The Greatest Band Of All Time.

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 it was 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.