Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Huge news here for Archers of Loaf fans. Eric Bachmann, Eric Johnson, Matt Gentling and Mark Price, all originally of Asheville, formed the band in the early 1990s, a band Spin magazine says remains “a talisman of a tremendously optimistic time in underground music, that 15-minute period in the early 1990s when it looked like indie rock really might take over the world.”
The band played a reunion show Saturday at the Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill. More from Spin:
The 12-song set was one the Archers could have played in 1995, drawing numbers from their first two full-length albums and 1994’s Archers of Loaf vs. The Greatest of All Time EP (the unlikely star of the show, with four of five songs offered up). After hoofing in their own gear, they commenced at a leisurely pace with the detuned guitar drone that introduces “Audiowhore.” You could sort of feel the crowd holding its collective breath in hopeful anticipation, and letting out huge sighs of relieved exultation as Bachmann, guitarist Eric Johnson, bassist Matt Gentling and drummer Mark Price exploded into the first verse. There was indeed much jumping about, in the audience as well as on the stage.
Oddly enough, a shower of marshmallows greeted the next song, “Harnessed in Slums,” creating a gooey mess that caused a few technical glitches when Gentling’s cord kept sticking to his boots and coming unplugged. But that was about it for rough spots, as everyone fell right into muscle memory. “Nostalgia” served as ironic commentary on the proceedings. The crowd turned “Might,” “Wrong” and other anthems into spirited bellow-alongs. “Web in Front” still has the greatest chorus tagline ever (“All I ever wanted was to be your spine”). And “Freezing Point” was just beautiful, coasting along on a jaggedly catchy hook.
It was start-to-finish great.
Sounds like we’ll be seeing more from these guys. Awesome.
Skip AOL and checkout Yo La Tengo @ the Cat's Cradle next weekend. Their even gonna bring their spinnin' game-wheel onstage. Who kbnows, you might get a couyple of Condo Fucks toons out of 'em, with that there wheel. just sayin.
All I can say is that I felt like I was 26 again. It was worth the drive.
Crooked Fingers are playing the Grey Eagle on Friday. Just sayin'…
Crooked Fingers (i.e. Eric Bachmann) is scheduled to play a show Friday at the Gray Eagle (!). Here's to hoping that it's another reunion show. If not a Crooked Fingers show should be uniformly excellent.