Going anywhere near Rockefeller Plaza when the tree is up is about as bad an idea as anyone can have. Traffic + tourists = a hella frustrating time for all. That being said it was well worth putting up with any of the day’s bullshit to get to see Jawbox not only for the first time anywhere in 12 years but possibly for the last time anywhere as well.
I’ll spare you the gory details of all the back and forth with security, brother P spotting C.C. DeVille in a yellow sports car on the Henry Hudson Parkway and brother T getting Kenneth the Page’s autograph but our story starts around lunchtime when the band sound checked. Aside from a small snafu with one of the songs it was a four song mini-set for friends and family (FF=66, Savory, 68, and Desert Sea). Technically we’re neither but no one seemed to mind us and we kept a low profile behind drummer Zach Barocas as he rocked the fuck out of his drums (his drumming on Savory alone was worth the trip and I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to listen to the LP version the same way again after hearing him do it live). If you recognize our ugly mugs feel free to spot us out on the videos and point and laugh as you see fit (although the camera men were smart enough to keep us just out of focus). The band sounded amazing as you’d expect and it was definitely surreal being that close to them. Being in the studio of a major late night television show was odd in and of it self. But if anything the FSS likes to make sure things are steady odd at all times so we felt pretty much at home. The members of Jawbox were in good spirits and repeatedly turned to the crowd behind them to acknowledge their odd presence. Things were probably just as surreal for them.
After the band finished up we were promptly ushered out and forced to kill some time before the taping of the actual show later in the day. Again I’ll spare you the details but we were able to use the time to hash out some FSS biz so it wasn’t time wasted.
Eventually we found ourselves seated and waiting for the show to start. This time we sat in the audience proper about three rows back hoping to hear the full force of the bands performance. As great as they sounded earlier in the day a lot of what we were hearing was from the bands’ monitors and not the studio’s PA. We sat through some typical late night hoopla and once again were greeted with a standout Jawbox performance of Savory, this time at maximum volume (that’s 11 if you’re counting). But you can see all this for yourself below, so by all means check it out and be sure to pick up their reissue of “For Your Own Special Sweetheart” the next time you are out record shopping.
And on a serious note if you are in the giving mood this season check out the Donation page here for Jawbox singer J Robbin’s son Callum who was born with a genetic motor neuron disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. J wore a shirt during both sets to help bring awareness of the disease. J has dedicated his life to bringing joy to people through his music with bands like Jawbox, Burning Airlines, and Government Issue. And he has continued to bring joy to the punk community with the awe-inspiring litany of albums he’s produced over the years with bands such as Paint It Black, Clutch, Texas Is The Reason, The Promise Ring, Jets To Brazil, and on and on and on. So maybe it’s time we give a little back to him and his family in return.
Related articles: T’s Review of Jawbox’s “For Your Own Special Sweetheart”
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An overall solid performance. I even caught the FSS on the screen a couple of times in the beginning when they panned the audience. Savory had great energy.