Pages: 1
2
3
4
5
CALL AND RESPONSE
Hecklers, bless their souls, push performers to say things that no person on stage should ever say out loud. Here we honor the best on both sides of this eternal dance of the foul-mouthed.
1. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals 
20 May 2005: Electric Factory — Philadelphia
"It's not about me, it's about respect for these people. I'm sorry I don't understand what the fuck the deal is. You came here to pick up a chick or something? These people want to hear music; I want to do my job. What's the problem? What is the FUCKING problem? They want to hear a song; I want to play a song. I'm sorry. Go to a fucking bar. Go to a bar and try to get laid. This isn't a bar, this is a music venue. And you got your bowling shirt on because you're a fat bastard. And you're trying to get laid. It's not going to happen so shut the fuck up." (DB)
2. Thunderwing
9 September 2005: Subterranean — Chicago
A run-of-the-mill local band in an opening slot, but comedic magic was born when the guitarist, struggling with a backup guitar after a broken string, complained about having a cheap guitar. "There are people in New Orleans with no guitars," responded someone in the crowd. (CB)
3. Growing
26 February 2005: Apex Art Gallery — New York
The bad part was that the heckling was obnoxious: "You f*g suck!" The worse part was that it was coming from the friend standing next to me. (DN)
Modest Mouse
|
4. Modest Mouse
Webster Hall: 15 September 2004 — New York
After an hour of a drunk dude screaming "Isaac!... Brock!" in a voice like a sick giraffe's, a stocky frat-guy in front of him politely asked him to stop yelling in his ear. "What are you going do?" the drunk challenged… and then the frat-guy turned around and socked him one. I gotta tell you: sometimes I'm so glad when a band goes mainstream. (PJ)
5. The Mountain Goats
4 April 2005: Catacombs Café — Madison, WI
The inevitable call for "Freebird" led John Darnielle to search for another "overindulgent '70s song" that people could start requesting in its place. After considering "Ace of Spades" and "Billion Dollar Babies", he launched into one: "In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream… at night we ride through mansions of glory and SUICIDE MACHINES". (CB)
BAND INTERUPTED
Music is one of the few professions where you can show up to work drunk, or crazy. It's also a job where any mistakes you make happen in front of a leering crowd. We tip our hats to these, our favorite distracters, and the distractions that made them great.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
|
1. The Brian Jonestown Massacre
23 July 2005: Lollapalooza — Chicago
This category should be called "The Anton Newcombe Award" to begin with. I can only speculate as to the state of his blood chemistry, but Newcombe spent the set shirtless, hurling insults at Dashboard Confessional, who was playing on a stage across the park. Parting shot: "If I ever need birth control, I'll just use a picture of your band. But as it is, I'll fucking raise your wolf cubs!" (CB)
2. The Posies
8 October 2005: The Double Door — Chicago
Not quite visibly drunk but surely enjoying himself, Ken Stringfellow finished a hard-rocking set by stripping to his black mesh underwear. Yeesh. (JK)
3. Saul Williams
24 July 2005: Lollapalooza — Chicago
Saul Williams, poet, rapper, and political activist, was right in the middle of "Telegram", a creed against superficial hip-hop, when his cordless mic cut-out. He fought with it for a minute or two, than found another. The next, unimprovised line: "Perhaps we should not have encouraged them to use cordless microphones, for they have walked too far from the source." (CB)
4. The Breeders
21 November 25: Blackheath Hall — London
Kelly Deal wasn't drunk, but she was certainly out of practice. At one point the entire band stood waiting for her to start the song. She was silent and utterly puzzled until she realized she was looking at the wrong number on the set list. (RC)
5. Tiombe Lockhart (singing with Platinum Pied Pipers)
12 April 2005: SOB's — New York
It wasn't that she was juiced, but her challenge to meet the right suitor over a bottle of whiskey was positively sexy. Call me, luv. (DN)
Next page: Nice Moves / Best Theatrics
Pages: 1
2
3
4
5
back to main PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2005 page
