I caught Superchunk opening for Bright Eyes at Radio City a couple of years ago and was very very impressed with the old time punk rockers cum Indie Label Industrialists. Superchunk were pushing their excellent Majesty Shredding from 2010 but they have a new album, I Hate Music, about to be released and shows at Bowery Ballroom, Friday and Saturday, June 26th and 27th. Unfortunately Laura Balance is sitting this tour out due to problems with her hearing.
Cool enough, right? But get this: SPIDER BAGS IS THE OPENING ACT.
Spider Bags, Shake My Head was my favorite album of 2012 and earlier this year I got out of my sick bed and took a cab to Cameo Gallery and finally saw them live and in person! A thrill though the set was way too short and I am hoping and praying for something more like 45 minutes at Bowery Ballroom.
One way or another, this feels like the summer rock and roll show to beat. Both of these bands are masters of rhythm and melody, they are scamps of hard rock with all the cool was accumulated into punk.
These bands are old fashioned in the best way. When you think of classic rock bands in 2013 you are discussing Nickelback on one hand or Tom Petty on the other but Superchunk and Spider Bag are classic in a different way: they are like that rush of late 1970s early 1980s punk morphing into new wave rock bands. They have the thrill of the cool and the smarts of a streamlined rock and roll machine.
I’m going Friday September 27th!