London
I was able to make it out to the Deerhunter show tonight here in London, and it was kind of great. The show was sold out, but it was only a short train ride away, so I figured what the hell. There were scalpers out (or “touters”, tut tut) who asked for 40 pounds; I said 16, and he laughed in my face. Not ten minutes later, I bumped into Maya, who had a spare that she gave me for 9. I even tried to just hand her a 10, but she insisted on making change for me. Maya kicks ass.
Baby Venom from Baltimore opened; they rocked (you may know their drummer?) I couldn’t help but think there was something missing, though, like their sound wasn’t quite full enough. Still, if they come around New York, I’ll probably try to catch them again. The second act wasn’t really my thing, but it was short. Deerhunter was just great, broken guitar string and all. I’m always curious how bands that have interesting studio sounds translate to live shows, but these guys are even better in person. Here’s my worst metaphor for their sound: a drugged drone held by its ankles over the edge of a melodic cliff, just coming to realize it should be more concerned about the situation than it currently is. Suck it, Pitchfork.
Other impressions: I walked around on Saturday not intending to do anything touristy, but I just stumbled across a few castles, a palace, a giant clock, and a couple of free museums. Seriously, London, spread that stuff out a bit, could you? The subway tracks (not the trains themselves, but the tracks) are ridiculously clean (ok, the trains are, too). I chuckled everytime I read “Cockfosters” on the map, and everytime someone said “lift”, “on queue”, or “wanker”. Coins suck. Different-sized bills kick ass. There’s a crapton of money in this city. Finally: where is everyone? It feels so dense with giant stone buildings, but there aren’t any people around. Whole swaths of the city just seem completely empty, to the point where it can be a little creepy. Seriously, drop the rents or something. Overall, though: London.