Stay Sweet: Young People

The first time I saw Young People will probably always be the most memorable. I had been hearing some rumblings about the band from a handful of friends (whose word on such matters was hit-or-miss at best), all of which thought that I would be interested in this "minimal, country-punk" band--a description that, under just about any circumstances, just sounded dreadful. Xiu Xiu was in town at the time--back when Cory and Lauren were in the band, back before Jamie lived in Seattle--and as they and some other friends all seemed to be caravanning down to Olympia for the show (my imagined "home-away-from-home" at the time), I decided to follow along.

we arrived at the Voyeur roughly an hour early, as the main attraction of the evening--Sleetmute Nightmute--was slated to play first. They played a pretty decent set (I think Alder was MIA at the time?), enough to validate the hours drive South, and so I decided to take a break as Growing began their set. I got back just in time to watch Young People set up. I immediately recognized Katie Eastburn as an impressive member of her former dance troupe, Janet Pants Dans Theeatre (who, incidentally, "borrowed" and capped a more-than-healthy dose of a whiskey bottle we had smuggled into a show we played with them)--but was preparing for the worst. It took roughly 17 seconds to be converted.

It had been so long since I had witnessed a band paint so much with so little. Maybe I never had. Young People make such a beautiful, thoughtful, reserved noise--a cleverly restrained construction that is just so volatily sparse, responding in perfect compliment to Katie's meandering vocal melodies--just long, endless phrases. The way they played their instruments with such simple precision... Young People were instantly everything I was missing in modern music. it felt so genuine. So amateurish. So totally inspiring. Now, while I might regularly toss around phrases like "Greatest Band of All Time" with reckless abandon--the word "inspiration" holds a much closer place in my heart. and Young People were Inspiring. Little did I know at the time that Young People--featuring Jeff Rosenburg, ex-Pink and Brown--were far from amateurs. But they just played TOO WELL to know what they were doing!

the Gossip followed YP with what was probably the best show I had ever seen them play, and in a sweaty heap, we all went home. On the way back, I shared my feelings on the evening's performance, and was met with some serious surprise from my companions. "They were just so Off tonight," cried the previously initiated. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. until I saw them play again. After my second Young People experience, I talked to Jeff briefly about my epiphany those several months before, and was met with the same surprise, "Oh God, that was a terrible show." But I was sold.

Young People came close to reviving my interest in live music--a feat that, in itself, suggests that they just might be the Greatest Band Of All Time.