So at this Slip show I got drunk and someone slapped me in the face. Only one of these things is true. I hope. I promise that this does not compromise my reviewing abilities. I hope. The highlights remain intact, so that’s what we will cover.
The slip is as follows; bike rides at night, naps with the radio on, and nature shows about bears. It is a happy thing, combined with this other thing that never really had a name. When they play, it is a long build, but its not forced and its intelligent – but it doesn’t ever ask too much of the listener. Its organic I guess you would say.
So going into the show I think it is only fair that you know what I know to be true about this band. The Slip is tough to stick with sometimes because of inconsistent performance. For example, I saw their shows at the Mercury Lounge a month or two ago – the first show was so so great, but then the second show. Oh the second, it was like someone stepped on my birthday cake. We were disappointed. It was sad. However, due to heartbreakingly beautiful shows like the ones I’ve seen them play in Ithaca and random farm places – I only want fantastic things for this band, because when they’re on, they’re on and there is absolutely no one and nothing like it.
So here we are. The second new years run appearance at Southpaw. And it was just wonderful. I actually remember saying at one point that what I was hearing was the reason I fell in love with this band in the first place. There may be that there is no higher compliment – it is a renewed faith. Brass Tacks. The set list was pretty standard, though they did get into some older stuff. I heard a great “Even Rats” in the first set as well as their new deal “I Hate Love”, and the staple of “December’s Children”. A fun time was had when they pulled out “Get Me with Fugi” though I can’t place it in a set. Basically they jammed out and it was super funky. We danced the whole time, and once I got up front for a second just to check out what was going on – and some dude said it was one of the best shows he had been to in a while. The room was to the gills, and I don’t think anyone would have wanted to be anywhere else during the course.
Horray for the Slip.
