The Evens show at Du Nord was really, really good. I liked almost all the songs and will definitely get their CD when it comes out. It was packed. I don’t know if the second show sold out too, but the early show for old punks had about 350 people crammed into every possible cranny of the upstairs space. Luckily
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dairryiere and I got there early enough to get the plush red vinyl chairs on the side of the room. Not the thrones, but very comfy with a good view.
I didn’t expect it to be a sit-down show, but we’re not getting any younger, are we?
While I always liked Fugazi, I never really liked their stage persona. I always found it deadly serious, kind of we-are-working-very-hard-and-suffering-to-get-our-message-out which didn’t jibe well for me with the fact that they got to travel the country and play music for a living. There is a 60s pamphlet that I read years ago about "Hip Culture" where a person of color (I
think Puerto Rican, but it’s been a decade or so) was critiquing, among other things, white counter culture by talking about how serious everyone looked on the dance floor. Basically asking the question of what kind of revolution one hopes to build where there is no sense of joy and fun, even at social events.
Fugazi always reminded me of that essay. Maybe it’s unfair. Maybe a thousand people yelling for Minor Threat songs can work a performer’s last nerve and make them cranky. Much like working on Haight St. has always made Bound Together a rather standoff-ish bookstore, it could be situational crankiness.
But in this band, which is just guitar and drums, there was a friendliness and graciousness that Fugazi never had, even if the songs were still deadly serious. I don’t have anything deeper to say than that it made me really happy and even more important, connected to a larger community. Yay Evens!
