The Hype: Jesse Malin is a punk rock veteran whose overall sound remains surprisingly optimistic. Starting out in the '80s with the hardcore band Heart Attack, Malin evolved musically to co-form the '90s garage act D Generation. Now, he's assaulting the ears of the masses with his latest project, Jesse Malin and the St. Marks Social. The band provides music, that despite often dour lyrical material, is uniquely up-beat. They played Alex's bar in Long Beach on Friday night. I was hoping they would play their recent single, “Burning the Bowery,” and expectations were high.
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The Show: For whatever reason, the crowd was thin.
Following opening act Chris Shifflet and the Dead Peasants, a large
swath of concrete floor was visible, ringed by a stand of PBR guzzling
patrons on bar stools. Once the band started playing however, people
crowded around the stage. And the set started with a fantastic
opener–“Burning the Bowery” off this year's Love it to Life. Win!
It's a song that blends the delay-pedal eloquence of an Interpol jam
mixed with the punk edge and melody of Jawbreaker's “Million,” from the
1995 release, Dear
You. Looking like a handsome Elliott Smith, Malin wailed,
strummed and stomped in front of a crowd that at times swelled to only
25 people. It was a triumphant parallel of the uniquely optimistic
vocals and guitars that typically combine with Malin's dark lyrical
material. Compounding the lackluster turnout, throughout the evening,
the band dealt with persistent feedback. At one point Malin requested
sarcastically to the sound guy, “Can I get a little more vocal on the
feedback machine?” The highlight of the set included the acoustic
strummer “Almost Grown” off Malin's 2003 solo record, The Fine Art of
Self Destruction. It's a song which chronicles the inner turmoil
of a young man caught in an emotional blender while on the cusp of
adulthood. Unfortunately, the sonic constrictions of Alex's small room,
combined with the heavily distorted guitars to produce a set, that
although energetic, was uneven. Preceding Malin was Long Beach fem-trio,
Cunt Sparrer. These three musicians had a fearless charm that made up
for their lack of polish. Stand by for a blog on this group next week.
Following opening act Chris Shifflet and the Dead Peasants, a large
swath of concrete floor was visible, ringed by a stand of PBR guzzling
patrons on bar stools. Once the band started playing however, people
crowded around the stage. And the set started with a fantastic
opener–“Burning the Bowery” off this year's Love it to Life. Win!
It's a song that blends the delay-pedal eloquence of an Interpol jam
mixed with the punk edge and melody of Jawbreaker's “Million,” from the
1995 release, Dear
You. Looking like a handsome Elliott Smith, Malin wailed,
strummed and stomped in front of a crowd that at times swelled to only
25 people. It was a triumphant parallel of the uniquely optimistic
vocals and guitars that typically combine with Malin's dark lyrical
material. Compounding the lackluster turnout, throughout the evening,
the band dealt with persistent feedback. At one point Malin requested
sarcastically to the sound guy, “Can I get a little more vocal on the
feedback machine?” The highlight of the set included the acoustic
strummer “Almost Grown” off Malin's 2003 solo record, The Fine Art of
Self Destruction. It's a song which chronicles the inner turmoil
of a young man caught in an emotional blender while on the cusp of
adulthood. Unfortunately, the sonic constrictions of Alex's small room,
combined with the heavily distorted guitars to produce a set, that
although energetic, was uneven. Preceding Malin was Long Beach fem-trio,
Cunt Sparrer. These three musicians had a fearless charm that made up
for their lack of polish. Stand by for a blog on this group next week.
The Verdict:
Give Malin a bigger venue, and this guy could really shine. The
question remains, would anybody notice?
Give Malin a bigger venue, and this guy could really shine. The
question remains, would anybody notice?
