good morning! Can you believe it’s already friday?
I come to you all hoddlers today with not one, but TWO recaps of bands that I’ve seen live lately: X and The Milk Carton Kids.
No – they did not perform together. That would be one strange show. Though I would also say watching a folk band who sing sad songs just days after the LA-based punk group is also a little strange.
X tore through their 24-song setlist, with Billy Zoom on lead guitar a particular delight. I had completely forgotten they released a new album, Alphabetland, so I didn’t recognise that many songs.
For the longest time the only two X songs I knew were Los Angeles and Nausea. But I learned a few more after picking up More Fun in the New World.
Fitzie’s track of the day, part one: Nausea, by X
It was a good show! And it’s been too freaking long since I saw a punk band live. So I loved to be at a show with that energy again. Exenne and John Doe were a lot of fun to watch.
But I have to say, their music didn’t hit me the way The Milk Carton Kids did. Maybe that’s because their music came to me at a certain impressionable moment in my life.
I was a little sad and picked up their live record one day, not knowing anything about it, and played it on the turntable. I loved it.
Perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned from it.
Fitzie’s track of the day, part two: Maybe It’s Time, by The Milk Carton Kids
The duo brought their sombre lyrics and wit to the Union Stage in promotion of their new album I Only See The Moon.
I believe there were a couple moments where Joey Ryan spent a good five or so minutes introducing one song. In that same moment the two tried to start one song three times.
“You can’t start without me,” Ryan quipped, yielding a banjo.
In a crowd of about 400-500 people, The Milk Carton Kids took their lack of commercial success in stride. It’s “internal metrics” they were measuring, they said. I know they were being tongue-and-cheek, but they aren’t necessarily wrong.
And they took a man who kept yelling in stride – although it seemed to annoy Kenneth Pattengale at a certain point.
It was also Pattengale who delivered the night’s highlight with I Only See The Moon, performed without his companion Joey Ryan.
We don’t always get to see Pattengale take lead on vocals – he’s the colourful guitar player – but in this instance he swapped roles. Keeping the guitar a bit steadier and crooning to the Sunday night crowd.
Folk music isn’t quite like it was in Bob Dylan’s days. But The Milk Carton Kids are bringing it back.
Fitzie’s track of the day, part three: New York, by The Milk Carton Kids
And now for your links:
The Athletic ($$) on 100 days with Ange Postecoglou in charge of Tottenham
Jadon Sancho to train separately from Manchester United first team
