Stephen Malkmus, founder of the exalted and highly influential band Pavement - and an equally deified solo artist - came to visit our corner of the world last Saturday night for a show at The Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, NC, just 10 minutes away from Chapel Hill. Originally the dye house in historic Saxapahaw’s cotton mill, the venue is part of an elegant structure which also features a restaurant and coffee bar on other levels. As far as sound and structure, the first floor was perfect for Stephen Malkmus, The Jicks, and almost any other act they choose to host down the line.
The always sarcastic and borderline smarmy Malkmus and his band The Jicks ran through a good deal of tracks from their latest record Mirror Traffic. Displaying precision and the correct dose of improvisation, the talents of each band member were nicely drawn. But the hold on the audience was cast from the lofty heights of the man singing the songs. He’s a brilliant person and a fine musician - and he knows it.
Fans were exhilarated (myself included) for rousing renditions of older tunes such as “Real Emotional Trash”, from the album of the same name, the raucous “Baby C’mon’ and the upbeat adventurous groove of “The Hook”. Trading sarcastic chatter with blonde bassist Johanna Bolme, and ripping solos with guitarist and keyboardist Mike Clark, the connectivity of The Jicks surrounded him like a suit of armor. Stephen Malkmus can wax smart ass and dodge a bullet while playing a song. And The Jicks could too. Moments of improvisation, such as bits from “Deal” by The Grateful Dead and the Doors’ “Mojo Risin” popped in during Real Emotional Trash, dramatized the group’s ever-present solidarity in the face of Steve’s whimsy.
All bands have that, I suppose, but to stay on point with Malkmus takes guts. They encored with a cover of the 1970’s classic “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass, which had the crowd going nuts, but then brought it down for a heart wrenching “Trojan Curfew”, an adored song from his first album sans Pavement. The show concluded with Jimmy Hendrix’s rock anthem “Wild Thing” retooled with lyrical changes from Malkmus and teases of Simon and Garfunkle’s “Feelin’ Groovy”-another homerun return from a Steven Malkmus curveball.
