Stephen Malkmus

[amnesiac]

I didn't get a ticket and didn't feel like begging for one outside the Black Cat. How was the show?

[SalParadise]

one of the best shows i've seen at black cat. completely exceeded my expectations...possibly even better than when i saw pavement like 10 years ago.
 
 and 10 times better than the spoon show the night before.

[Chip Chanko]

I agree. He stuck mostly to the new album. I like the band he has now...good interplay between everyone (although maybe a little TOO much between the keyboardist and drummer at the end...they didn't know when to call it a night). 2 encores and lots of "jams." My least favorite track on the album (pencil rot, only because i hate having that opening keyboard part starting off the album) was one of the best songs live.

[BookerT]

i don't know if i can be quite as enthusiastic as sal and chip. i mean, it was a fun time, and i'll always worship at the altar of SM, but i just can't get into a lot of his newer stuff. i'm actually glad he stuck to mostly the new record and generally avoided "pig lib" but a lot of those mid-tempo rockers with the noodly guitar parts are still kinda interchangeable to me. that first song from that extra CD that came with "pig lib" was a nice surprise, "dynamic calories," maybe? malkmus is always pretty entertaining on stage, appreciated the gilbert arenas reference before "gilbert c'mon" nee "baby c'mon." altho i could be making that whole exchange up. i was kinda drunk.
 
 i was watching the opening band and then noticed mark ibold was standing right in front of me. then steve west walked by. almost brought a tear to my eye. anyway, i had a good time, although ending then encoring with two covers no one's ever heard of that were just way too long jams was kind of anti-climactic. but then they came back to do "jenny and the ess-dog," which SM rightfully pointed out was kind of a "hammy" song. but it's also rather delightful. so yeah, good time, even if my mind was totally blown.

[groovyside]

from the Post....
 
   

Pick any of these descriptors for Stephen Malkmus's post-Pavement career: hit and miss, so-so, uneven; they're all apt. That half-good pattern holds for "Face the Truth," his latest solo disc, and it characterized the show that kicked off the record's support tour, too: a set at the Black Cat Saturday night that sputtered and stumbled, but saw the wry and wiry Malkmus gain his balance long enough to make it pretty entertaining.
 
 Backed by the Jicks, a lithe trio that bends easily around its leader's crooked melodies, Malkmus has scheduled only a dozen or so U.S. shows for "Truth" -- perhaps because he recently became a father. First-night crustiness was evident, especially on the sour trills of such songs as "No More Shoes" and "Pencil Rot," whose involved patterns were more clunky than transporting. With former Pavement members Mark Ibold and Steve West watching from the side of the stage, Malkmus and the Jicks sounded best when they evoked a more mature version of those seminal lo-fi indie rockers: "Post-Paint Boy," "Jo-Jo's Jacket" and the chiming "Mama" were goosebumpy good, tingly reminders of Malkmus's genius gift for mid-tempo hooks.
 
 But those runs eventually gave way to messy endings and some staggering set-closing jam sections and encores that occasionally bordered on dross. But as he left the stage during what may or may not have been a version of "I Love Rock and Roll," Malkmus hardly seemed concerned. After all, at least his half-bad set was half-great.
 
 -- Patrick Foster

[eltee]

Originally posted by SalParadise:
  one of the best shows i've seen at black cat. completely exceeded my expectations...possibly even better than when i saw pavement like 10 years ago.
 
 and 10 times better than the spoon show the night before.

bugger. I missed it.

[JohnnyBaconbitz]

I thought it was a really solid show...I agree that Pencil Rot was pretty killer live.

[amnesiac]

Really regretting I missed this. Especially since Spoon was a bit of a letdown the night before