All Music Guide’s Andy Kellman once reviewed a Teenage Fanclub record thusly: “Nothing here is going to knock you off your feet, but is that such a bad thing?” That can be said of most of the band’s output post-Creation records, but obviously, no, this is not a bad thing. Far from it actually. Declared “the second best band in the world” by an authority no less than Mr. Noel Gallagher, the Fannies have made a modest career off of solid records mining their Big Star and Byrds influences and incredible three-part harmonies. After a long layoff post-2005’s Man-Made, the band got back into action in 2010 with their latest release, Shadows, a collection of four songs each by songwriters Ray McGinley, Norman Blake and Gerard Love. With this new album comes a U.S. tour which brought the band back to the cozy confines of the 9:30 Club on Saturday night. Singer/guitarist/all-around nice bloke Norman Blake kindly took nine minutes and forty seconds out of his very busy pre-show routine (he had laundry to do, you know) to speak to us about Alan McGee, moving to Canada, why the band didn’t play Matador 21 and also heeds my pleas for a comprehensive b-sides compilation. (Score!)
Hot on the heels of Pavement’s retrospective set at the Virgin Mobile FreeFest, local concert-goers were treated to another dose of indie-rock nostalgia on Saturday night, as the 9:30 Club hosted an all-Scottish twin bill featuring Teenage Fanclub and The Vaselines.
Last night’s Teenage Fanclub show got off to a very rough start. The band took the stage to muted applause around 10 PM and launched into “It’s All in My Mind”, a track from their new album Man-Made. At least, that’s what the setlist DCist scored said the first song was. And it very well might have been, but we can’t be sure because it sounded like one big bass guitar note with some incoherent…
MONDAY: >> The definite must-see show this evening is sure to be Q and Not U’s performance at Fort Reno. As we reported earlier, the band is breaking up, and this concert will be one of their last. But if you can’t make it tonight, don’t worry too much – they’re playing shows at the Black Cat September 22 and 23. Tonight, the politically-charged hip hop group Son of Nun opens, and the music gets…
Last one, we swear! Just a quick reminder that the first-ever DCist concert, featuring Cartel and Bicycle Thieves, is on tonight. Where: Black Cat, Backstage; 1811 14th St. NW, between S and T sts. (Nearest metrorail station, 13th and U sts NW/Green Line/U Street-African American Civil War Memorial-Cardozo station; or take the 52,53,54 buses on 14th Street from the McPherson Square station on the Orange and Blue lines.) When: 9 p.m. How Much? $7,…
What, you thought we could go a week without reminding you of our rapidly approaching concert next Thursday evening at the Black Cat backstage? Hah! That’s funny. Nope, here we are, telling you again: Unbuckled, featuring great local bands Cartel and Bicycle Thieves, will be June 30 at 9 p.m., and it’s guaranteed to be loads of fun. There’ll be live music, DCist staff running all over, and now, prizes! At the concert we’ll…