at a loss today. it wouldn't do justice to recount our night in Chapel Hill, seeing Broadcast, (Oct 16, 2009, to be exact) because the meat of that story is the chaos we created after the show. i will say, though, that their set was incredible and couldn't have come at a more vital time. they were experimenting with a new sound, and a new approach to live music. their album Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age was, by far, my favorite album of 2009 and it meant the world to me to see that pathos in action. and they were such sweet, approachable people, Trish and Jim. we talked their ears off and got shmammered; kept being threatened by security... don't smoke inside, don't drink outside.... i really appreciated their candor and tolerance of us. the book that Trish recommended to you, The Easy Way to Quit Smoking sits prominently, still, on our bookcase. we should probably read it. i remember her getting a little giggly when saying "fag" to mean "cigarette", having briefly forgotten the American connotation. you and she talked for a while, huh?! TR and i were all gear and tech talk with Jim, but you and Trish were all smiles and laughter. what a great night.
this video below is a similar set to what we saw. i don't recall if it's the same film (although i remember it was by Julian House, who runs the Ghost Box label, and did a lot of album covers for Broadcast and Stereolab) and this music seems a little more harsh and droney than what we experienced. what we heard was a lot closer to the music above than this. but it's here because it's the closest we can get to reliving that experience, visually.
there have been musicians that i admire who've passed during my lifetime. somehow losing Ms. Keenan cuts deeper than, say, Dimebag Darrell. sure i loved Pantera (still do in many ways) and the way Dime was taken from us still is haunting. yet Broadcast was really on the cusp of something new and wonderful. and now the only glimpses into what their future may have sounded like will carry the unfortunately bittersweet weight of posthumous-ness.
gorillavsbear.net has posted a mixtape given by Trish to a friend of hers, shortly before Broadcast embarked on what would be its final tour. i am currently downloading and haven't heard it yet, but with a title like Trish's Mind Bending Motorway Mix, it's gotta be good. you can download it here (link will take you to Rapidshare, choose the slower, free, download option.
miss you, babygirl. wish i could sing "what i saw" with you. soon soon...
LRV, b
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