The Sign at the Fork in the Road Said "Straight On"
A little late on this (as if there were any expectations), but I saw a great Portastatic show Friday night at the Empty Bottle. I hadn't seen Portastatic since a short show at a Nashville record store in 1997 and missed Mac McCaughan and crew's last Chicago trip a couple of years ago due to being old and lame. So, I'd built up hearty expecations for this gig, and it didn't disappoint.
Though I might quibble with a song choice or two (I usually do, it's a curse), the four-piece band, featuring Superchunk's Jim Wilbur on bass, heartily rocked the packed, sweaty crowd. Highlights included a bunch of great material from the recently released Bright Ideas, a stunning version of "Naked Pilseners" and a second encore consisting of the awe-inspiring "Spying On The Spys," probably my favorite Portastatic tune.
And now, a related digression: The only other time I caught Portastatic was in 1995, opening for Guided By Voices at D.C.'s Black Cat. At that point, I'd interviewed McCaughan twice -- the tally is up to three times (here's one of the results; I hope I've improved) -- but never in person. It being a GBV show, I naturally proceeded to get oiled; when I finally mustered up enough liquid courage to approach McCaughan, I babbled nervously and incoherently for a few minutes until a patient McCaughan was rescued by the lead singer of Nation Of Ulysses. I slinked off, entirely mortified.
I was able to speak with McCaughan for a few minutes pre-set at the Empty Bottle, knowing at least in my own tiny mind that such a confab would result in a small measure of closure/redemption for my previous embarrassment. McCaughan surely remains oblivious to the whole notion, and rightly so. But the combination of his fantastic performance and that brief, non-drunken chat made for a memorable night indeed.
Though I might quibble with a song choice or two (I usually do, it's a curse), the four-piece band, featuring Superchunk's Jim Wilbur on bass, heartily rocked the packed, sweaty crowd. Highlights included a bunch of great material from the recently released Bright Ideas, a stunning version of "Naked Pilseners" and a second encore consisting of the awe-inspiring "Spying On The Spys," probably my favorite Portastatic tune.
And now, a related digression: The only other time I caught Portastatic was in 1995, opening for Guided By Voices at D.C.'s Black Cat. At that point, I'd interviewed McCaughan twice -- the tally is up to three times (here's one of the results; I hope I've improved) -- but never in person. It being a GBV show, I naturally proceeded to get oiled; when I finally mustered up enough liquid courage to approach McCaughan, I babbled nervously and incoherently for a few minutes until a patient McCaughan was rescued by the lead singer of Nation Of Ulysses. I slinked off, entirely mortified.
I was able to speak with McCaughan for a few minutes pre-set at the Empty Bottle, knowing at least in my own tiny mind that such a confab would result in a small measure of closure/redemption for my previous embarrassment. McCaughan surely remains oblivious to the whole notion, and rightly so. But the combination of his fantastic performance and that brief, non-drunken chat made for a memorable night indeed.
posted by MH at
2:13 PM
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