Yeah, well YACHT was pretty awesome.

Has any Merc music writer, faced with a too-easy opportunity for ageist snarkiness, passed on it?

I was at the show last night, and was totally weirded out by the crowd, and underwhelmed by the band's performance. I like their record, and was excited to see what they could do live. Which was...play their record. Exactly as it sounds on the record.

I'm going to go ahead and vote for the Jack Johnson scenario as well.

What is up with using the term "snarky" as an adjective for writers in this town lately?

Is it the "douchebag" of 2008?

Anyway, snarkiness is just another word for nothin' left to lose informed criticism sprinkled with wit. And chocolate.

Stoopid html didn't work. Oh well.

There goes my career in web development.

Apparently the band had the RIGHT "bad haircuts and lame clothes," unlike the poor schlob whose own bad haircut and lame clothes (a pressed shirt and jeans? shudder!) seemed to undermine your own enjoyment of the show.

I'll never understand why Portland has the complete lack of self-awareness to look down on other places for judging people on their clothes or money or age.

Michael
Yes, all the time. I'm the guy who likes dad-rock (I use that in the non-snarky context) and the music of Loudon Wainwright III, so there are plenty of time when I could play that card, but I don't.

I agree with Miranda. I had pretty much the same feeling, but I still love the recorded version of "Oxford Comma."

ezra

Ageist? Sometimes you people make my soul hurt. Seriously? Ageist?

Well... we all knew this was coming when NPR started dropping their name. First they latched on to The Wire, now they're all bonered up on these dudes.

Now I kinda want to hate it for old people liking it, and for them being young. I think I'll do that.

why you gotta hate on the bald?

Do another line and keep on snickering at the 'dad clothes'. You'll be there soon enough, rock star.

Hey, Ezra-

Your writing is always solid and enjoyable. "Ageist" was an unnecessarily paranoid term to use (I'm older but not old enough to whine about "The Kids" and their wacky, newfangled ways).

Vampire Weekend are a lot of fun, but maybe they attract NPR coverage because they're a sweet boat drink and not a straight bourbon. What would All Things Considered do with Times New Viking?

Considering the fact that I'm 36 and bald, Ned... ha. I saw the guy Ned's talking about, and the guy was PUMPED, and ageist snarkiness or not, he was a fish out of water. Or a Parrothead out of Florida? I found the show mildly charming and as someone who was there, as Ned described, to check out the hype, I'm right there with Chuck and Flav, not believin' it. Same time, a nifty little band.

oh god, Kiala, STFU and write about your faux-guilt about living in the Pearl district some more already.

I love Vampire Weekend for that exact reason - it is junk food music. Just a tad bit better for me than a baker's dozen from Ken's.

@Roguespierre -

I don't have any guilt for living in the Pearl anymore. I purged it on the internet.

Anyway, I bought you about an hour ago. I expect you here at our apartment at 8 am sharp - mop in hand.

"Dad Rock" is, by this point, The Pixies, Nirvana, et al.

normally hype turns things to shit for me, but i love the album and thought they put on a great show. i think they have a lot more talent than most of the hacks that get talked about as being the next big thing.

but what the fuck is yacht doing on a stage? i was stoked to finally see him live after hearing so many great things, but i felt like i was watching my cousin do karaoke in his basement rec room. his music is cool and i like his videos, but shit man, get off the stage. and if that makes me sound like an old man, so be it. god damn kids, get off my lawn.

YACHT was fucking terrible. they don't play any instruments. two people dancing around on stage to pre-recorded music. they may as well have gone in blackface and turned it into a minstrel show. or a kool moe dee concert.

I was mostly under the impression that the Doug Fir's upstairs lame-a-rama always tends to creep down into the basement. Whenever there is something good there I see the older folks, yuppies, sorority girls and frat boys of the upstairs all equally not paying attention to the band that is playing. I assume they think the Doug Fir is really hip and just buy tickets because the Doug Fir told them it was hip and cool to do so or they want to recapture their youth. Whatever, I'm almost 30 and work in an office 8-5 M-F. I might be one of the lame people too because I can't have a cool haircut, smell and don't want to wear the skin tight hipster jeans. Smackass!

the jimmy buffett description nails it. also, hootie.

i like the vampire weekend song "oxford comma" because i read that lynne truss book and i have a strong opinion on the matter, but the other stuff just sounds like boring jamaica-bar-for-whitey stuff. cape cod doesn't need a kwassa kwassa (whatever black thing that is that they're trying to appropriate). cape cod should just go ahead and keep coasting on the sick white privilege that put dubya in office.

also, the point of YACHT, as i see it, is that you are supposed to dance too much to care what he's doing. as an old lady, i know this was not the done thing at your jane's addiction show. but i think it's what the kids are doing, and i approve.