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Arcwelder

Mp3: "Truth" (live)

Mp3: "Cranberry Sauce" (live)

While the weekend included more than a few reunited acts, there were two bands that sealed my trip to Chicago when I heard they'd be playing: Arcwelder and Seam. Though neither band "officially" broke up, live appearances from either can come years apart, and newly recorded material is nowhere in sight.

The first and only other time I saw Arcwelder was well over a decade ago when they opened for Six Finger Satellite and Jesus Lizard in Burlington, Vermont. I'd never have guessed I'd be more blown away by them than their tourmates, especially considering the other two bands were amazing that night. But Arcwelder just killed me, from the first notes of set-opener "Cranberry Sauce". Their 1993 album, "Pull", became one of my all-time faves, I grabbed up all their 7 inches, and eagerly awaited future releases and their live return. But that second show never came. Until this festival.

And if I never see them again, "Cranberry Sauce" makes the perfect instrumental bookend as both the first and last song I ever saw Arcwelder play. But I truly hope that doesn't end up being the case.

(Official site / T&G page / MySpace)

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Quasi

Mp3: "All The Same" (live)

Mp3: "Peace & Love" (live)

I'm a longtime Quasi fan, and far too much time had passed since I'd seen 'em live, so I was psyched to see songs played from the couple albums they've put out in the meantime. Singer/guitarist/piano-man Sam Coomes and drummer/singer Janet Weiss were joined by Joanna Bolme on bass, who I hadn't yet seen as part of the trio. (an aside: Weiss and Bolme are now both part of Stephen Malkmus' Jicks, so hopefully both bands will be able to stay relatively active as they share a rhythm section).

For whatever reason, it struck me that Quasi's piano-based jams didn't work as well for me in the open outdoor (and unfortunately rain-soaked) environment, but the guitar stuff hit me just right. Listening back to the recording, though, it's the key-centric songs that stand out. Go figure. Either way, when they come back through Boston and play a more appropriately-sized venue, I'm there.

Sam Coomes recently shared some lengthy and slightly sad thoughts on the festival at the Quasi site, written after he'd received a stack of festival reviews from Touch & Go that included only one mention of Quasi's performance, and a negative one at that. I'll copy a chunk of his words here...

"Normally I pretty much shrug, toss these things into the garbage & forget them - easy enough after having been in bands making records etc. for over 20 years & seen 100s of these critics come & go, & no one remembers a word they wrote. But the fact that it was the sole entry in a large stack of reviews has to give some pause. Granted, we were playing a shitty slot early on a rainy Sunday, but that says something in itself, since we were deemed only to merit such a slot by the festivals organisers. I'm starting to get the feeling people dont like atonal piano banging! & after practicing all those years to get the atonal piano banging just right. Oh well. Our last record was easily one of our best, but few could be bothered to notice that. So probably the logical thing to do at this point would be to call it a day - our time in the sun is over & our little audience has evaporated. But of course that is not our way, so now we begin to work on new material & discuss how to record the next album & I feel confident we can again create a fine record perhaps our finest which may or may not achieve the slightest notice. If that is our fate I can live with that."

Read the rest here. Someone always has to get the short end of the schedule at festivals, but honestly, with bands as great as Arcwelder, the New Year, and Shipping News starting off each day, the early slots weren't exactly filler. Too bad about the rain, though. He's right about their latest album, "When The Going Gets Dark", by the way. It's one of their best, and deserves to be heard by many more discriminating ears.

(Official site / T&G page / MySpace)

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The Monorchid

Mp3: "Curse of the Potty-Trained Children" (live)

Mp3: "New Tricks" (live)

Equipment failure dogged The Monorchid's performance, but that only added to gripping recklessness of their set. An angry mess, with Chris Thomson screaming and growling all over it, eventually declaring it their own "civil war reenactment". Hard to say which side won.

(T&G page / Southern page / Simple Machines page)

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Enon

Mp3: "Ashish" (live)

Mp3: "Which Way To Go?"
(live Big Boys cover)

I think I'd maybe heard just one or two Enon songs before they took the stage, and I remembered them sounding nothing like they did on this day. What we got was a catchy-as-hell pop trio with a killer drummer in the animated Matt Schulz. I loved 'em, and find myself listening more to this live recording than to the album I picked up at the Reckless Records tent after their set (2003's "Hocus Pocus"). They played a bunch of new songs, including "Aashish" above, which has me very much looking forward to their next release.

(Official site / T&G page / MySpace)

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Three Mile Pilot

Mp3: "97-MT" (live)

Mp3: "Aqua-Magnetic" (live)

While I knew the story behind Three Mile Pilot (a band that pre-dates the curent projects of Pinback's Zach Smith and Black Heart Procession's Pall Jenkins), I hadn't actually heard much of their musical collaboration until they hit the stage. And whaddya know, it kinda sounded like a nice gelling of BHP and Pinback, what with Zach's distinctive bass playing and Jenkin's vocals. The studio versions of the two songs shared here can be found on 1995s "Chief Assassin To The Sinister", and while their last album was in 1997, word is they'll be releasing one on Touch & Go sometime in 2007.

(Official site / Wikipedia page / MySpace)

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Tara Jane ONeil

Mp3: "Howl" (live)

Mp3: "Famous Yellow Belly" (live)

I couldn't have asked for a better lead-in to a reunited Seam than Tara Jane ONeil with Chris Brokaw. I'd picked up Tara Jane's new disc, "In Circles", at the Reckless tent the night before, glad that it was available there a few days before its official release the following Tuesday. I went to sleep after the first night of the fest with it playing softy on my host's stereo, and being able to see her play those same songs the next day was a real pleasure. Even with Seam on deck, I wanted more.

(Official site / T&G page / MySpace)

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Seam

Mp3: "Berlitz" (live)

Mp3: "Sweet Pea" (live)

My beloved Seam, oh how I missed thee. I'd been fortunate enough to see them a bunch (terrible pun) when they were around, and honestly never thought I'd get the chance again. Save for a couple benefit-inspired appearances, the band all but disappeared once frontman/songwriter Sooyoung Park left Chicago for the West Coast years ago, eventually to join up on guitar with the band EE. And while I'm glad he's still making music, I hold out hope that he's been writing and hoarding some songs of his own all this time, and that another Seam album remains in our future.

(T&G page / unofficial MySpace page / Fansite)

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Brick Layer Cake

Mp3: "Sitting Pretty" (live)

Mp3: "Stars" (live)

BLC is the solo guise of Shellac drumming god Todd Trainer. Just the man, his stylin' haircut, and a guitar he borrowed from Arcwelder's Bill Graber. Shared here are two songs, written over a decade apart.

(T&G page / MySpace / Southern page)

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The Black Heart Procession

Mp3: "Not Just Words" (live)

Mp3: "You Got Lucky"
(live Tom Petty cover)

Of all the acts that played that weekend, The Black Heart Procession were probably the one that I'd heard most without ever seeing live, and I'm glad to have remedied that. Songs from "The Spell", their most recent release, had an added emotional weight to them, and really made me want to catch the band in a more intimate setting. Oddly enough, that particular Petty cover perfectly fit BRP's sound, something I wouldn't have guessed. "A good label is hard to find" indeed.

(Official site / T&G page / MySpace)

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Coco Rosie

Mp3: "K-Hole" (live)

Mp3: "South 2nd" (live)

While I can understand the artistry and pure sonic diversity that the duo called Coco Rosie bring to the Touch & Go table, they may very well define the phrase "not my cup of tea". After a day that included two of my favorite guitar-heavy bands of all time, I simply couldn't get into the harp-meets-human-beatbox-meets-children's toys combo. I used the opportunity to grab a long-awaited meal, but not after capturing a couple songs for any fans out there.

(Official site / T&G page / MySpace)

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Pinback

Mp3: "Syracuse" (live)

Mp3: "Non-Photo Blue" (live)

Pinback was in fine form, as always. You could tell, not just from their between-song words but from their in-song energy, that they were more than honored to be part of the T&G family. Rob Crow's fanboy humility was seriously endearing, and his band's own fans let him know that they deserved to be up on that stage. While another Rob solo album is imminent, as well as something brewing from Zach's Three Mile Pilot, let's cross fingers that it's not too long before we get some more Pinback.

(Official site / T&G page / MySpace)

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Calexico

Mp3: "Sunken Waltz" (live)

Mp3: "Alone Again Or"
(live Love cover)

Mp3: "A Letter To Bowie Knife" (live)

A fittingly celebratory end to the three days and thirty-something bands, Calexico's raucous set of Southwestern-flavored songs really hit the spot, and accented just how diverse Touch & Go's lineup has become over the years. While other indies have either struggled find an identity, or simply struggled to stay afloat, Touch & Go has succeeded by discovering a wide variety of truly talented bands and treating them well. And dudging from the unending accolades that T&G founder Corey Rusk received throughout the weekend, he treats them very well indeed.

(Official site / T&G page / MySpace)

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And just as he welcomed us about 50 hours earlier, The Hideout's talkative Tim Tuten bids the appreciate crowd farewell as we wander off into the Chicago streets, hunting for hard-to-find cabs and crowded buses...

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The New Year

Mp3: "Chinese Handcuffs" (live)

Mp3: "Reconstruction" (live)

When I learned that one of my favorite bands, The New Year, would be playing at noon on the second day, my first thought was "they're so not a sunshine band"... but they proved me wrong. Halfway through the set it hit me how their melodic, beautifully hypnotic four-guitar build-ups were an ideal start to a long day ahead. If I ran the world, they could be our stadium rock, sending their perfect chords out through the open air, reverberating into the world. Yeah, those words might look hyperbolic on your computer screen, but standing there listening to them, I sure as hell felt 'em.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)

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Uzeda

Mp3: "Gold" (live)

Mp3: "Steel Man" (live)

And if I ran the world, you'd be watching 'Rockstar: Uzeda', and singer Giovanna Cacciola would be just right for their band. Fronted by what could be described as a female David Yow (minus the bare skin), the Italian four-piece put on one seriously powerful performance. If the New Year eased us into the day, Uzeda followed with a swift boot to the head.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)

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Pegboy

Mp3: "Superstar" (live)

Mp3: "Dangermare" (live)

I don't think I laughed as much during any other weekend set as I did while Pegboy was on stage. Two o'clock in the afternoon and singer Larry Damore was already rip-roarin' drunk. I don't think I've ever seen anyone flip-off a crowd as affectionately as he did, and he didn't let the photographer's pit prevent him from heading into the crowd for some fan face time. A truly entertaining frontman, I dug watching him as much as he seemed to enjoy performing. Pegboy's been around forever, and the guy still looks like he feels lucky to be up there rocking out.

(T&G band page / Wikipedia page / MySpace)

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Andy Cohen, Tim Midgett, & Biznono Kadane
(of Silkworm / Bottomless Pit)

Mp3: "LR72" (live)

One last song, for Michael...

"I've come for good reason, because you and I were friends..."

"...let me drink and weep, and see that a friendship was here"

(Silkworm site / T&G band page / Bottomless Pit site)

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The Ex

Mp3: "Sister" (live)

Mp3: "title unknown" (live)

While I can appreciate the creativity and longevity behind these respected Dutch noise-makers, I must admit that sonically they don't do it for me. If any fans out there happen to know the name of song two above, fill me in with a comment below.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)

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Killdozer

Mp3: "New Pants & Shirt" (live)

Mp3: "Le Grange (ZZ Top) / Cyst" (live)

Ahhh, Killdozer, how you remind me of my college radio days. Hearing "King of Sex" put me right back at WRUV, circa 1990. A great set, well-loved by the festival crowd, and frontman Michael Gerald is still a cocky wiseass. I do mean that in a good way.

A side note: Near the end of their set, this guy (who may or may not go by the name Timebomb Tom) completely freaked out (video). I mean, a total abandonment of all mental faculties. And distinctively not in a good way. Festival security yanked him for everyone's safety, including his own (trust me, he woulda got punched), and it was no easy task. I saw him literally frothing at the mouth as they dragged him towards the festival exits. I mean, Killdozer is damn good, but they're not "go insane!" good. Word is the guy snuck back in, only to be taken out again in 'cuffs. Timebomb, indeed.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page / MySpace)

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Jon Langford (from The Mekons)
& Kat (from The Ex)

Mp3: "You Must Have Walked Across My Mind Again"
(live George Jones cover)

Mp3: "Last Fair Deal Done Down" (live)

A short, stripped-down four-song interlude from Mr. Langford & Ms. Kat cleansed our musical palate in between the dirty-noize of Killdozer and the impending pop-punk assault that was on deck...

(Mekons site / Jon Langford's site / The Ex site)

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Didjits

Mp3: "Plate In My Head" (live)

Mp3: "Who's Ready To Get High" (live)

Wow. Didjits. What can I say? I'd never heard 'em, and was pretty well blown away by the old-skool pop-punk they served up. I wasn't the only one... the cheers and applause were loud and lengthy. Singer/guitarist Rick Sims is a born showman, and any time that goes by without him fronting some loud-ish band playing fast-ish songs is a musical crime. Such a great set.

It was made even better when I glanced over to my right to find Rick and Rose from the Poster Children alongside me, enjoying the sounds from their Champaign-spawned brethren even more than I was. Rose's near-non-stop pogo action was super-infectious. Three cheers for the PKids. (you have heard Radio Zero, Rick and Rose's podcast, have you not? )

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page / MySpace)

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P.W. Long

While I saw and dug P.W.'s low-key acoustic songs, a recording glitch means I can't share any of his set here. Hit up his MySpace page for three streaming tracks.

(Wikipedia page / T&G artist page / MySpace)

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Negative Approach

Mp3: "Pressure / Fair Warning" (live)

Mp3: "Dead Stop" (live)

Mosh pit!! With the very first note of NegApp's first song, the pit came to life. Like an unforeseen whirlpool, I got sucked right into the middle, and I loved it. For all of about 10 seconds. Then I realized my recording was going to come out sounding totally ass-tastic if I didn't escape, and soon. So I swam to the edge and became one of the border-guards, protecting myself from flailing arms and falling bodies as I pushed people back in. It was the best kind of pit... asshole-free and relatively safe, which I suppose could be attributed to the average age of the guys inside. Let's just say they had obvious pit experience. Good times.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page / MySpace)

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Sally Timms with Jon Lanford
(from the Mekons)

Mp3: "Corporal Chalkie" (live)

Mp3: "God's Eternal Love"
(live Mark Eitzel cover)

I'm not sure what twisted genius put Sally Timms smack dab between the madness of a reunited Negative Approach and Scratch Acid, but somehow it worked. If her songs didn't seem to fit in that spot, her punk rock attitude sure did. She put the crowd in its impatient place, and got us ready for the imminent Yow...

(Official site / T&G band page / Mekons site)

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Scratch Acid

Mp3: "Monsters" (live)

Mp3: "El Espectro" (live)

Does my cred take a hit if I admit I've never owned any Scratch Acid records? Ah well. Sure, I'd heard 'em, but even though I'd been a total Jesus Lizard freak, my love never bled over into David Yow and David Sims' previous band. That's not to say I didn't know exactly what the Touch & Go crowd was in for, and that's exactly what we got: unfiltered and indecipherable Yow, all intensity and insanity, but thankfully without the nudity. I've seen enough of his twig & berries to last a lifetime, thank you very much.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page)

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Man or Astro-Man?

Unfortunately, Man or Astro-man? gets the same short end of the stick as P.W. Long but for a different reason: I was stuck on the other side of the festival lot among the masses waiting for Big Black and Shellac to rock us. MoAM?'s set sounded solid from a distance, and if I hadn't seen 'em years ago in a small club, it would have been a far tougher decision to skip their set.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)

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Big Black

01: "introduction"
02: "Cables" (live)
03: "Dead Billy" (live)
04: "Pigeon Kill" (live)
05: "Racer X" (live)

As a reunited Big Black assumed their positions, frontman/guitarist Steve Albini kicked off their short four-song set by igniting a pack of firecrackers. No one in the crowd needed that to draw their attention; we'd been waiting for this for a very long time. Actually, that's not quite true... since no one expected this would ever happen, no one was really waiting for anything. Albini was joined by Jeff 'Stretch' Pezzati on bass, Santiago Durango on guitar, and of course Roland on drums, who I'm guessing had to be reprogrammed entirely from scratch. Couldn't resist sharing up all four songs here, along with the crackling intro.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page)

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Shellac

Mp3: "Canada" (live)

Mp3: "Billiard Player Song" (live)

During Shellac's unbelievable set, I truly felt that I was witnessing a band at the absolute top of its game. It seemed that they had the massive crowd completely captivated, totally entranced. I got lost in it, in the tension, the energy, the pure skill coming from the stage. I've never heard them tighter, better mixed, or more powerful... there is no one that can make the sounds they do, simply one of the most unique rock trios off all time.

They played a bunch of the songs that will likely make up their long-awaited next record, "Excellent Italian Greyhound", most of which have been floating around the internet for awhile now... here's hoping the wait for that full-length isn't much longer.

(Wikipedia page / T&G band page)

Tim Tuten from the Hideout, our endearingly talkative
host for the entire weekend, kicks things off by introducing...

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Shipping News

Mp3: "(Morays or) Demon" (live)
Mp3: "Axons and Dendrites" (live)

A perfect start to the whole event, Shipping News had a new limited edition single ("Claws") specially made for the festival, and gave them out free to attendees. Nice touch.

(T&G band page / Southern site / MySpace fan site)

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Supersystem (R.I.P.)

Mp3: "Born Into The World" (live)
Mp3: "The Pinnacle of Experience" (live)

I hadn't heard much Supersystem before they took the stage, even in their previous incarnation as Dischord band El Guapo. Unfortunately for fans of either band, they've just called it quits according to this message on their website...

"Friends,

After 10 years, the members of Supersystem/El Guapo have decided to disband. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank everyone at Touch and Go, Dischord, Flower, Locusta, and others too numerous to name here for all your help over the years.

Most of all we would like to thank everyone who supported us, saw us play, listened to our music, set up a show, played a show with us, or otherwise participated in making our time as a band really awesome. We appreciate it and will miss you!

Love,
Supersystem

(Official site / T&G band page / Album stream / MySpace)

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Girls Against Boys

Mp3: "Rockets Are Red" (live)
Mp3: "Super-Fire" (live)

The first jaw-dropping performance of the fest, GvsB played their entire 1993 T&G album "Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby" from start to finish as the sun went down, then threw a few faves on the end of the set for good measure. Loaned out and lost long ago, I re-bought the album immediately after they left the stage at the Reckless Records tent.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace fan page)

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Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Mp3: "Sons of Cain" (live)
Mp3: "Suspect Device" (live Stiff Little Fingers cover)

"Sons of Cain", which has made the rounds in both demo & live form over the past year, is likely to be one of the highlights of TL/Rx's upcoming album, "Living With The Living", the band's first for Touch & Go. I can't get enough of the song... not just the killer guitar line, but the way the bass holds off for the first minute or so, the drum accents that last just a little longer than expected, the rising walk into the bass/drum breakdown, and Ted's unrestrained "Heeeeey!"s near the end. So good. Pray for his voice, kids: We never want to see the "Great Vocal Chord Inflammation of '03" happen again. Guy's got a lot more songs to sing for us next year...

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace / Lookout page)

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!!!

Mp3: "Must Be The Moon" (live)
Mp3: "All My Heroes Are Weirdos" (live)

The first night ended with a set of self-described "live dance music" from !!! (Chk Chk Chk). Not exactly my thing, but they do what they do very well, and treated a fairly enthusiastic crowd to songs from their upcoming disc "Myth Takes", which will be out in March on Warp. Studio versions of both songs above will be found the album, along with eight other new tracks.

(Official site / T&G band page / MySpace)