Shellac, Night 1 (Spoiler Alert!)

I am feeling profoundly inarticulate in the wake of seeing Shellac play at Mississippi Studios last night. Of all the indie throwback tours running around the country right now, throw your money on this one (it was only $12, guys!). Old men put on a good show. Especially when one of those old men is Steve Albini—the savant sound engineer and musician famous for that Touch And Go sound. See, a properly searing guitar can tear open the room, can unite it. It's no small thing.

The late 1990s were a vital time for me, because I was angsty and in college and surviving heavily on angry music. "If you're heterosexual and you're angry, this is the kind of music you make," said Derek last night when I mentioned that I'd forgotten what a woman hater Albini was. I probably didn't forget, actually—I probably just didn't care because back then I was a lass of 17 with no real opinions of my own. I'm all grow'd up now. I'm a liberated woman working in an industry run by men. And I only have so much tolerance for chauvinist rants—even if they are just to get a rise. Which is most likely what Steve's doing. He's too smart to be a chauvinist.

Aaaaanyway, it was a nostalgic kinda night, and, as if to accentuate this, Fred Armisen of Portlandia fame was crowded right in there by the stage with all of us. The dream of the 90s IS alive in Portland!!!

For all you friends going to the second show tonight, get there early cuz Shannon Wright is the business and you don't want to miss her ...