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The big show for me this week was kind of a mixed bag. I’ve been a rather slobbery devoted fan of Yo La Tengo since m my tender ears wrapped themselves around a copy of May I Sing with Me in 1992, but over the ensuing epoch I have never caught them live until this past Thursday in New Orleans at Tipitina’s. Tip’s is the site of my alt/punk education and the site of nearly every major concert event of my college years, so even the worst shows glow with nostalgia for me when I look up at that big Professoe Longhair sign over the stage. Times New Viking was the substitute for David Kilgour, formerly of the best band you’ve never heard, The Clean, and rattled through the kind of half Television/half Siouxsie and the Banshees post-everything rock. Fortunately, their set was brief and they seeded the keyboard readiness of the crowd for Yo La Tengo. Ira Kaplan, who is known for both his aw-shucks subdued delivery and his convulsive electro-shock guitar work, started the evening on keyboards. Now, Yo La Tengo is known for three kinds of songs: featherweight airy slow numbers, extended droney freakouts, and then bubblegum fuzz rock masterpieces that are so organic they feel like they grew there. And this evening the focus was on the first two styles, leaving me and much of the crowd who love the straight-ahead songs best looking at our watches. They were not bad, but the experimental songs, liberating as they were when they reached their boiling points, all went on too long, and the quiet songs were way too quiet. If “you la tengo” is Spanish for “I have it” I wanted them to do whatever is Spanish for “get on with it.” Still I thought it an enjoyable, if indulgent performance, and when I listened to their latest I Am Not Afraid of You and I Am Going to Beat Your Ass on the way home, my plushy heart love for them was still intact. I’ll still write their name on my notebook, but I might not exactly rush out to see them on a Thursday again.

Saturday night the delivery-exploration balance was set right with the Annual Mud-In at Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary. Despite the sudden cold snap and the rain, there was a great crowd shaking their various moneymakers down at the end of that gravel road off old Scenic Highway. The guest performer of the evening was Eden Brent, a petite woman from Greenville, Miss., that packs a Big Mama Thornton sized wallop when she takes to the piano. You don’t really hear that caliber of blues piano anymore where the percussive and melodic mix into a lethal cocktail compelling you to reel out to the dance floor. When I arrived, she was playing solo, but you could have sworn an entire group was kicking up the storm emanating from the building in which Teddy not only runs his club, but was born in. The house band joined her for a second set that featured a particularly righteous take on “Think (Freedom)” where each person on stage was given a little freedom to stretch out. This was the kind of extended freakout I can really get behind. Whereas it felt like Yo La Tengo was intent on going for nirvana via a slow and steady incline, these performers all jumped into a continuum and kept the train rolling. Other notable performances were delivered by Kevan Cullens, who was featured in a 225 article a while back, and the booming gutbucket blues magic of Smokehouse Porter and Miss Mamie. All in all, it was good night out, and freedom was attained by all in attendance.

The big attraction for this week is Sebadoh, the fuzzy, folky, experimental rock titans of the 90’s touring behind the reissue of their watershed Sebadoh III. They play an early show at Spanish Moon. Check out my interview with the band, and maybe if we get another cold snap, you can dig out some of that flannel. Also out and about is Gov’t Magic, the new funk explosion from members of the long missed Hi-Life Players. On a more contemporary note, The Blood Brothers will be unleashing their ramshackle mayhem upon our populace as well with The Dead Science and Celebration in tow.

Wednesday, April 11:

The Mighty Orq and Zenbilly are at Spanish Moon

Michael Foster Project is at Chelsea’s

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk is at the Varsity

Ghosts in the Lowlights, Evangleina, After the Tragedy and Valeyra are at The Darkroom

Thursday, April 12:

Sebadoh at Spanish Moon (7pm show)

Andy Pizzo project is at Chelsea’s

A Dose of Insanity at North Gate Tavern

Lazy K is at the Varsity

Audi Veda at The Caterie

Friday, April 13:

The Blood Brothers, the Dead Science and Celebration are at Spanish Moon

The Eames Era and Dierwood at Chelsea’s

Spring Break Shark Attack! at Red Star

Friday the 13th Dead 80’s Night at North Gate Tavern

Meriwether is at the Varsity

Otherwise is at The Caterie

Blood of our Enemies, Horseshoes and Handgernades, Imbroglio and Blackwater Burial at the Darkroom

Elvis Fontenot at Phil Brady’s

Big Daddy Blue at Teddy's Juke Joint

Saturday, April 14:

The Last Name Change is at Spanish Moon

Gov’t Magic at Chelsea’s

Andy Squint Trio at Teddy’s Juke Joint

Monday, April 16:

The Rock Show at Chelsea’s

Tuesday, April 17:

Sound Tribe Sector 9 is at the Varsity

Wednesday, April 18:

Fjord, Bringing Down Broadway, Passion and In Tomorrow’s Shadow at The Darkroom.