Wot, no Jesus Lizard thread?

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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

plax (I know, right?), Sunday, 25 October 2009 19:59 (fourteen years ago) link

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

plax (I know, right?), Monday, 26 October 2009 22:51 (fourteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

HOLY SHIT

circa1916, Saturday, 21 November 2009 07:14 (fourteen years ago) link

seriously, these guys FUCKING DESTROYED tonight.

circa1916, Saturday, 21 November 2009 07:15 (fourteen years ago) link

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

drew in baltimore, Sunday, 22 November 2009 00:16 (fourteen years ago) link

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.

I AM NOT A BALONEY SANDWICH (u s steel), Sunday, 22 November 2009 14:11 (fourteen years ago) link

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

curmudgeon, Sunday, 22 November 2009 17:57 (fourteen years ago) link

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.

circa1916, Sunday, 22 November 2009 19:30 (fourteen years ago) link

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!

I AM NOT A BALONEY SANDWICH (u s steel), Sunday, 22 November 2009 21:20 (fourteen years ago) link

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?

I AM NOT A BALONEY SANDWICH (u s steel), Sunday, 22 November 2009 21:22 (fourteen years ago) link

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

dmr, Monday, 23 November 2009 03:57 (fourteen years ago) link

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.

a dimension that can only be accessed through self-immolation (contenderizer), Monday, 23 November 2009 04:11 (fourteen years ago) link

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

a dimension that can only be accessed through self-immolation (contenderizer), Monday, 23 November 2009 04:12 (fourteen years ago) link

"the love as we see is till strong"

a dimension that can only be accessed through self-immolation (contenderizer), Monday, 23 November 2009 04:13 (fourteen years ago) link

lol

a dimension that can only be accessed through self-immolation (contenderizer), Monday, 23 November 2009 04:20 (fourteen years ago) link

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

dmr, Monday, 23 November 2009 04:26 (fourteen years ago) link

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

Mountain Dewm (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 3 December 2009 19:04 (fourteen years ago) link

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!

Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 3 December 2009 19:30 (fourteen years ago) link

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.

Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 3 December 2009 19:33 (fourteen years ago) link

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

Stormy Davis, Thursday, 3 December 2009 22:34 (fourteen years ago) link

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

Stormy Davis, Thursday, 3 December 2009 22:36 (fourteen years ago) link

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.

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 3 December 2009 22:41 (fourteen years ago) link

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

Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 December 2009 22:43 (fourteen years ago) link

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?

drew in baltimore, Friday, 4 December 2009 00:26 (fourteen years ago) link

four years pass...

I take it back. DOWN is great

Kornblud (admrl), Monday, 9 June 2014 16:28 (nine years ago) link

down IS great

sci-fi looking, chubby-leafed, delicately bizarre (contenderizer), Monday, 9 June 2014 19:12 (nine years ago) link

one month passes...

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

mookieproof, Thursday, 31 July 2014 21:58 (nine years ago) link

some type of way

mattresslessness, Thursday, 31 July 2014 22:04 (nine years ago) link


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