http://www.nypress.com/20/7/music/music.cfm
ANATOMY OF A SONIC YOUTH
What to expect when Kim & Thurston take the stage
By Joe Pompeo
If you’ve been to a few Sonic Youth shows, you pretty much know what to expect in terms of who’ll be in the audience. But if you’re a newcomer to those noisy concerts during which Thurston spazzes out, Kim gets told repeatedly how sexy she is, Lee stands there looking cool as hell and Steve just kind of sits and plays the drums, you might want to consult the following guide to determine which fans you should hang with while rocking out to “Kool Thing.”
Balding Middle-Age Dad Who Still Wears Converse All Stars
Aside from Sonic Youth themselves, Balding Converse Dad is probably the most cred person at the show (he saw Sonic Youth on the E.V.O.L. tour in ’86), but also one of the dorkiest. He came by himself because his wife is “over it” and his kids are still too young to be at a concert where people pass joints around. He got to the venue early enough to secure a spot that’s ideal for taking pictures, but in which he will regret having to stand when people start pogo-moshing to “100 %.” Despite his age, Balding Converse Dad manages to look pretty fucking hip in that black Calvin Klein button-down (sleeves rolled up) tucked into light-blue Levis.
Circa ’94 College Radio DJ
Circa ’94 College Radio DJ dons the same Dinosaur Jr. ringer tee he wore to that show on the Washing Machine tour back in ’95, except this time around his beer belly is sticking out. Now in his early- to mid-thirties, he talks a lot about how he’s seen Sonic Youth so many times he doesn’t even care anymore. But for some reason he still ends up at every show, his justification being that he “got the tickets for free through the station.” C94CRDJ was one of the first people to receive a promo copy of Rather Ripped, even though he was relegated from Friday afternoons to the Sunday 2 a.m. slot to make room for those two cute sophomore chicks, whose new show, “Dirty Boots,” has been making waves on the university indie circuit.
The Requisite Alternateen
Alternateens may not be as ubiquitous as they were in the ’90s, but they remain a key element at any Sonic Youth show. Salvation Army T-shirts, baggy-esque jeans with chain wallet and shaggy hair—but not in that hipster way (see also “Manic Panic”)—comprise the wardrobe of the Requisite Alternateen, who is the person most genuinely excited to be there, especially considering Mom OK-ed the concert on a school night. He/she is also probably the least pretentious audience member, as well as the one most likely to be chosen by the band to appear in a future album sleeve. This kid practically invented the song “Bull in the Heather.”
Noise Fans
These people enjoy Sonic Youth less than they enjoy Black Dice. Their favorite Sonic Youth recordings are the instrumental SYR EPs, and they’re not big on the albums Goo or Dirty. Most people come to a Sonic Youth show hoping to hear “Teen Age Riot,” but Noise Fans are there primarily for Thurston-and-Lee’s 20-minute feedback freakouts, without which they would feel as if they might as well be seeing Coldplay.
Ex-Zine Stars/Internet Celebrities
These “kids” are somewhere in their twenties and are pretty much the hippest people at the show. Discovering Sonic Youth when they were high school freshmen made them stop playing sports and start smoking cigarettes. They used to be punk, but dress pretty normal these days and therefore don’t really stand out. But what they lack in conspicuousness they make up for in scene points. Everyone remembers the zines they used to write back in ’97 as well as their first AOL screen names. They were among the first 100 people to create profiles on Make Out Club and they even baby-sat for Kim-and-Thurston’s daughter Coco while attending college in Massachusetts. Their inherent coolness and youthful drinking abilities make Balding Converse Dad secretly feel like a piece of shit.
The Poseur
Transferred to NYU. Discovered MisShapes. Bought Sonic Youth tickets. End of story.
Feb. 16, Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St. (betw. 3rd & 4th Aves.), 212-353-1600; SOLD OUT.