The crowd at Slowdown was an odd mix on this particular night; never had I ever seen a greater variety in age. While a fraction of the age range can be attributed to some of the older folks coming out because they had been long time fans of Pavement, some of the younger kids came out because they just caught on to Stephen Malkmus‘ music through the recent release Real Emotional Trash. However, it can be agreed that not only did the music bring this crowd together, but also the election party that the club was also hosting. Doors opened extra early so people could gather around the big screens and watch as results came in.
Shortly after 9 p.m., and after it was pretty definite that Obama would be the President-elect, Blitzen Trapper decided that it was finally time to take the stage. This Portland band has been a recent Omaha favorite and they’ve played here several times in the past year. They mostly played songs off their 2008 release Furr. With six members, it can sometimes be overwhelming to watch these guys jump around the stage, but at least you can be sure there’s always at least one member worth watching.
Following Blitzen Trapper, the election again took the spotlight. The audience gathered around the big screen once again, but this time it was to listen as Obama gave his acceptance speech to an emotional crowd. During any of his big pauses, a drunk crowd member would inevitably raise their beer and shout, “Yes, we can!” or my personal favorite, “Obamaha!” I think it is safe to say the Slowdown was pretty happy with the results. I also think that not only did Obama do better in the actual election, but the Obama shot at the bar was winning over more drinkers than the McCain shot.
Obama’s a tough act to follow, especially after that speech, but Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks were up to the challenge. I’m thinking a Stephen Malkmus/Janet Weiss ticket may be a winner for 2012. Haha. Actually, Weiss might have to be the front-runner on that ticket. The former Sleater-Kinny member had quite a following and many, or at least many of the guys, seemed more excited to see her than Malkmus.
Granted, I think the audience was just pleased to see such a flawless set, which is to be expected from somebody who has been playing shows as long as Malkmus. Not only did Malkmus have the respect of the average audience member, but some touring bands present at this show seemed quite impressed. To my left I could see members of Wolf Parade really getting into the music and to my right was a similar sight with members of Tilly and the Wall.
I must confess that while I dug the music, what I really enjoyed was hearing the band’s banter. The expected political comments were there and Weiss was picked on by her peers. They just seemed like the type of people you would want to hang out with. It was a blast. Also, it should be noted that at some point, a dinosaur came out to hug the band. That’s right, a dinosaur.
With the election taking up so much of the evening, I was worried that the band was going to cut it close to bar closing time of 1 a.m. and be unable to play an encore, but they managed to leave just enough time for it. Joined by all the members of Blitzen Trapper, both groups banded together and brought the funk. After the excitement of the election and the show, there was no for anybody to go home anything but happy.
Blitzen Trapper: website | myspace
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks: website | myspace
Writing and photos by: Bethany
