On Holiday Rituals
Every year–or nearly every year–fucking Hoboken gets to celebrate Hanukkah in a very cool way. They get Yo La Tengo at Maxwell’s for eight straight nights. These shows have turned into huge deals–for the charities, the eBay profiteers, and of course the Jersey nerds.
This past weekend, I went up for the Saturday show. The band was super fun. Ira Kaplan stayed away from ending every song in a wank meltdown. He even laid off the guitar face a bit. And Georgia Hubley’s voice just keeps getting better. The special guest that night was Alex Chilton. Man, he looks old. But so fucking what? He was amazing, even if he did have to read off the lyric sheet.
For the last few days, I couldn’t help but wonder why the District doesn’t start up its own holiday traditions. The end of the summer used to be marked by Fugazi at Fort Reno. But why don’t bands take the next step and rock three, eight, whatever nights–with special guests! nods to charity!, etc. Who wouldn’t want to see Chuck Brown sharing a stage with Thievery Corporation?
What acts would you want to see paired together? And what bands could get a decent crowd for three straight nights?
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December 13th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Good idea, but a band (or bands) and a club or promoter would have to step up and take charge and do the work. Not too many local bands could do what you suggest. So we just get get gimmicky out-of-town Jewish stuff at the 6th & I synagogue and local clubs, and that Washington Social Club with Laura from Georgie James thing at the 930 (plus go-go and soca gigs that are billed as special but don’t seem that different from the norm). Back in the ’90s Iota used to have a one-night roots rockers back for the holiday thing (that often featured great moved to New Orleans horn player Derek Huston) that was alot of fun. In the early ’80s the old 930 Club used to do special harDCore matinees around the New year.