Last Night According to the Magnetic Fields, Ballard is “kind of the new East Village”
posted by on March 7 at 15:37 PM
At least that’s what Claudia Gonson—in red, above—said in the first half of last night’s show, talking about how a friend had taken her around Ballard the night before and shown her all the cool spots. I have not been able to find anyone who agrees that Ballard is kind of the new East Village. Not even Megan Seling, who lives there.
For his part, Stephin Merritt, thinking of J.G. Ballard’s dystopian novels, couldn’t get over the fact that there’s a neighborhood actually called Ballard. “I wouldn’t go to an area of the city called Ballard,” Merritt said.
I missed the second half of their set—although Eli Sanders stayed (Eli, how was it?)—because I didn’t want to miss Throw Me the Statue up at Neumo’s. Their album Moonbeams has been playing on repeat on my iPod for the last three weeks straight. It’s better every time I hear it. And their live show was fun, unfussy, charming, danceable—everything you want in a live show. After their set, while waiting for Truckasauras to go on across the street at Sole Repair, I saw Suthap Manivong, former production manager at Neumo’s, now working at Showbox Sodo. I asked him how life is down in Sodo and he said, “Sodo is like the next Ballard.”
The second half was awesome. Take Ecstacy With Me was in the encore and absolutely beautiful. I've been eagerly ancipating going again all day...
My favourite arrangement of the night (thursday) was Come Back from San Francisco.
FYI, Stephin says that the instrument he uses on this tour is not a lute, but an 8-stringed descendent called a (phonetically) bah-ZOO-key. I assumed it was spelled bazuke, anyone else know for sure?
ah, here it is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouzouki
Heh. I also skipped out of the second half of the MF show, Friday night, to go see the Voom Blooms and the Duke Spirit at Neumo's. Which, honestly, was a hell of a lot more fun than sitting in church pews at Town Hall.
ballard is totally becoming trendy. but only for those yuppies where 30 is the new 20.
for all those not yet pushing 30, it's pretty whatever. Sodo is more exciting.
I'm waiting for Lake City to become the next Ballard...seems fitting, it's all working class and old folks! Plus it's JUST too far/annoying to take a bus, like ballard.
Tacoma is the new SoDo.
I found the Magnetic Fields show to be really slow. I've always enjoyed their music, but seeing them live is not the best thing in the world. Even Stephin Merritt seemed bored, he kept yawning and looking tired throughout the whole show.
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