The 90’s were alive on February 8th 2011 in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall. We gathered in our flannels, hoodies and uncanny indifference to watch Sebadoh with special guest Quasi. Together we tapped our feet, bent our knees, and waved our heads back and forth executing the minimal amount of effort. When people think of 90’s music the first thing that comes to mind is grunge and consequently Nirvana but there were many bands that came out of the days of the slacker. Bands such as Sonic Youth, Pavement, Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh (just to name a few) gave way to the Indie explosion, influencing the likes of every hipster’s dream. So it only makes sense that these bands are able to tour now and bring in bigger crowds. Why were they not as mainstream in the 90’s? I can only speculate that they didn’t fit in the “suicidal” nirvana package.
Sebadoh, led by front man Lou Barlow, doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Although they have lines in their songs such as, “no one cares, cause no one should” and “It’s like wasting everything on someone else’s dream” they counter it with “but I tried to chase you down and I got tired” suggesting that its necessary to carry an uncanny laid back sense of humor which makes dealing with life a little more tolerable. Even in their performance you can see evidence of this credo. They laugh and make jokes, run around the stage like teenagers in a garage band. Sebadoh has an honestly and relaxation to their performance that is hard to find today in our media heavy society. It’s refreshing to just listen to a band play, no spectacle needed.
The set that evening was like going back in time. Most songs were played from the albums Harmacy and Bakesale, two great albums from the mid nineties. Most of the audience seemed to know every song. I found comfort in the sea of lip singing. I was amongst fans. And like most indie bands that came before and after the set started off slow but picked up as more beer was ingested as they sped through every song breaking for jam solos. The set was long but enjoyable. The highlight for me had to be when they played Drama Mine form Bakesale. I waited patiently for my favorite Sebadoh song to be played, holding in beer-induced pee to the point where if I moved I might have had an accident. And then when I thought I could wait no longer they busted it out. Needless to say all expectations were meet and I could pee a happy fan.
Now something must be said about the opening band, Quasi. They are a band that stayed under the radar of their sub culture counterparts Pavement and Sebadoh. They recently emerged proving why they are a favorite opening band choice for recent reunion tours. With a sound that combines indie power cords with fifties ballads and a killer rocksichord its amazing that this band didn’t surface sooner.
All three members are extremely talented and work well together. Bassist Joanna Bolme still enjoys the crazy antics of the front man Sam Coomes displays. Drummer Janet Weiss stays in control by telling ex-husband Coomes what instrument he will use next. They mostly play songs from their album Featuring “Birds” but tried overall to give a general ‘Intro to Quasi’ class for the audience, a smart move to get new listeners.
Already being a fan of Quasi I found it refreshing to see the total abandonment that Coomes displayed throughout the show. At the end of the set he began hitting the rocksichord and playing it with his feet and head just like Jerry Lee Lewis.
When people say the nineties are dead they most certainly have not been listening to good music. Bands that never left remind the majority that if it weren’t for their influences we wouldn’t have the rock ‘n roll we have today. In this case, however, they were preaching to the choir. Will opening for bands like Arcade Fire teach the new fans the history of Indie? Perhaps. But I think, for the most part, bands like Sebadoh like where they stand. And you know what? So do I.
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