Washing The Sonic F*&kin' Youths

When I was getting tickets for Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 1990 I was told by my friends there will be two bands opening for him. One band was Social Distortion and the other was Sonic Youth. I knew a bit about Social Distortion, and more about Sonic Youth. After all I had a copy of Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. This tape was recommended by a friend I worked with and I picked it up and liked it. When My father heard I was getting tickets for this show he told me he wanted to go. I was surprised that he wanted to go with me, because I have not been to a concert with him since the year before when we saw the Grateful Dead. He only went with me because it was in New Haven and he did not trust the streets of New Haven, plus he knew a great place to eat when he used to work down there. He surprisingly trusted me to go to Bob Dylan at Toad's Place to witness a five hour Dylan show but I think he was itching to go to a rock show.

When I mentioned the openers for our Neil Young show he looked perplexed. He had no idea who these bands were or should he even go to the show. He told me he was only there for Neil Young and that's it. We went to the show and met up with some friends of mine who were very happy that my father could attend. My dad saw Neil Young in the mid 70's and really enjoyed the show and told me that my uncle was smart enough to take him. At that show he did not recall a opening act so this show with openers was a little hard for him to digest.



Social Distortion came on and I looked at my father. It seemed like he was having a good time. He was when I asked him between bands. He then asked me if I would like Sonic Youth. I told him that they are a tough band with a lot of feedback and sound like Neil in his early years in some spots and in others they are just different. I am sure that was not what he wanted to hear. Sonic Youth took the stage and started with a few minutes of something unappealing to him. He talked in my ear and told me he was going to get a beer and come back when Neil was ready to take the stage. This was my first Sonic Youth show and I thought it was good, not great or not to write about. I was writing for the school paper and I promised to be kind to the openers and not write negatively about both bands.

The lights dimmed and I realized that my dad did not like the opening acts. You can see it in his face. At least we had Neil Young to enjoy. About two hours later the lights went on and he made a comment to me. Neil, is not the same Neil I remember, but it was a great show. I went to school the next day wearing my Neil Young shirt. My teacher who I was writing the paper for the school paper pulled me aside. He told me that he too was at the show and expected a great detailed report on all three acts. I wrote about Social Distortion and Neil Young. I added about Sonic Youth, but I did not get into detail. The teacher asked me why. I told him that I had problems forming ideas about them. They have so much potential and I know for a fact that being second fiddle to Neil was not what they wanted to do. He finally read my story. He liked it and published it for the next week of the school paper.



A few years passed and I saw Sonic Youth again. This time they were the headliner for a show in Northampton Mass. Kim and Thurston live in Northampton so it was like a concert in their back yard. It was a show where Televisions Tom Verlaine opened up and another act called the Glenn Branca Guitar Orchestra played. Both openers were amazing. It was the show that I realized that Television is one of the best bands in the world. It also was the first show I ever heard Glenn Branca and became a fan ever since. Sonic Youth put on a really great show. Better then the show when they opened up for Neil Young. It was an awesome time. It convinced me that I might have been too young for Sonic Youth at the time, and now a little wiser I finally get it. At 22 I think I get their meaning. Plus at the end of the show I met the band. I am sure it had something to do with that. I was like a little kid in a candy store.

About a year past and I got wrapped in a Bowling League near my town with some people I met through work. One of them was a beer nut like myself. We got on the conversation about music and my friend's wife explained that she went to High School with Thurston Moore. I remembered that and the next time I went to see Thurston I would see if he remembered me for one and mention our connection. Sure enough I was at a small church watching Thurston and Nels Cline play in and again I introduced myself. Nels was really cool and Thurston was in awe that I knew her friend from High School. From that point on when I went to shows in Northampton, Thurston and I would run into each other and talk music or shows he is playing or ideas he has.



At 22 I found my Sonic Youth album that to this day I still think is one of their best. I think Washing Machine has great moments. I listen to this day and still think how great the album was for it's time. It came out in the middle of the grunge scene and still it sounds like it came out today. Everything about the album is great. The long track that closes the CD is awesome and does not sound like it should end at the eight minute mark or so. It is an album for people who need to be Sonic Youth fans who are not or who are just on the edge and want to hear their first Sonic Youth album. Enjoy!