Hockey Night

The biggest challenge of SXSW wasn’t finding parking, or getting into the popular shows, or navigating through an unfamiliar and chaotic city. No, the biggest challenge was deciding which bands to see, and which bands to skip. I had to follow a set of rigid criteria in order to narrow down my options. First, I wasn’t going to see a band if I had to wait more than a half-hour in line or if the venue was in an inconvenient location. I was also going to focus on bands that I had never seen before (I thought I did a pretty good job of this – only four of the 81 bands were repeats). Lastly, I wasn’t going to spend too much time watching bands from Minnesota since there’d be many opportunities in the future to see them. This last criterion seemed like treason. I felt like I should represent by supporting the bands from my hometown. But rules are rules. So, instead of going to the Hockey Night showcase, I opted for the Apollo Sunshine show (which ended up being one of the most memorable performances of the festival).

Luckily, I was able to make it up to Hockey Night by going to their show at the Triple Rock tonight. Unfortunately, since it was an early (all-ages) show, I wasn’t able to get there in time for the first opener, Malachi Constant. But I’ve never seen a Malachi Constant show that didn’t rock, so I’m sure they were just fine. Troubled Hubble from Chicago was the second opener. They’ve been touring with Hockey Night, and they played with them at SXSW during the Lookout! Records showcase. I was only able to catch the last half of Troubled Hubble’s set tonight. I’m glad I didn’t miss it entirely. They were a lot of fun to watch, mainly because it looked like they were having a lot of fun. I was prepared to catch the bass player in case he fell off the stage. But to my surprise, even with all his jumping and dancing around, he was able to avoid any embarrassing accidents. I also thought that the Christmas lights wrapped around the amps and drum set were a nice touch (call me easily impressed).

Tonight was actually the first time I had ever seen the Hockey Night. I know. Where have I been? So I can’t really compare this show with their live shows of years past. But I’m sure that if I didn’t know that the band I saw tonight was Hockey Night, I would have never guessed that they were the same band that put out Rad Zapping. They had traded in the keyboards and drum loops for harmonized guitars and two drummers! Also, the hip-hop influences were turned down, and the Pavement influences were turned way up. But no need to worry, although they weren’t the genre-bending band I expected, I was just as captivated by their music as I have always been. Yeah, it was good stuff. I have high expectations for the album that they’ll be releasing this summer (in July, I believe).

Let me clear something up. I didn’t mean to sound bitter when I mentioned that it was an early show tonight. I actually love all-ages shows. The fact that there are still venues around that have the balls to put on all-ages shows warms my heart. I used to get so pissed off as a kid when I couldn’t see a band that I loved. I didn’t think that it was right that the survival of music venues was so dependent on alcohol. I didn’t give a shit about alcohol, but I sure did love music. I remember thinking so many times, “Who the fuck has the right to tell me that I can’t enjoy and support our music scene just because I’m not 21?” Kids aren’t stupid. I think we forget that as we grow up. Kids appreciate music just as much as we do. The only reason that so many kids end up listening to shitty corporately-marketed music is because that’s the only stuff that’s accessible to them. It truly is tragic that indie rock is hidden from most people until they turn 21. Anybody who wants to contribute to our local music culture should be embraced regardless of age. Plus, all-ages shows are often much more fun than their exclusive counterparts. You know that everyone is there for the love of the music – they couldn’t care less about scoring “scene points” or getting smashed. Thus, people at all-ages shows aren’t afraid of moving to the music or giving the bands their undivided attention. And you know, sometimes it’s nice to get home from a show before 2:00 a.m. on a weeknight. I might actually get a good night’s sleep tonight. Know what else is cool? My bus transfer didn’t even expire by the time I got out of the Triple Rock!

By the way, Hockey Night, Troubled Hubble, Malachi Constant, and an additional band called Pariah Caste are also playing tomorrow night (Fri. 03-25-2005) at the Turf Club. I recommend checking it out (even though it’s 21+ this time).