Wondering if anyone else seeing Silkworm on tour has had these two simultaneous reactions:
1. Why the FUCK are there not more people here? This is some of the most beautiful, powerful, subtle, complex music I've ever heard. This room should be mobbed. Why don't more people know about this band?
2. I'm kinda glad this place isn't mobbed. Now I can get up close and soak it all in without fighting through a crowd. I can just stand here and be amazed for an hour.
Band: Silkworm
122lars wrote:Wondering if anyone else seeing Silkworm on tour has had these two simultaneous reactions:
1. Why the FUCK are there not more people here? This is some of the most beautiful, powerful, subtle, complex music I've ever heard. This room should be mobbed. Why don't more people know about this band?
Yeah, I stumbled into a Silkworm show in Louisville about ten years ago and there was hardly anybody there. I was stopping by the club late to look up a friend who tended bar there, so I didn't see their whole set. I'm not even sure I'd heard of the band at that point, but they won me over quickly for many of the reasons previously mentioned. Of course, the cover of "Ooh La La" didn't hurt, but it was only the icing on the cake--a cake comprised of exuberant, unaffected, damn good music.
dontfeartheringo wrote:I need people to act like grown folks and I just ain't seeing it.
Band: Silkworm
123Antero wrote:Everyone who is into Silkworm seems to have done it gradually. It's really odd.
I agree with your observation though I was hooked from day one. It was the summer of 1994 and I was in the record library at KRUA 88.1 FM in Anchorage, Alaska trying to find something to play and a friend of mine handed me In the West and suggested I play "Raised by Tigers" since I was almost embarassingly obsessed with Pavement and with Steve's recordings. This was a good suggestion. I was immediately hooked, but it took me another year to find a copy of In the West to buy (living in Alaska did not help) and it wasn't until probably 1997 until I finally got to see them live. It is hilarious to recall how I couldn't tell the difference between Joel's, Andy's and Tim's singing when it now seems so obvious but that's the way it was and it wasn't until I saw them live that I started to get the picture. I also distinctly recall at that first show finally understanding why the drums sounded the way they do - "oh, he's pounding the living shit out of them" - and attaching the wonderful visual of Mike playing to that drumming.
The 'Worm is and was something exceptional.
Dan
Band: Silkworm
124Forgive the epic post here but this something I've been thinking about for awhile
The first time I saw Silkworm was in 1996 when Firewater came out. They played an instore at a record store here called Garage D’or that I spent most of my free time hanging out at. I can’t remember why I went to the show cuz I hadn’t heard them, I think I heard the name, but I wasn’t familiar with the music at all. Maybe Terry, who ran the store, had said something to me about them “sounding like Television” or someone did, cuz I had it in my head that they had long guitar solos, so that was probably enough for me to come down and see them. It was free, plus I wasn’t 21 yet so shows for me were few and far between. They played later that night at the Whole on the U of M campus which is an all-ages space but I must have been working that night so I went to the instore instead. Okay, so suffice to say I went. Tim was rocking the TB Wedge bass and I recall thinking it was the coolest looking guitar I’d ever seen. The other thing that stands out in my memory about this show was the album cover to Firewater, it was so strange and striking, and I wondered if one of the people being examined on the cover was meant to look like Andy. Anyway, the music was good, I liked them, but I never got that record, maybe I was broke or something, but I put it off and then sort of lost track of the band.
Next time I saw them was in 1999 opening two shows for Shellac in the Entry. I am pretty sure they had the SKWM neon light at these shows. The shows were on a Sunday at the end of a Canadian tour the two bands did together. I was excited to see that Silkworm were playing even though I had never kept up them after that in store. At the early show they ended with “Ooh La La” by the Faces and they played mostly material from what would become Lifestyle. Both shows blew me away, though I might have been the only one of my friends who felt that way. Even my wife, who would eventually become a huge, if some what “secret” Silkworm fan, was non-plused. Mostly I seem to remember everyone I knew saying Silkworm was boring. This is the thing I could never understand about Silkworm, the people who should have loved this band, didn’t. In fact the people who should have loved this band were always the ones who professed their dislike the loudest. To this day it befuddles me that more people can’t appreciate them. I guess in the long run that isn’t really important, but just always struck me as strange. There are plenty of bands who I love and I can completely understand why they don’t have widespread acceptance, but the Worm seemed to have the right qualities, I just couldn’t understand (and still can’t) what made it so hard for them to reach a wider audience. And I’m not talking about selling hundreds of thousands of records; I am talking about a few dozen more people at all the great Silkworm shows I saw after 1999. Cuz I was pretty much hooked after those two shows. From those two shows on I followed the band as close as any other band I have ever liked. Each album seemed incredible and unique.
It seems strange to think, but in a one of the greatest things about the band was the website and its message board. Michael ran it and his self-deprecating sense of humor and general outgoing demeanor always was reflected in his posts and his excellent tour journals. It made them seem like underdogs that you wanted to root for. And the board itself, Tim and Michael were regulars on the board; it was the first message board that I frequented. It gave a little window into the workings of the band. Never so much that the mystery went away, but enough that at least from a fan’s perspective that I felt closer to the band. Also I think that many of the people who were regular posters there were a testament to the band’s quality, that they would attract smart, funny people from all over the place trading reviews and stories about the records and the shows.
After the band relocated completely from Seattle to Chicago I felt so lucky to be living in Minneapolis since they would regularly come up to play shows there. The shows were never well attended, though they must have enough people cuz the band kept coming back. Always at the Entry and every single one of them was awesome. Like the one all-ager when Tim came out and asked if there were any songs people wanted to hear so I asked for “Ice Station Zebra” which they hadn’t played in forever and despite a false start sounded like they’d been playing it every night.
They were so thundering loud, but never muddy. And Michael’s drumming live, was so incredible, not until Chokes do I think his drums ever really captured in the way the sounded live and that’s not slight to the recording of the albums or to the general sound of the albums themselves. Its simply there are things about his drumming style that could never be caught on tape, you had to see him up there, shirtless with the gardening gloves on flailing away on the drums, just beating them to hell.
I think Developer is overall, my favorite record, if I forced myself to pick just one. But I listen to all the post Firewater stuff regularly and equally, all of those records, to me are great.
Jesus what a great band. SALUT!
The first time I saw Silkworm was in 1996 when Firewater came out. They played an instore at a record store here called Garage D’or that I spent most of my free time hanging out at. I can’t remember why I went to the show cuz I hadn’t heard them, I think I heard the name, but I wasn’t familiar with the music at all. Maybe Terry, who ran the store, had said something to me about them “sounding like Television” or someone did, cuz I had it in my head that they had long guitar solos, so that was probably enough for me to come down and see them. It was free, plus I wasn’t 21 yet so shows for me were few and far between. They played later that night at the Whole on the U of M campus which is an all-ages space but I must have been working that night so I went to the instore instead. Okay, so suffice to say I went. Tim was rocking the TB Wedge bass and I recall thinking it was the coolest looking guitar I’d ever seen. The other thing that stands out in my memory about this show was the album cover to Firewater, it was so strange and striking, and I wondered if one of the people being examined on the cover was meant to look like Andy. Anyway, the music was good, I liked them, but I never got that record, maybe I was broke or something, but I put it off and then sort of lost track of the band.
Next time I saw them was in 1999 opening two shows for Shellac in the Entry. I am pretty sure they had the SKWM neon light at these shows. The shows were on a Sunday at the end of a Canadian tour the two bands did together. I was excited to see that Silkworm were playing even though I had never kept up them after that in store. At the early show they ended with “Ooh La La” by the Faces and they played mostly material from what would become Lifestyle. Both shows blew me away, though I might have been the only one of my friends who felt that way. Even my wife, who would eventually become a huge, if some what “secret” Silkworm fan, was non-plused. Mostly I seem to remember everyone I knew saying Silkworm was boring. This is the thing I could never understand about Silkworm, the people who should have loved this band, didn’t. In fact the people who should have loved this band were always the ones who professed their dislike the loudest. To this day it befuddles me that more people can’t appreciate them. I guess in the long run that isn’t really important, but just always struck me as strange. There are plenty of bands who I love and I can completely understand why they don’t have widespread acceptance, but the Worm seemed to have the right qualities, I just couldn’t understand (and still can’t) what made it so hard for them to reach a wider audience. And I’m not talking about selling hundreds of thousands of records; I am talking about a few dozen more people at all the great Silkworm shows I saw after 1999. Cuz I was pretty much hooked after those two shows. From those two shows on I followed the band as close as any other band I have ever liked. Each album seemed incredible and unique.
It seems strange to think, but in a one of the greatest things about the band was the website and its message board. Michael ran it and his self-deprecating sense of humor and general outgoing demeanor always was reflected in his posts and his excellent tour journals. It made them seem like underdogs that you wanted to root for. And the board itself, Tim and Michael were regulars on the board; it was the first message board that I frequented. It gave a little window into the workings of the band. Never so much that the mystery went away, but enough that at least from a fan’s perspective that I felt closer to the band. Also I think that many of the people who were regular posters there were a testament to the band’s quality, that they would attract smart, funny people from all over the place trading reviews and stories about the records and the shows.
After the band relocated completely from Seattle to Chicago I felt so lucky to be living in Minneapolis since they would regularly come up to play shows there. The shows were never well attended, though they must have enough people cuz the band kept coming back. Always at the Entry and every single one of them was awesome. Like the one all-ager when Tim came out and asked if there were any songs people wanted to hear so I asked for “Ice Station Zebra” which they hadn’t played in forever and despite a false start sounded like they’d been playing it every night.
They were so thundering loud, but never muddy. And Michael’s drumming live, was so incredible, not until Chokes do I think his drums ever really captured in the way the sounded live and that’s not slight to the recording of the albums or to the general sound of the albums themselves. Its simply there are things about his drumming style that could never be caught on tape, you had to see him up there, shirtless with the gardening gloves on flailing away on the drums, just beating them to hell.
I think Developer is overall, my favorite record, if I forced myself to pick just one. But I listen to all the post Firewater stuff regularly and equally, all of those records, to me are great.
Jesus what a great band. SALUT!
Band: Silkworm
125242sumner wrote:burun wrote:Antero wrote:Everyone who is into Silkworm seems to have done it gradually. It's really odd.
I think that's the mark of a quality band.
We probably can't make firm generalizations about this as It inevitably invites highly subjective judgements.
I think you could say that any band that engages the listener in such a way. If a band has that something that keeps you coming back, despite maybe being a little "meh" on them in the beginning, then I'd say that indicates some superior talent lurking.
I'm not articulating this correctly, but you try being coherent when working 6 13-hour days a week.
Band: Silkworm
127Ekkssvvppllott wrote:Masochism.
Necessity.
Ekkssvvppllott wrote:Does that include commuting?
Ha! Ha! Joke!
In my secret heart of hearts, I want Andy Cohen to write a song about me and my three jobs + freelance, and my ability to keep my sense of humor about the whole thing. He can write it in a positive way or a negative way, I don't care. I will provide pertinent details. He can make the magic.
Band: Silkworm
128mattw wrote: I very rarely pull out Sebadoh's stuff. In fact, I sold what records I did have last year because they were collecting dust.
Your fault. Shit's like "Beautiful, Bizarre Guitar Chords 101" or something. Also included in the course are Pavement, Sonic Youth and Polvo.
Silkworm's like a footnote on page 49 of the textbook.
Gay People Rock
Band: Silkworm
129Sebadoh were really important to me when I was a teenager. I spent 1996 covering songs from Bakesale on my 4-track, for absolutely no good reason (they're not very good, these covers).
Silkworm were really important in my twenties, and still are, since I'm still in them. For a couple more months anyway.
Jodi, I'm with you. The songs do seem to grow, don't they?
Silkworm were really important in my twenties, and still are, since I'm still in them. For a couple more months anyway.
Jodi, I'm with you. The songs do seem to grow, don't they?
Hey. My name's Josh.
Band: Silkworm
130NerblyBear wrote:mattw wrote: I very rarely pull out Sebadoh's stuff. In fact, I sold what records I did have last year because they were collecting dust.
Your fault. Shit's like "Beautiful, Bizarre Guitar Chords 101" or something. Also included in the course are Pavement, Sonic Youth and Polvo.
Silkworm's like a footnote on page 49 of the textbook.
you are very full of very stinky shit, my man.