This post originally appeared in Livejournal on Aug. 19, 2004.

It’s the unexpected things in life that really add to experience, the happy accidents that make the best stories.

And last Saturday, I walked into the Avalon Ballroom in Boston for one of the greatest surprises in my 22 years.

That evening, Sonic Youth took the stage and completely blew away every thought I had on how a concert should sound, and how good live music could be at any given moment.
Sonic Youth’s two-hour set was nothing short of breathtaking, at one point literally leaving the crowd gasping for air.

It wasn’t the case that I didn’t expect a good show. I’d been a fan of their albums for some time, and their latest album Sonic Nurse was especially impressive, so when I saw that they’d be playing Beantown I made it a point to check it out.

And with tickets priced just a shade over $20, I really couldn’t lose.

The first element that was immediately clear was their sheer talent as musicians. Each one was completely in tune to the other four.

For years their trademark has been their unique use of white noise and feedback, creating a soundscape that’s built as much on individual notes as it is on energy.
And on this night, the band was tight, relying completely on instinct and mood to direct themselves. Having played together since 1981, they have the presence of mind to know what the others are thinking that can only be achieved through years of constant communication.

The three guitars were endlessly weaving in and out of each other. Neither Lee Ronaldo, Thurston Moore, or Jim O’Rourke ever took center stage as the typical “lead guitarist.” Instead, they worked together to create a sound that could only sound as it did at that moment as played by those three individuals.

The old blended seamlessly with the new as well. “Mote,” a Lee Ronaldo track from their 1990 record Goo went directly into “New Hampshire,” a Moore-penned tune from their most recent outing.

Those weaving, intricate guitars blended with the distortion, noise, and feedback to create a cacophony so intense that it took the audience by the throat. The sound wrapped itself around the audience and came back to the stage, feeding both the crowd and the band.

For the band, it was evident that this was not just another day at the office for them. This was something that was stimulating, flowing, natural, and of course, fun.
“Do you guys like it when a band tells you the name of the song before they play it?” Moore jokingly asked the crowd. “I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m pretty divided.”

It was then that he announced “Sugar Kane,” another cacophony of sound that took the wind out of the entire club.

“Stones” featured a wild jam that fully displayed the versatility of the band. Three guitars speaking to each other, each playing their own distinct part that wouldn’t sound like much of anything on its own. But together, they create an intense collage of sound.

And in the end, when the final note had crashed down on “Expressway to Yr. Skull,” it was the most inspired nights of music that I’ve ever been in the presence of.
As much as I thought I enjoyed music, I had not been blown away to this extreme. I never realized that a two-hour concert was capable of moving a person this quickly and easily -- me.

Since the show, I’ve jumped head-first into their back catalogue, discovering old works of their to be heard by my new ears, re-examining the records I had already been familiar with to discover new turns and phrases that makes their music sound as fresh today as it did in 1984, ’91, or ’98.

Their body of work is so deep and so complex that it really is intimidating to dive into it. There’s just so much to absorb that it really will be a daunting task to fully learn all that this band is capable of.

But after the show, I really don’t have a choice in the matter.
I’m hooked.

So now, all I have to do is bare down, pop in a CD or record, and enjoy the ride.

Setlist
Burning Spear
Pattern Recognition
Disconnection Notice
Mote
New Hampshire
Sugar Kane
Dude Ranch Nurse
Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream
Stones
I Love You Golden Blue
Paper Cup Exit
White Cross
1st encore
Unmade Bed
Pacific Coast Highway
2nd encore
Expressway to Yr. Skull