Dear Diary. Today, I was part of something that I have mixed feelings about…

As I’ve mentioned before, I am fortunate enough to be a DJ at KXLU 88.9fm here in Los Angeles. We were recently offered to take part in a 13-event series called Free Yr Radio. The idea was to “pair” a band with an independent radio station and put on a free show in that station’s given town. For instance, Dinosaur Jr. in Cambridge for WERS and El-P playing in New York for WNHU. Each of the artists also contributes exclusive tracks to a compilation, the sales of which benefit the radio stations involved. There was a fair amount of skepticism around KXLU whether or not to participate, mainly because of the corporate sponsorship involved (Urban Outfitters/Toyota Yaris), but one name clinched it for us: Sonic Youth.

Saturday night was the show, and the last event in the FYR series. I volunteered to come down and help with passing out KXLU swag and representing for the station that I love. I wasn’t sure what to expect. The show was to take place in the Urban Outfitters on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. You may not be from Los Angeles, but with a name like “the Promenade”, you get the idea. I was relieved to find that with the exception of the Yarises (Yari?) parked out front, the corporates had tastefully chosen to keep their presence relatively subtle. The store was completely emptied of merchandise, and a giant stage, light rigging, and professional sound equipment had been temporarily installed in its place. I got to see the band soundchecking (see photo above) and I have to admit, I got pretty excited!

People were lined up all the way down the block, hoping to receive the coveted first 300 wristbands that would gain them entry to the free show. I couldn’t help but scan the mob, hoping to ascertain whether they were diehard KXLU and Sonic Youth fans or just excited to be seeing a free show. There were definitely a lot of both. We didn’t have anything as shiny as the new cars being given away to help garner KXLU attention from the uninitiated, but we did our damnedest giving out buttons and bumper stickers. In the end, let’s hope a few new people tune into 88.9fm this week as a result of our efforts.

Doors opened at 7pm, and the crowd was first welcomed with Dntel doing a DJ set. Dntel is mainly Jimmy Tamborello of The Postal Service and Figurine. Interestingly, he is also an alumni of KXLU. I missed his DJing since I was still outside, but he seemed to have the crowd pretty interested. There was also a large number of people peering in the front windows of the store, particularly those who weren’t lucky enough to get in.

And then there was Sonic Youth. What can be said about them that hasn’t been repeated a million times before? They truly defy every rule of popular music. Their innovation and creativity will undoubtedly inspire generations of music fans, even long after they’re gone. The band looks terrific and vital, despite the brilliant irony of the name, Sonic Youth. Kim Gordon, in particular, is still a looker at 54, and she’s a colossal presence on that stage. I hadn’t seen them since around 1994, and it was amazing to see they haven’t lost an ounce of the passion they have for their music. Nonetheless, it was strange seeing them perform in a retail establishment. Seeing the empty racks on the walls reminded me that there were other reasons besides purely altruistic ones for putting on this show.

The band’s set was fairly short at around 45 minutes, but they did oblige the crowd with a one-song encore. When the band returned to the stage, Thurston Moore said something that made me want to give him a great big hug:

“Thanks to Free Yr Radio for putting this show on. We’re proud to be a part of it, and to help great independent radio stations like KXLU. Stations that care about good music, and not all that mainstream buuuullshiiiiit.”

I think that moment may have been what all of us from KXLU were waiting to hear. Up until that statement, the whole night had kind of felt like a birthday party where nobody cared about the kid whose birthday it was. Those few simple words brought it home, and hopefully reminded all those in attendance that it wasn’t about the shiny cars being given away or the overpriced clothes normally being sold in the space where they were standing.

Long live Sonic Youth.

here’s an old favorite for your listening pleasure: