[Jandek] JANDEK LIVE AT ABRONS ART CENTER APRIL 14th, 2007

[Nate Wilson]

This is my first time back to the list in ages and I am glad to be 
back......

I hadn't seen a show since the prior Manhattan performance at the Anthology 
Film Archive.  My best friend and bandmate who traveled to that show with me 
had since passed away and I was weary about checking out another show 
without him.  I had recently turned a new friend on to Jandek and they were 
more than willing to come to a show.  This friend is a highly schooled 
Peabody Conservatory chick, so I was eager to see what the show would do to 
her, and if she would be able to make the long ride back to Maine afterward. 
  Let's just say we made it back in one piece.

We headed out the day before to get most of the trip out of the way.  We 
spent the night at a Motel 6 in Connecticut, and set out in the early 
afternoon to finish the trip into Manhattan.  Neither one of us was familiar 
with the area so we wanted to set a big enough pocket of leeway incase we 
got lost.  We arrived to Abrons Art Center at about 2 p.m. and waited 
patiently at the doorway.  We were the only ones there for a good 3 or so 
hours.  During that time, we could hear through an open window, the 
rehearsal for performance.  It was great and thoroughly intense but it was 
nothing compared to the almost atonal grindcore/dismal funeral rock that 
permeated the auditorium during the real show.  Eventually I met up with Tim 
Strange and his friend (he was involved in the wonderful and often talked 
about Richmond Show), and soon after that Amy Frushour Kelly (From the 
Jandek on Corwood DVD ) and Scott Bateman (who has done a great animated 
short for the Jandek song "I Went Outside") appeared out of nowhere.  (Once 
again Amy I hope I didn't catch you too of guard)  Amy, Scott, and I chatted 
for a brief period only to be surprised by The Rep coming out of the theater 
a couple doors down from us.  I remember waving hello and feeling really 
dumb about it.  He eventually hailed a taxi and scooted off up Grand St. to 
whatever destination.

The line grew longer, and more friends appeared including the dude from The 
Quiet Sickness, and my good pal Preston Spurlock (Elastic No-No Band).  The 
crowd seemed giddy and antsy and really eager to get into the theater, and 
in no time we were filing into the lobby.  I made my way to the front row, 
right in front of The Rep.  The place was packed and even some people 
cluttered the balcony.  The stage was sparce and had a big backdrop that was 
lit with solid colors during the actual performance (greens, purples, blues) 
  The drum kit had a torn and cracked cymbal and the bass player seemed to 
have to rigs side by side (the purpose of which I am not certain)

Once the show began it was a whirlwind of beautiful chaos.

The first song had a beginning that was incredibly long and in that time, 
stage hands had to fix the bass amp creating large pops and glitches in the 
music but it didn't seem to phase the band at all.  In due time the 
microphones and cabling were switched over to the other bass amp and the 
band rocked on.

Some moments felt like I was having a tumor removed from the base of my 
skull, and other moments were tremendous almost thrash/psychedelic freakout 
metal.  The Rep was moving around like a robotic snake, bobbing and weaving 
and and times while singing lines he would act out what he was saying, and 
also posed and pointed fingers in the vein of Freddie Mercury.  It was the 
most I had ever seen him get silly or come out of the serious cloud.  In one 
particularly HEAVY song he described a prisoner who had long thick black 
hair that went

"From his wrists to his neck, from his neck to his belt all the way around 
front to back" followed by the most dense wall of noise I have heard live 
since hearing Merzbow live or Sunn O))) Then he described the tattoos on the 
characters arms, and the fight he was having with the guard.

and then he said a line similar to this, i can't remember the exact lyric

"i had to kill that police officer"

The overall theme was a prison/alcoholism/losing god theme
and from what I have heard the prison theme has made itself apparent at the 
show in Seattle and I think one other venue.

I never expected to see a show THAT HEAVY
                                             THAT BOMBASTIC
                                              THAT FEVERISH
                                              THAT MIND SWALLOWING
absolutely incredible.

I have to give a big thumbs up to Tim and Peter.  They set a really amazing 
foundation, and interacted better than any of the live stuff I have heard 
yet.

I hope everyone there really enjoyed it as much as me and my friend did.

I will see you all at Boston.

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