They Are All, So Don’t Even Try: NXNE 2008 with Redd Kross
Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Current Faves, Issues, Music, Reviews |
Photo © F. Yang, 2008 @ Chromewaves.net
The next 20 minutes composed the first out-of-body experience I have ever had. I grabbed Shaun’s hand and squeezed because if this was a dream, then I wanted him in there with me. Literally larger than life, Jeff and Steve McDonald are like Ents with good bone structure and savvy tailors. Not even the first Redd Kross show I saw back in 1993 measured up to this. I found myself making a concerted effort not to start weeping.
I can’t even remember what song they played first; I think it was “Cover Band.” It was all a heady cocktail of fabulousness. Nothing could have ever prepared me for how good they were—how good they still are—and I was ashamed for ever doubting.
Jeff sashayed like a Mick Jagger for the new millennium, made cracks about sweating his ass off in Marc Jacobs, and whined about getting mousse in his eyes, while Steve looked on, amused as always. Steve did his Steve dances and thrashed like heavy metal thunder. Roy broke drumsticks and threw them into the crowd. Robert Hecker wore his guitar necklace and I beamed at him like a fool; never having seen him play live before I was honored to witness such mastery.
Photo © F. Yang, 2008 @ Chromewaves.net
They played all of Annette’s Got the Hits, and songs from every record, concentrating mostly on stuff from the Phaseshifter era, but with a few surprises thrown in like “Blow You A Kiss In The Wind.” There were forgotten lyrics, stories of witches and trannies, and so much more. They took a short break and Jeff was nowhere to be found, so they improvised with a guy from the audience and a tambourine. Hecker played “Wandering Minstrel” and I clutched my heart and thought I might have an attack of the vapors. I felt like a speck of dust, caught in the gravity of their universe.
Photo © F. Yang, 2008 @ Chromewaves.net
There were two encores, ending with “Good Times.” And then they were gone. We all wandered around, overwhelmed, not sure of what to do next. Some woman came up to us as we were standing near the exit and tried to hype her friend’s band, pleading, “You do realize there is another band, right?” But there is no other band. Redd Kross is all, so don’t even try.
Thank you, thank you, Redd Kross. I am so damn grateful that you (continue to) exist. This paltry review isn’t nearly enough to reward you for all the good you’ve brought into my life, but consider it just one more partial payment.
Additional Resources:
YouTube user kersho69 has posted nine video clips of Redd Kross’s NXNE set here.
For more of F. Yang’s great photos of the show, check out his gallery at Chromewaves.net.
RELATED LINKS:
It’s A Family Affair: Top Ten Musical Siblings from Garbo’s Daughter (Popcast), Popshifter July/August 2008 Issue
Looking For A Visionary: Redd Kross on YouTube, Popshifter May/June 2008 Issue
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4 Responses to “They Are All, So Don’t Even Try: NXNE 2008 with Redd Kross”
July 31st, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Starvin’ Hungry has quickly become my all time favorite band and I can’t wait to see these guys get the recognition they deserve. Intelligent, hip-shakin’, dirty punk ‘n’ roll… they got it all! Unfortunately I missed their NXNE performance, but I’ve seen them live a few times and they never disappoint.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I know exactly how you feel. I can honestly say there is nothing else in this world that even comes close to the feeling I get being at a Redd Kross show! I get so excited to the point of feeling physically ill. For a long time I thought it was train sickness cuz most of the RK shows I’d been to had been in NYC which was a short train ride from the Jersey suburbs where I grew up. But then there were other jaunts into the city where this did not happen and I figured I had overcome my illness. That was until I saw RK again, for the first time in over 10 years, this past December in Brooklyn. From the morning of the show, until the second before they hit the stage I could not shake the woozy feeling. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sit still for one minute, couldn’t think about anything but seeing RK! Once they hit the stage, the sickness was over…I was finally getting my fix! There was no other feeling overcoming me but pure bliss for the remainder of the evening…and several weeks thereafter!
August 1st, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Hi there, kross-eyed! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. “Pure bliss” is a good way to describe the feeling.
And elaine, I agree that Starvin Hungry have some great lyrics to go with their great tunes.
LLM
May 30th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
[…] Echo has been blessed with a great big rock and roll voice. This was apparent when I saw the band live at NXNE 2008: they played their hearts out and even though there were only a handful of people in the crowd at […]
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