Silver Fox: Lee Ranaldo

Every week, or whenever I get around to it (don't rush me gawd), I'm going to wax orgasmic over my favorite species of man, the silver fox.

The first installment features the delightful punk rock elder statesman Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. I had the infinite pleasure of seeing SY this past Friday at the United Palace up in Harlem's nosebleed section (Broadway and 175th!), and while they totally fucking slayed and rocked harder than the ten-odd times I'd seen 'em before, they didn't play "Mote," which is probably my favorite cut off 1990's Goo (DGC).

"Mote" lacks the usual SY vocals courtesy of post-menopausal sex kitten Kim Gordon and her eternally boyish husband Thurston Moore, but who needs them when you've got sweet, salt-and-peppered Lee, am I right ladies-who-are-young-enough-be-his-daughter, provided he started out pretty early?* Put me in the equation, indeed!

*shit, I just checked IMDB.Com. Lee's nine months older than my dad, who did indeed start out pretty early. Is that gross? Should I feel gross? Ah, fuck it. It's not a silver fox situation without that borderline-inappropriate age difference.

-Megan Metzger

Promise?

Friday is Sonic Truth, the new album listening party. The free Two Boots pulls me in and the rest is waiting in line for 20 minutes, rushing in and grabbing bottles of beer and pizza: looking at Thurston Moore artwork and listening to the 90s creep back into my subconscious: a dim, cool room in the back covered in baroque wallpaper artwork with cartoon characters and minarets, ribbons and pillars.

I end the night at Think Cafe, where the bartender is stoned and Alice, the band is playing. The band consists of a cello player, bassist, electric guitar, accordian, trombone, trumpet, clarinet (the last three played by one guy) and tablas. They do amazing covers of Smooth Criminal, Bulletproof and God Only Knows. They do a cover of Sweet Child of Mine which suddenly sounds like a Roy Orbison original. They made me giggle into the palm of my hand.

This weekend is me trying to ignore stress. Getting barely any sleep. Seeing old friends. Pleasing the family. One after another the chores pile up, behind it all is the curtain which will fall and let me rest. I just want to take a bow.


-Kastoory