Wot, no Jesus Lizard thread?

I actually found "Shot" to be pretty good too, aside from a few tracks. I never really saw what everyone found so bad about that. I haven't heard it in years though. Meanwhile, I really can't get into Tomahawk... It just drags and hits my snoozebutton.

I've unfortunately stood way up front at a New Bomb Turks concert once, where the vocalist decided to get nekkid too.
The concert wasn't all that good, and that certainly didn't help matters!

With a lot of these late 80's/early 90's indie/pigfuck/whatever bands you got the impression the drummers were all competing to see who could play the loudest/hardest. Who could wear the mantle of the "new John Bonham". Rey Washam in Scratch Acid, McNeilly, Jim Kimball in Laughing Hyenas, all trying to destroy their kit full-tilt, all the time.

Duane Denison is an excellent guitar player. He really understands the instrument, had an impeccable tone, knew how to create the perfect heavy riff but still leave some space in the music. He's a lot like Jimmy Page, to drag out the Zep comparison.

I saw them once at a small club - more like neighborhood bar - in Chicago under a fake name. They were listed as Led Zeus Shitjar. I thought that was so perfect, I think it's a better name than The Jesus Lizard. When I saw the listing in the paper it gave me pause, I knew it had to be an anagram for them. Apparantly lots of other people did as well, because the show was insane; tons of folk jammed into this tiny space. Some idiot started crowd surfing about 20 minutes into it and reached up and punched out a ceiling tile (yes this place looked like a suburban basement). That was it, the owner pulled the plug on them.

I jumped off with Down; never heard the later records. Just wasn't feeling it anymore. But yeah they totally ruled back in the day.

jesus jones? hehe.

anyways, saw once and it was great. i think they were banned from playing seattle later on

I wish I had seen Fishwife (from San Diego). I heard Ryan was the only man who could possibly top Yow.

Yow is quite unique vocalist, to say the least.

I've said it before on another thread, but Duane Denison is very underrated as a guitarist. He has such a developed technique and uses it with such great effeciency. The guy flat out knows his chords.

I don't know about Zep as that is bedrock with me, but I like the Jesus Lizard quite a bit more than The Birthday Party.

YES! i only saw them once, but was impressed that yow was passed almost to the back corner of the club

Sick and wrong.

Ha ha! A lot of people on this thread have seen this man's penis.

And yes, Liar is great, which is probably why Down seemed comparatively lackluster.

you break my AAARRRMMM!!

actually, whenever i see SoBe bottles i think of the Jesus Lizard. does anyone actually need bottled Yow Juice, though? eep.

That's not the exact setlist they played last night btw. The last 2 songs before they went offstage were Nub and Gladiator and Blockbuster was in the encore. Pretty sure they finished with 7 vs 8, and Wheelchair Epidemic was a few songs earlier, not last.

They were fucking amazing last night tho. Made up for not being able to afford ATP.

Sweeeeet... dur I was looking at that jpg earlier trying to think what the fuck 'Wheel' was

If anyone's got a 'no reunion show' rule, they should consider breaking it for this.

All my bros that went said the Sleep/Lizard combo was one of the best shows they ever saw.

Someone should suggest Sleep for Friday night at Kutscher's, preferably in earshot of ATP people.

Jamie, are you listening?? ;-)

no way its gonna happen. really. it was indeed one of the best nights of my life that saturday double bill.

boooooooooooooooo

We had a great moshpit of thirty-/forty-something dudes for Bob Mould at ATP last year, and I hope I get to strap on the ol' oxygen mask for Jesus Lizard.

Monday show ruled.
Loved the drum/guitar extravaganza at the end.
David Yow ate the setlist.

David Yow ate the setlist.

?!!!??!

by 'ate', I mean: 'tore it into pieces, nibbled on it, and then scattered it around'.

Looking forward to seeing them at Pitchfork! You can vote for what songs to include in the setlist! Best live band of the '90s.

This is a job for a stupid man

so just found out they're extending their tour to DC and Baltimore. oh fuck yes. might catch 'em both.

Anyone who has seen these reunion shows also seen them from early nineties and can compare? Way back then they were quite unbelievable- hilarious, mean and throat throttling all at the same time. That rhythm section was as tight as a ...tight, tight ...pair of jeans?Aanyone complete this simile? What is a tight thing that is not rude and would suit this crucial comparison? A crevass?

Tight as [insert ageing celebrity]'s botoxed skin? I saw the Lizard at Pitchfork and they nailed it. They were better than the last couple times I saw them in the 90s. Yow was really concerned about being up to snuff and put himself through and intense workout regimen months ahead of time. He's no Iggy, but the next best thing! I got my ticket for their Nov Metro show.

So how are their reissues? I don't know if the remaster is necessary, as long as I have my automatic gain setting.

The remastering certainly does Down some justice.

Albini claims the band live now is as good as they were in their heyday. I'll have to be the judge of that myself on 10/22. Yow told me he's been working out...

Haven't seen the revitalized JL. Missed em at the Cap Hill Block Party (Seattle-area summer thing) a few months back, just cuz I hate the crowds and fenced-in feeling. They've got a lot to live up to, though, cuz the early 90s version was crushing. Up there with the best rock/metal shows I've ever seen.

I didn't see them the first time around but I'd be shocked if someone saw them now and felt they didn't deliver. I'm just back from their show in LA and I thought it was even better than I was hoping it would be.

I saw them friday and they were beyond great. I never saw them early on, so I cannot compare to their earlier shows. But whatever-- they were amazing. Black Elk were great as well.

I skipped them on Friday to see the Gossip, which I almost regret, but not really. Gossip were GREAT, and I saw the Jesus Lizard several times in the 90s. Glad to hear they still deliver tho.

From Perfect Sound Forever btw:

But these guys were never meant to be The Lizard indefinitely and now with them gone forever, I can settle into the comfortable assurance that my favorite band will never disappoint or embarrass me. They will never pull a Bauhaus and reform to cash in after a slew of questionable projects fail to bring long standing success for individual band members. This ain't gonna happen because there are probably less than a few thousand hardcore Jesus Lizard fans left in North America and that number probably dwindles every year. Good. This band is what used to pass for a hip rock critic's wet dream back when music writers were expected to be more adventurous than putting all their money on the goddamn White Stripes. So I will enjoy them in happy solitude and I don't care if you think it's ridiculous posturing to champion a band based on their inaccessibility. I will tell anyone to their face that Cheap Trick are an incredible band and at their prime. THOSE guys could fill entire stadiums with hysterical teenage chicks. Big deal.

<3 PSF

"and then the motel manager comes by" cracks me up everytime

HOLY SHIT

seriously, these guys FUCKING DESTROYED tonight.

I was at this show. Still sore. Really, really amazing.

This ain't gonna happen because there are probably less than a few thousand hardcore Jesus Lizard fans left in North America and that number probably dwindles every year.

You have got to be kidding me.

Good. This band is what used to pass for a hip rock critic's wet dream ....

I can't remember a single "critic" who was fair to them.
Who is a "hip rock critic"?

So I will enjoy them in happy solitude and I don't care if you think it's ridiculous posturing to champion a band based on their inaccessibility.

They're a great band, great live shows. What should be done about their body of work, I don't know.
They're just not everyone's cup of tea and I don't think there is much you can do about it. Some people
can't get past the vocalist, which makes it difficult for some people to appreciate their musical virtues.

Baloney, the critic reviewing them for the W. Post the other night loved them (and he grew up on reading the many '90s critics who loved them--not sure who you were reading then?)and noted that they only played to a half-filled 930 club.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postrock/2009/11/the_jesus_lizard_live_last_nig.html

The other night Yow commented on how DC was usually the pretty happening show and Baltimore was kind of dead but this tour it was completely the opposite. Said something about "Baltimore's the new LA, DC's the new San Francisco". The Baltimore crowd was nuts for 'em too, kids flying everywhere, cheering "like they're seeing Bruce Springsteen", plenty of crowd surfing. Yow spent a lot of time floating around in the audience. And it never let up, even through the 2nd encore. Towards the end of the show Yow said something like "Thank you. In all seriousness, thank you." in a kind of uncharacteristically sincere way. It was nice. The band got a hero's welcome and I think they appreciated it. Never got to see these guys the first time around, but I can't imagine the older Jesus Lizard is inferior in any way.

Curmudgeon you are right, we need to review the press some time, maybe I am wrong. I just hate how these great bands get forgotten, it's not like everyone has to like them or send all nineties bands on some corny reunion tour, but this was a great band and they did have detractors in my neck of the woods, like, "they're hostile because they don't want to be huge rock stars" and this kind of crap. I don't see what the point is, they were a formidable band and all they focus on is the singer.

I'm glad people are enjoying the shows!

OMG I just remembered some funny story someone told me about how they wouldn't listen to the Jesus Lizard because of their "offensive" name. I mean, I was like, why do you hate Jesus?

wish I would have seen one of the new york shows. saw em twice in the '90s and they were pretty killer. therapy / jesus lizard / helmet at mississippi nights in st. louis was a pretty formative show in my early punk rock lyfe

seem to recall them getting all kinds of respect in the 90s from the mags that covered indie & punk stuff, especially circa goat and liar. even the mixed reviews for the early stuff were mostly hedging on whether or not they were quite up to scratch acid's snuff. they got to be about as popular as i could ever imagine them getting, given the inbuilt obstacles, and the love as we still is still strong.

saw em at the 9:30 for goat (i think?) - amazing show and packed to the rafters. then a year or so later at the cat's cradle in NC w blues ex. even better. maybe one of the best shows i've ever seen and i only say maybe because i had so many drinks.

now i'm gun shy and expect someone to come running in here yelling at me about stuff...

"the love as we see is till strong"

lol

first vinyl record I ever bought when I got into records in college (as opposed to stuff I had at home as a little kid)

http://goodrob13.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/jesus-lizard-nirvana.jpg

my friend took some good shots from the chicago metro show, wow:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregschaal/sets/72157622779848225/

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/4146766094_4c9531e62c.jpg

There was an ambulance outside of Metro after the Friday show. Someone said it was for Yow but I thought they were joking. Metro twittered on Saturday, "David Yow lives. The Jesus Lizard will play Metro as scheduled tonight. 12:51 PM Nov 28th." Anyone know what happened? The way the old little fucker exerted himself both at Pitchfork and that night, I was kind of worried he'd drop dead of a heart attack or stroke!

A bunch of my friends don't "get" J-Liz. It's taken me nearly 20 years to accept that unfortunate fact. One is even a fan of McLusky/Future of the Left. WTF!

Oh, and not only are they just as good, they actually are BETTER than they were in the late 90s! Which is understandable, when a band gets toured ragged for so many years in a row, to return a decade plus later rejuvenated. Same thing with The Pixies on their reunion tour a few years back compared to a dismal show winter 90/91.

Apparently, David was crowd-surfing during the second encore on Friday night and was dropped by the crowd, falling a good 7 feet hard to the floor. He got up and back and stage and attempted to finish but was visibly in pain and the show was ended. I guess enough people had left by the second encore to leave the crowd thinned out enough for this to happen -- a shame (also, what lame-os)

I didn't go Friday but went Saturday. He was singing from a stool for a lot of the show, but did get to prowl around a bit and even dove from the stage once or twice -- but definitely NOT the usual manic Lizard show. Still, it was bizarre and worth it just for the sight of Yow perched on that stool... Plus the band is still totally amazing. Just could not believe how awesome Mac's drum solo was at the end of the set

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2009-11/50792728.JPG

Wow got to echo this (also, what lame-os), for shame etc

Every time I see this thread bumped makes me think how great that show was last year - I was myself too lame to be into the Jesus Lizard when they were actually around, can't remember why, I think the name having Jesus in it when JAMC already did that turned me off them, whatever, stupidity. Or maybe it was Jesus Jones' fault, everything else is.

LOL @ hilariousness of stage-diving dude dropped by thinning crowd.

The Baltimore crowd was nuts for 'em too, kids flying everywhere, cheering "like they're seeing Bruce Springsteen", plenty of crowd surfing.

Part of the irony here is that Bruce was playing Baltimore the same night, to a sold-out arena. It seemed like Yow was bemused/amused at the corollary. And yes, the place was packed and people were going nuts. Shame to hear that the D.C. show was underattended.

The guy who played in between them and openers Double Dagger, can't remember his name, was on some kind of cosmic drone trip. Guitar, drumset, and sampler, with long vibrating vocall-less compositions. Perhaps a fuck you to the fans who came expecting all aggro action?

I take it back. DOWN is great

down IS great

Me-Yow! Rocker David Yow releases book of cat pictures

some type of way