Merge Fest Day 2 The Cat’s Cradle – Chapel Hill, NC July 29, 2004 Review by Jake Thomas This bit of writing is the first in two-parter chronicling my trip back to North Carolina to see the first two nights of Merge Fest, a celebration of 15 years of Merge Records. And yeah, I can’t believe it’s been that long either. (Note: technically, it was the second and third nights of Merge Fest, as they added a last minute show that happened on the 28th that I couldn’t make it to…) Kicking things off on this Thursday night was The Rosebuds, a husband/wife duo with a very good hired-gun drummer. Ivan plays a sparkly Dan Electro guitar and sings, and Kelly plays the keys. For lack of better terminology, or maybe because it’s unnecessary, these kids play pop. Simple, straightforward, owing a bit of gratitude to the garage-pop of yore and the Spoon of today; they sound like everyone and no one at once, instantly recognizable even if you’ve never heard it before. Just like their set, their songs were short, sweet and to the point. It was an eclectic line-up to say the least; the blissful poppy nature of The Rosebuds was followed up by what is nearly their polar opposite, the brooding melancholy that is Richard Buckner. Having seen him many times, I can say that you never know what you’re going to get, and that every show is a unique experience. This time around it was just the man himself, a couple of guitars, and a shitload of pedals; two of which were samplers that he used a ton to loop various guitar parts that he would then play over top of, creating a very layered yet still distinctly Richard Buckner sound. As per usual, he played a number of tracks I either didn’t know or that were so transformed that I couldn’t recognize them; however, right in the middle of his set, he played a huge chunk of songs from “Since”, which pleased me to no end (it is my favorite record of his, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly). I missed most of the middle act, The Essex Green, so that I might recuperate from the night’s festivities so far (and also so I could play some Tron and Galaga, as the Cat’s Cradle has a great mini-arcade in the back). Following them was a solo performance from M. Ward, who played a fine set to be sure and really seemed to grab the attention of my friend I was at the show with. Even more notably, Lou Barlow was standing directly in front of me and seemed to know every single word to all of Ward’s songs…it’s nice to see that it’s not just us commoner fans who really enjoy a good show – even indie rock royalty can really get into it! For just being one man on stage, Ward performed a pretty mesmerizing set, and he paced the stage the entire time like a caged baboon. His portion of the night included his unique rendition of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” – the first time I heard this on his album I didn’t even recognize it at all. But as great as all of the openers were, the real reason I traveled across the country and was at this show at all was for the opportunity to see Superchunk rock the Cradle again. I don’t know how many times I saw them on this very stage years ago, but it was a huge influence and highlight of my college years; and there’s something about being in the bands home town with a crowd that lovesand adores their every song is an experience I never get tired of. Since Merge is the band’s label, it was an especially important night for them and they seemed to be soaking up every drop of it. Who would have ever though, all those years ago, that this tiny label would grow up and come to be the home of so many great acts? The Chunk played a set that seemed to go chronologically backwards, starting with new material and finishing on their final encore with “What do I”, the very first song they ever released if I’m not mistaken. The show instantly transported me back to my late teen years when I first really got into this band; things have changed, the crowd is older, and Laura Balance might be up on stage rocking out while 7 months pregnant, but none of that really matters when you have an entire room full of people singing, nay screaming every single word to “Detroit has a Skyline” or “Mower” or “Slack Motherfucker”. And if just the show alone wasn’t enough, there were two absolutely brilliant guest appearances: first, Ash Bowie came on stage and the band ripped through a cover of Polvo’s “Can I Ride?” with Ash singing; then after that, Lou Barlow joined the group for a version of Sebadoh’s “Brand New Love”, which Superchunk had covered years ago and is featured on their “Tossing Seeds 89-91” singles compilation. In my world, it just doesn’t get much more perfect than that. And it may damn-near ruin me for all other live music for the rest of the year. |