On Friday December 6th, time stopped for Sonic Youth fans. In New York, on the intimate stage of the Stone, 3/4 of the historic band – Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley – gave life to a noise improvisation that resonated like an echo of a past that has never really disappeared. The occasion? The conclusion of Thurston Moore's residency, which transformed the famous venue into a sound laboratory full of tension and abstract beauty.
Michael Azzerad, author of “Our Band Could Be Your Life,” captured the essence of the moment: “It was magical. Only four people in the world can create the Sonic Youth sound.” Words that find resonance in the enthusiasm of Simon Vozick-Levinson of Rolling Stone, who confessed on X: “I just saw Thurston, Lee and Steve play an hour of improvised noise. For a Sonic Youth fan, it's like seeing 3/4 of the Beatles jamming.”
But while New York celebrated the alchemy of the three musicians, in Los Angeles the fourth voice of the band, Kim Gordon, enchanted the audience at The Bellwether. The occasion was the 30th anniversary of Dinosaur Jr.'s “Where You Been,” which saw her take to the stage for an explosive version of the Stooges' “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” accompanied by the abrasive guitar of J Mascis.
A double event that, although separated geographically, reminded everyone why Sonic Youth continues to be one of the most influential bands in the history of alternative rock. Two coasts, two evenings, the same unmistakable vibration.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
