Concert Review: Ty Segall – Blind Pig – Ann Arbor – 2/7/13
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- Ty Segall Photo by Doug Coombe
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- K-Holes Photo by Doug Coombe
It’s been a while since I stepped foot in Ann Arbor’s Blind Pig. Walking up I was remembering some of the great shows I’ve seen there – mostly in the early 90s – Soundgarden, Nirvana, Social Distortion, and Afghan Whigs, to name just a few. Those were the days! People went to shows! Touring bands stopped in Detroit or Ann Arbor between Toronto and Chicago! It all came back to me as I entered the sold out Blind Pig – wall to wall with hipster college kids drinking beer, buying T-shirts and crowd surfing.
New York City’s K-Holes took the stage and established a noisy, heavy-groove filled set that reminded me of Ann Arbor’s early-90s Laughing Hyenas at times and Sonic Youth at others. The singer, sporting a Nancy Spungen look, and the guitarist – who looked, but played nothing like Lindsey Buckingham – led the band while the bassist and saxophonist laid a reverb-drenched backdrop. The K-Holes were working hard and were very well received. Not totally my thing, but fans of mid-80s and early 90s Touch & Go and Amphetamine Reptile stuff would probably dig it.
After a short break Ty Segall came out and quickly re-set the noise meter with another wall of sound. Ty and his band had the tightness of a group that has been on tour for a while – clicking on every level, communicating without trying, and generally tearing it up and making it look easy. They were riff-heavy too, but unlike the K-Holes Ty’s songs have hooks embedded into those riffs and that’s what kept me engaged. Think early Mudhoney on a Black Sabbath binge all mashed-up with Donovan (maybe?). Beside the hooks, Ty’s guitar playing was the highlight. His leads were somewhere between Greg Ginn and Tony Iommi, with a fuzzy tone that cut through the wall just right. Just retro enough to make you smile, but a great modern crossover feel too.
After the show it was head-first into the great blizzard of 2013. My ears were ringing as I crawled home doing 30mph on the freeway. But it felt good knowing that the Blind Pig and the bands who stop there are still killing it!
Great show!
In spite of the weather, well worth making it out to :)
Awesome photo! Dude's can wail!