• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

By Brian O’Camb

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Most theatergoers expect a night of civility and culture, not a teenage riot.

Opting for the more intimate feel of a theater, over large concert venues and slamming crowds, Sonic Youth brought a little bit of SoHo to the Wilshire Theatre on July 24.

Unfortunately, the choice reflected a band that has outgrown its name for the sake of art.

Promoting its latest album “nyc ghosts & flowers,” the band resurrected old material while experimenting with several new cuts from the latest release.

From the start, it became obvious that the band was here to experiment.

Displaying his knowledge of the West Coast, Thurston Moore bantered with the crowd about driving on San Vicente before launching into the “Schizophrenia.”

Moore, fellow guitarist Lee Ranaldo, and guest performer Jim O’Rourke, launched a wall of sound at the crowd with their guitars, while Kim Gordon rooted the song on bass. Struggling to be heard, Steve Shelley slammed the crowd to attention with forceful toms and kick bass.

Working Shelley, the band pulled the song to an ethereal drone, deciding to join him by grabbing a set of drumsticks. Ranaldo and Moore experimented with different ways of using their guitars by striking them with the sticks, and grinding the necks to create a storm of sound.

Turning in a new direction, the group began “free city rhymes,” the first track off its new album. Dotted with electric chirps courtesy of O’Rourke, Shelley continued to cement the track with his powerful pounding, eventually rolling the song to a close.

With its catchy chorus and heavy melody, the next song, “renegade princess” had heads bobbing. Unfortunately, the added effects from O’Rourke sounded little better than electric turkey gobbles which detracted from the poppy guitars.

Returning to their only true mainstream hit, the band launched “Bull in the Heather.” Pulling the song up-tempo, Gordon brought her husky voice to the mic, dwindling to a whisper with each line of lyrics.

Returning to some new and experimental material, the band synched their sound to the visual display behind them. Footage from the streets of New York displayed everything from subway windows to hyper children, reflecting the many facets of the band’s soundscape.

As lights flashed behind the canvas, the group launched into the defining “Teenage Riot.” Staying true to their name, the group swung the crowd-pleaser into an intensely experimental interlude.

Turning their guitars into metal detectors, Ranaldo and Moore began sweeping their instruments over the floor, searching their speakers for new sounds. Gordon left the stage as the feedback grew feverish.

Like a liquid squid, the two guitarists joined O’Rourke, rubbing and grinding the necks of their guitars together in a massive orgy of sound. While the event was definitely a spectacle for the eyes, it was certainly hard on the ears.

After the experimental section, Gordon returned to the stage, commenting on the dangers of leaving men alone to play. Taking the helm with her femme fatale persona, Gordon launched into “nevermind (what was it anyway).”

Immediately following, Gordon led the band in “Cool Thing,” dancing and flailing on stage. Swinging the mic around her waist, the singer liquified the tale of white corporate oppression with her dry, sensual voice.

Culminating in a display of powerful sound and mixed media, “nyc ghosts & flowers” fed into itself as lights pierced the double exposed film running in the background. With strobes flaring and sound blaring, the band replicated the title track on screen before moving into an encore.

Despite some classic hits, Sonic Youth’s experimental set was more suited to the eyes than the ears. The lengths the band members took to produce new sounds was admirable, but the same couldn’t be said of the actual “music” produced.