[Dead-Air]

So, having seen Damo Suzuki the other night, and been let down, I got to thinking. I've seen a lot of really legendary proto-punk, punk, post-punk, experimental, and jazz artists. Many have totally lived up to the hype, a few have not. A couple were dismally down-letting. It'd be interesting to start a thread for legendary bands/artists we've seen and whether or not it was all deserved.

Here are my lists:

Totally Deserved Legends - Eartha Kitt (!), Sun Ra and the Arkestra, Rocket from the Tombs, Pere Ubu, Jandek, The Fabulous Wailers, Allen Ginsberg, Stephen Jesse Bernstein, Mission of Burma, Legendary Pink Dots, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Einsturzende Neubauten, Sun City Girls, Chris Knox, The Cramps, Big Black, John Zorn's Cobra, Painkiller, Green River, Nirvana (90% of the time), Elliott Smith, Negativland.

Not at Prime, but Still Quite Passable - Dictators, Ramones, Blondie, Miles Davis, Donovan, Helios Creed, Burning Spear, Lydia Lunch, Swans, Butthole Surfers, Pussy Galore, The Wipers, Acid Mother's Temple, John Fahey

Seeming Rather Tired - Damo Suzuki, Dizzy Gillespie, The Soft Boys, The Fall, Nurse With Wound, Savage Republic, Gary Numan

Expired - John Cale, Public Enemy

[atsonicpark]

holy shit the wipers! one of my all time favorites..

i don't know if i've seen any "legends" (to be a legend, you have to have been around a while, i guess? at least 10 years? i've seen shellac! and i'm going to see melt banana and polysics next month -- they've both been around 10+ years, somehow)... but uh... xiu xiu were good!

[Dead-Air]

Originally Posted by swa(y)

dead-air doesnt want to admit to it, but he secretly saw the sex pistols on their reunion tour. he sent me a PM stating it was the best show hed ever seen.

Actually, I'm disappointed to have missed that, though I don't think I could have afforded the asking price if it had come through the NW. From what I've heard, it wasn't bad at all with Glenn Matlock back on bass. I'd certainly have givent them the chance.

When I saw the Wipers, that was ages and ages ago, and I was too high on acid to fully appreciate their set. The U-men kind of blew them away as I remember it, but who can trust an 18 year old on acid's judgement? But of course, I'm glad to have seen the original band. Sage's remake groups haven't seemed worth checking out.

I debated putting Shellac down on my own legend list. They certainly lived up to every ioata of their renown. Melt Banana probably qualify as legends within the noise/grind/and post no-wave circles, so why not. They'd be in my deserved category too, quite good. So were Stereolab come to think of it. And yeah the Melvins have been awesome every time I've seen them, which is a whole lot of times.

Oh, didn't hear about Geezerfest until after it happened, and you're the first to mention Catt Butt played. That would have been fun, but David Duet can't possibly do the kind of PA dives he did twenty years ago! I saw Catt Butt many a time back in the day. I've actually been waiting decades to get to write that sentence too!

[Dead-Air]

Originally Posted by swa(y)

yeah, its always bummed me out a bit that no one really ever mentions catt butt, and that their material is a bit difficult to locate.

you see the melvins when mike ziegler was roadieing for em? i dont get that dude man, ive conversed with him a bit...he seems like a prick.

Ziegler's always been known as one of the nicest people in Oly as far as I know. I like him, he has my band's live sets on his trading list. I have no idea who has roadied for the Melvins most of the times I've seen them, though once Justin Trosper was doing it as I saw him carrying shit out of their truck.

The reason Catt Butt are forgotten is their personalities. At the peak of their garage rock/grunge prowess they had the biggest egos in Seattle and didn't have the crowd or record sales to back it up. Sub Pop actually deleted their vinyl album back when they were keeping everything by all of their bands in print, and I don't think it ever made it to cd. I liked their records o.k., but always liked that sort of thing way more live.

[Dead-Air]

Originally Posted by swa(y)

he refuses to asnwer certain questions ive asked him regarding matters that i think are relatively trivial. maybe i just have some sort of wierd grudge...whatever.

People from Oly that knew Kurt are highly protective of him as a real person/non-icon to this day. I'm not one of those people as I moved to Oly right before he killed himself, and even had the poor grace to call my band after the occurance That Stupid Club. Nonetheless, I'm sure Mike gets defensive/suspicious when "outsiders" ask about his old friends from the scene. You shouldn't take it personal, in his shoes you'd probably do the same.

[atsonicpark]

man, i'd love to see stereolab live. i bet that shit was crazy.

[SYRFox]

I saw Dinosaur Jr at the Rock en Seine festival and they totally rocked. I loved the Mogwai show even more but I don't think they can be called legends...

[Toilet & Bowels]

good legends: art ensemble of chicago, the stooges, sonic youth, brotzmann & bennink, keiji haino, solomon burke, public enemy, the wu tang, henry rollins/black flag songs tour, os mutantes, diamanda galas, boredoms, evan parker, amm, entombed

mediocre legends: pharoah sanders, flipper, fugazi, einsturzende neubauten

bad legends: kool keith, damo suzuki, dinosaur jr, jandek

[Dead-Air]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

good legends: art ensemble of chicago, the stooges, sonic youth, brotzmann & bennink, keiji haino, solomon burke, public enemy, the wu tang, henry rollins/black flag songs tour, os mutantes, diamanda galas, boredoms, evan parker, amm, entombed

mediocre legends: pharoah sanders, flipper, fugazi, einsturzende neubauten

bad legends: kool keith, damo suzuki, dinosaur jr, jandek

Weird, so you saw Jandek and he wasn't amazing? And you saw Public Enemy and they didn't suck? Polar opposites of both my experiences, but then every night is as different as every person.

[Dead-Air]

Originally Posted by swa(y)

im sure yr probally right. i just never really thought of him as a "friend" of kurts. i always got vibes that he was one of those that feeds of the fact that he was maybe somewhere near kurt during nirvana's hay-dey. but ya know, sopmetimes vibes are wrong.

I wasn't there, but based upon their common close friends I'm pretty certain Jerry must have hung out with Kurt. He plays in Fitz of Depression now you know, and they were Nirvana's favorite local opener.

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Dead-Air

Weird, so you saw Jandek and he wasn't amazing? And you saw Public Enemy and they didn't suck? Polar opposites of both my experiences, but then every night is as different as every person.

yep, public enemy were awesome and jandek played a load of songs that all sounded exactly the same.

[Glice]

The Fall and Sonic Youth have both been absurdly brilliant and moderately crap on various occasions in my experience.

Great: Kenny Rogers; Haino; Takehisa Kosugi; Richie Hawtin; Otomo Yoshihide (does he count?); The Stooges; Dolly Parton; Rolf Harris; Bounty Killer. I'd add there's countless British trad-jazz bands/ players I've seen that've been nothing short of incredible, but I can't remember their names and I'm not sure if they're legends. They are mostly in their 60s and 70s though.

Cack: Public Enemy; De La Soul; Aphex Twin; Sheep on Drugs;
Stiff Little Fingers; Jandek.

There's probably more, I imagine.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Dead-Air

So, having seen Damo Suzuki the other night, and been let down, I got to thinking. I've seen a lot of really legendary proto-punk, punk, post-punk, experimental, and jazz artists. Many have totally lived up to the hype, a few have not. A couple were dismally down-letting. It'd be interesting to start a thread for legendary bands/artists we've seen and whether or not it was all deserved.

Here are my lists:



Not at Prime, but Still Quite Passable - , Burning Spear,

you are crazy. not only is Burning Spear a living legend, but is still well into his prime..

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Glice

The Fall and Sonic Youth have both been absurdly brilliant and moderately crap on various occasions in my experience.

i had the same experience with whitehouse.

new blockaders were another "legendary" group who lived up, ditto the dead c and otomo, although i'm not sure if they are legends yet.

[Cantankerous]

the stooges kicked ass
i was not impressed with the stones
dinosaur jr were a bit boring
bob dylan was TERRIBLE

[Crumb's Crunchy Delights]

Legend: Merle Haggard, Sonic Youth

Shit: Iggy Pop (shit twice)

[Cantankerous]

oh i forgot about merle haggard! i saw him with bob dylan and he was great although unfortunately bob was shit.

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Cantankerous

bob was shit.

to be fair though, isn't that what bob dylan's music generally is?

[Cantankerous]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

to be fair though, isn't that what bob dylan's music generally is?

the only real lapse in judgement you've exercised that i can recall perhaps other than the whole death metal thing and cutting your hair off. i won't listen to anything beyond desire but i'll do the calculations.

looks like 70% is not to my taste
15/50 that i LOVE = 30%

but really i do love him he's just getting a bit up there although mentally he is brilliant and he has made some of the most amazing albums ever to have been released.

[Dead-Air]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

you are crazy. not only is Burning Spear a living legend, but is still well into his prime..

Did I miss something? Were you in the audience at the show I was at fifteen years ago? I'll maintain that I'd expect if I saw him tomorrow, he'd still be quite passable, and every bit deserving of his legend, but I wouldn't delude myself that it's not likely decades past his most intense work.