Seattle Subsonic

Quasi @ the KEXP BBQ

August 17th, 2010

Here’s Portland alt-punk vets Quasi performing in front of some mural at the KEXP BBQ last Saturday. I went with LargeLarge. I didn’t see any of the other bands (OK, this was a blatant lie; I actually saw half of Brooklyn band Suckers’ set. They were pretty good, reminiscent of Isaac Brock fronting Les Savy Fav, with whom they share a label, incidentally).

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I think the band’s latest record, American Gong, has gotten better the more I listen to it (“with age”, as they say), as Sam Coomes’ bristly barroom stories are the perfect complement to the band’s grungy pop-punk. Similar to Pixies (my No. 1 Favorite Band), Quasi is kind of all over the map with their songs, but it’s apparent they all come from the same place. You know how they sound on record? That’s pretty much how they sound on stage. I especially enjoyed watching Janet Weiss up close on her Mod-style blue linoleum drum kit (it reminded me of my kitchen floor).

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I must say, for divorcee’s Coomes and Weiss, what an odd experience it must be to maintain a band together after all these years. They do it mostly with grit and guile and gumption, I think, and a playful, well-tread attitude with each other. Kudos to a post-marriage success story!

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P.S. I leave on a plane for Sweden tomorrow, so I won’t be around much the next two weeks. I’ll be sure to report back on any black metal, wooded folk, or disco pop dealings I come across. Vi ses!