There was a time in my life, say late 1992 to 1998, that Superchunk was my second favorite band in the world (Fugazi holding top billing). In the pre-internet days of Summer 1991, I was obsessed with the music playing in the background of a British Knights shoe commercial. It was punk but catchy as hell. Unable to google "British Knights commercial music", I was left unsatisfied until I read a small piece in SPIN magazine about this band from North Carolina who was behind the BK commercial music. 1991's No Pocky For Kitty was purchased within hours and remains one of my favorite albums of all time. On my Tuesday night college radio show (WRTC 89.3 Radio Trinity College), songs like "Skip Steps 1 and 3", "Cast Iron" and "Fishing" were in heavy rotation. Even the FCC didn't scare me from playing "Slack Motherfucker" on air.
The next few years were witness to a constant release of fantastic music - 1993's On The Mouth (good), 1994's Foolish (unbelievably underrated as an album - go back to it, see what you think), and 1995's Here's Where The Strings Come In (a statement of their maturity as a band and on par with No Pocky For Kitty). 1997's Indoor Living, while a decent album in its own right didn't live up to band's potential as established by its predecessor.
By the time they released 1999's Come Pick Me Up and 2001's Here's To Shutting Up, we had grown apart. The last decade has seen Mac and Laura blossom as record execs of arguably the most important indie label in the US. They teased me last year with a great little EP Leaves In The Gutter, the best track of which, "Learning To Surf" appears on the just released Majesty Shredding. Which brings me to the new album --- fanfuckingtastic. I've heard the hyperbole that this may be their best record and I have to say, it very well might be. I've had about five listens and it is catchy as hell.
The show was phenomenal drawing heavily from the new album as well as my favorites No Pocky For Kitty and Here's Where The Strings Come In. Mac and Laura rocked just like it was 1993. Jim's deadpan humor was sharper than ever and Jon Wurster remains as one of my top five favorite drummers in the world. Listen to the concert here
Set List
Throwing Things
My Gap Feels Weird
Crossed Wires
Animated Airplanes Over Germany
Skip Steps 1&3
Fractures in Plaster
Iron On
New Low
Rosemarie
Hello Hawk
Tower
Learned To Surf
Digging For Something
Driveway to Driveway
The First Part
Everything At Once
Encore:
Brand New Love
Cast Iron
Slack Motherfucker
Hyper Enough
Streams
Digging For Something
Misfits & Mistakes
Nu Bruises
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