TORONTO 30/06/09 Setlist..what a fucking surprise.
 

Hey, I just got back from the Toronto show.
I scored Steve and Thurstons handshake and autograph prior to the show,
and miraculously got a photo with Lee, my idol.
It was incredible, I've never been so starstruck until now.

Anyway, the setlist actually contained ALL Eternal songs. And the last song blew me the fuck away. It was a dream come true.

SETLIST

She Is Not Alone
Sacred Trickster
No Way
Calming The Snake
Walkin Blue
Malibu Gas Station
Antenna
Leaky Lifeboat
Poison Arrow
Anti-Orgasm
Thunder Clap (first time they've played it in a while)
Massage The History
Pacific Coast Highway
-ENCORE-
Tom Violence
Sprawl
-ENCORE-
What We Know
DEATH VALLEY 69


THEY FUCKING PLAYED DEATH VALLEY 69. FUCK. I lost my mind.



I look like a goof and my hair is awful, but my teenage dream has finally come true.
That's Lee's hand, by the way.

wow! "Death Valley 69".. This is a real surprise!
Actually the first SY song I've heard

I am glad I'm seeing 10 shows this tour. Super glad.

Yeah - some dude kept yelling for it, and I said to my wife - "there's no WAY they're playing that..." -- and when they cut into it at the end, I was still in disbelief... my jaw just kinda hung open... AMAZING!

Dug the whole show - so good - how did anyone who had apprehension feel about the venue after the fact?

That's EXACTLY what i did, except i'm not married. It's one of my favorites, and when I realized (cause at first i was like 'what is this?') I just started jumping around, because I'm a juvenile lil turd.
Anyway, what a GREAT closer.
I couldn't have asked for better.

Just returned home from the memorable evening, and what is now the fifth SY concert I've attended. Great set overall. Death Valley 69 definetely culminated the evening. Totally unexpected! Kicked ass

Nice. Thunderclap made its debut. How did it sound?

God, I would have been bonkers for Death Valley. I was bonkers for Catholic Block and Cross the Breeze, but I would have been bon-KERS for Death Valley.

There's no better place to be a juvenile lil turd than a Sonic Youth show.

The venue was great. I don't want to sound old, but it is a close to 2 hour drive home for me, so having Sonic Youth on at 9:05 suits me well. Furthermore, the sound kicked the shit out of anything Kool Haus can offer, in fact it was simply superb.
The show was good, I won't say great. SY plays masterfully, no doubt. On the way home my friend said, "they played no Geffen songs". I don't need or want a greatest hits show but I was a bit let down that the entire catalogue from Goo through Rather Ripped was left totally untouched. I also do not expect them to play something from every album. Death Valley was awesome, and the new songs were strong live (especially Anti-orgasm, Thunderclap, and massage the history). I can get into hearing the new recored too, I am just not sure they need to play 12 of them, how about 8 even 10 and throw the crowd a couple bones?

Yeah, my girlfriend literally asked me "What song, that you KNOW they're not going to play, would make you just go absolutely crazy?"

And I said "Well, Death Valley 69"

I just still can't get over it. They haven't played that for years.

I Fucking Missed It Aaaaaaarggg

The funny thing about it is, nobody will really appreciate hearing these songs live until the album has become an old favorite. I remember seeing them on the 1000 leaves tour. I saw the show that happened the day the album came out, so I had only heard half the album before seeing the show. I knew I wouldn't hear more than two old songs, but was still disappointed at the show. God, now to hear 1000 leaves performed in its (near) entirety would be bliss.

To make the world go full circle, though, they closed that show with Death Valley also. It made up for some of what I felt like I had missed.

I find it sad how many songs are in the sonic graveyard and will never come zombified back to life--even just one album later. Ah, to hear that riff on "Ineffable Me" again!!!!.... or "Stones" or (widdling hands) "Rain on Tin".

That is how I felt. It is amazing how the recent, excellent past is just gone from the show. I suppose I should appreciate the Eternal songs now because they will all be gone when the next album comes out. Too bad I love some of the 00's output.

I was there tonite as well. Towards the end of the main set I had forget that they had any pre-Eternal material. I didn't even notice...

DV 69 was Waaay better than I ever expected and the album version does no justice to it. By far the highlight of the night

Lee and Ibold looked pretty high and Lee was grinning like a child.

There was one serious hiccup in the music. I could really see Thurston calling the shots music wise..

Tonite I realized how much there music conjures up oceans and waves. Especially with Lees guitar tricks...He had a 12 string for PCH.

Also Kim faked a Neil Young cover seg-way.

Yeah, that is true. In years to come, we can say "I saw them perform all of 'The Eternal'. Yes son, all of it."
Where were you seated, Rupert?

I wasn't at this show. I saw the two Chicago shows, but am jealous of you Canucks! Wish I could have made a tour proper out of it.

Ah I see. The two Chicago shows had wicked set lists. The 2nd one was better than the first one, in my opinion.

aaaaaaaargh I want them back here!!

This show was so fucking good.

Awesome. They always save the best songs for the encores.

you're listening to the wrong band, i'm afraid. (or at least seeing the wrong band on tour for their new album)

another great set! for some reason i still don't think of 'death valley' as a rarity (probably cuz they closed EVERY show with it in 1998, which seems like just yesterday) but i guess it kinda is. cool!

and even if it's not my favorite new tune, i'm glad 'thunderclap' is in the set now. at least the middle is awesome!

Holy shit! Death valley 69!!!!
I thought they would just playing the songs they played in Europe, but now PCH,Chaotic block and Death valley 69.
I wonder what more they will bring on Cotton crown is not impossible

wow, Death Valley '69, that's kind of unexpected.

death valley 69, awesome!

it's funny, just a few days ago when i heard it on some compilation i was thinking "they should start playing that one live again", but it's a big surprise to see them actually doing it. i hope it's going to be a regular on the setlist.

DV69! Sweet.

Same here, death valley is not a rarity for me neither.
I hope they will play all of the eternal in Paris and maybe a 'real' surprise like something they haven't played for 20 years.
I love them to play the new songs, that's why i've caught them on tour for every record since Washing Machine (except for Rather Ripped)

I can see both sides - it would be nice to hear some old favs... but with an album as strong as The Eternal, it's also hard to complain.

I heard some guy outside after the show say to his friend "I didn't know a single song they played... that show was AWESOME" - and I think that sums it up. You may WANT some of the hits - but the show is so good, you can't REALLY complain if you don't get any...

And, since I've (sadly) missed them up until now, I'm glad my first proper show was for an album as strong as The Eternal (instead, for example, of having my first show be a setlist loaded with Rather Ripped tracks...

I'm glad they played The Eternal in its entirety especially since they played Thunderclap. I never realized it was their first time playing until reading this thread. She is not Alone was pretty intense when Thurston's vocals came in. He sounded so good on that track. All the none Eternal songs were excellent though the concert could have used more Lee tracks.

I feel the same. I've seen them every tour since Daydream, and sometimes two or three times per tour. I went to see them play a university basketball gymnasium in Rochester when they were "rehearsing" for the Washing Machine/Lollapalooza tour, and nobody in the audience knew any of the songs, and it kinda thrilled me. It reminded me of my hard-on high-school fantasies about seeing Jimi Hendrix play new material for the very first time, live in performance, and getting my "virginity" popped.

So I've made it a habit ever since - I don't listen to the new SY albums until I've heard the songs played live first. It makes for an odd experience, because sometimes I shrug my shoulders, then days later get the record, listen to it, and go, "Oh, yeah, that one ... hey, what was I thinkin', this is farkin' great!" It keeps me coming back to every tour, because I'm getting an entirely new show, and the performers make it worthwhile by delivering the goods. So, kudos to SY.

I was at the show last night. I think it may have been the first SY show for me with an "assigned seat number" since the Neil Young/Goo tour in '91. Very strange to thrash and rock out to DV'69 sitting in a seat, and truthfully, I didn't think the famed Massey Hall sound was much better than the Kool Haus (where the sound has improved over the past decade, but it's old reputation preceeds it).

The best audio I've ever heard at SY shows, funnily enough, were of the cowherd monster truck variety - Lollapalooza in '95 at Molson Park, Barrie (Washing Machine); and Osheaga Festival in Montreal (Rather Ripped).

Seen 'em maybe 20 times, and I'd rate this one somewhere in the middle.

Highlight: probably seeing Thurston sitting on a stool playing an acoustic guitar. I did see him play acoustic guitar at a solo gig he did at a church in Boston circa '97 or '98 (during a hurricane), but I don't know that I've ever seen him play an acoustic guitar, and certainly not sitting down on a stool, for a Sonic Youth show.

Mystery: Kim introduced the song as a "Neil Young" cover. I don't know anything off The Eternal, and I didn't recognize it as a Neil song, so she was bullshittin' me, right?

Yeah - it was Massage The History... a very weird introduction...

And I thought the sound was pretty good, I was making more of the snap of Steve's drums out than I usually do at other bands' shows at The Kool Haus - though I was closer to the stage than I usually am at a non-seated venue (short, hate fighting crowds, usually drift to the sides around the middle) - so it may have been illusory.

Was it just me, or did Thurston seem a little annoyed last night (like whe Lee was trying to show him that some fan had thrown a Germs armband on stage as they went into Thunderclap, and Thurston just wanted to get on with it)?

^She was bullshitting you. It was "Massage The History" [EDIT: Oops, already answered]...

The show was fantastic! I haven't seen SY live since '98 so it was nice to see 'em again. "Thunderclap..." sounded great. They didn't do the "Whoa-oa" vocals, just the leads. And "Anti-Orgasm" almost fell apart at one point but they pulled it back together quickly. "DV '69" was certainly a welcome finale. I hope i won't have to wait another 11 years to see them next (even though it was entirely my own fault)...

Peace.

EDIT 2: Yes, I thought Thurston got a little pissy at that point, too, and really wanted to get the next song started. The days of long breaks between songs are long gone...

Hey! I was at the show last night to in Toronto. You may recognize me in the green shirt and hat in the very back top row area. Anyway, Kim is hot, Lee played amazingly he's one of my favourite musicians. I thought the opening band was pretty good to. The girl in the band reminded me of an old girlfriend somehow and I liked her moves. I gotta say, now that one of you guys mentioned it I'm kinda glad they did not play any Geffen material. I bought and the grey Eternal shirt but it only came in girls small once I finally went to buy one. That kinda pisses me off and I wish I got a mens large instead. I was not going to settle for the Hendrix and others shirt. I did get the stickers for $5 though.

Drums were good. Guitars okay. Vocals were mush.

Having said that, the audio did improve towards the latter half of the program.

At least it wasn't nearly as bad as the awful sound at same venue for Dinosaur circa '95.

Was this shot by anyone on here?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojRgNfBRR4g

Saw DV69 at my first ever SY show. Nice trip back.

Okay, I'd forgotten why I don't enjoy 'Death Valley' live (as much as most of you, it would seem!) until the 'Walls Have Ears' version w/ Lee singing Lydia's part randomly (!) came on the ol' digital jukebox...and that's why...it's a duet! And they haven't played it as a duet since 1985!

Does anyone agree? Is the crowd supposed to sing Lydia's part or something? Don't get me wrong, it sounds fine and most of the tension of the original recording is still there, but I guess I just don't see why they don't take advantage of it...? Especially now that every song in the set is a fucking duet! Ha! Ha!


EDIT: Okay, in classic idiot form I posted that before I watched the Toronto vid. Holy shit!!!!!!! Now THAT gets me excited!!!!

Wow - nice video (for what it is)...

^^ amazing rendition of a classic song. Audience goes apeshit on first chords. Greatness.

I thought the show was absolutely amazing and I was thankful for every song they played us. I honestly could have could have listened to them all night long.

Not sure about all you who wish to hear diamond sea, but IMHO there were several diamond sea-esque moments last night...like when they played transitions between song elements it seemed like the stars and planets of the universe would align to give us a perfect moment. I feel quite privileged to have heard that show last night.


Highlights:

- The very first song was beautiful, loved the minimal sound of it.
- Not sure what song it was, maybe thunderclap but it was a really melodic song and was so immensely beautiful...my eyes were tearing up.


....now where is that Evol record.....gotta dig that one out again!

I was up on the balcony. Am I the only one who thought the sound was really bad? I mean, they sounded great and everything, but I couldn't hear the vocals that well. Everything was cranked up in the mix (especially Steve's bass drum) and the vocals sounded pretty drowned. I'm not sure how it was on the lower levels, but I couldn't hear the vocals unless Steve's drumming was kept to a minimum. Death Valley was fucking bad ass.

This was my fourth SY concert and I too was in the Balcony and agree that I could barely hear the vocals...Kim was almost literally drowned out for me. :(

Musically it was amazing but shame about the vocals. Weird really all the other 3 shows on previous tours didn't have this issue.