Soul-crushing words nobody ever expected or wanted to hear: the future of Sonic Youth
appears to be in doubt. Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore announced their
separation on Friday night, after 27 years of marriage. The band has a
few upcoming November gigs in South America; it's officially "uncertain"
if the band will continue after that. But they should. Oh, how they
should.
The first time I heard Sonic Youth play "Eric's Trip" was October
1988, in Boston. They were previewing material from their forthcoming Daydream Nation,
which meant we were all hearing these wondrous songs - "Teenage Riot,"
"Hey Joni," "'Cross the Breeze" - for the first time. At the end, during
"Silver Rocket," Moore got furious with his equipment and threw his
guitar down. (It didn't break; it bounced off the stage and back up at
his face, which made the moment startling. Never saw a guy fail to smash his guitar before.)
The last time I heard them play "Eric's Trip" was just 2 months ago,
at Brooklyn's
