance, then a full set by Sebadoh. The guys really worked hard on that stretch of tour. Some years before that, the band was touring playing their acclaimed album Bakesale from front to back. It must be such a good feeling for a band to have an album that is so beloved by fans that they can have a whole tour devoted to playing its re-release. For Sunday night’s show, the guys mixed things up and played a handful of new songs mixed in among crowd favorites spanning their entire career. And yes, they played “Soul and Fire.”
With the recent release of their new full-length album, Defend Yourself, in September of 2013, Sebadoh now has chalked up eight full-length albums to their credit. For me, Defend Yourself is a throwback to the song writing style of early Sebadoh recordings with a slightly more refined recorded sound. It’s the first full-length album for the band in nearly 14 years, and fans will find the album rather enjoyable. (Well, I did.) Defend Yourself is out on Joyful Noise Recordings and is available both on vinyl and digitally.
The biggest surprise of the night was getting to see the night’s opening act, OctaGrape. Actually, let me rephrase that statement another way so that I’m clear: Octagrape fucking rocked! They are a band from San Diego California, and I’m so happy that I caught their set. I had never seen them before, and I feel as though they turned me into an instant fan. Their high-energy brand of steady noise-rock was punctuated with their amazing guitar work.
For me, this band has a real old school and simple approach to their playing. It is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable sets I’ve heard this year, and I can’t wait to see them come through DC again. To quote my good friend and music aficionado, Shawn, who also attended Sunday night’s show, “Their live sound is reminiscent of Polvo meets The Hot Snakes.” Shawn, whom I’ve known all of my entire adult life and whose musical tastes I deem impeccable, was as blown away as I was. If you are into indie noise rock and you are not familiar with Octagrape, get into it, friends. You won’t be disappointed.
Besides the performances themselves, one of the coolest things about a Sebadoh show is their interaction with the crowd. Not only do they respond to almost every in-between-song banter from crowd members, but they sometimes turn it into a full-blown conversation. Lou Barlow and Lowenstein could probably keep the crowd going for hours if they had to. As well-known as these guys are, they still work as hard as any traveling band would. After the show, Lou was even working his own merch table and signing autographs for a line of fans.
To me, it seems like Sebadoh has a group of hard-core fans who support them and never fail to come out to their shows and buy their albums. Sebadoh even has a “Secret EP” that is downloadable, but if you want a physical copy, it is only available at the merch table at their shows. I’ve seen Sebadoh play live more times than I can even remember, and they never disappoint. Sunday night’s performance was better than ever, and as their catalog of music keeps expanding, they can pull from various parts of their long career to keep show-goers coming back for more.
SEBADOH
OCTAGRAPE
