Blonde Redhead (Kazu Makino, Simone Pace and Amedeo Pace) is a band that's been in my life since I met my partner 18 years ago. I never thought I'd see them live, much less get to photograph a performance. Imagine my joy when I snagged a photo pass for the Nashville show at the Basement East on 2.26!
They came out and immediately launched into "Falling Man" from the Misery is a Butterfly album. That's one hell of a start, and they kept that energy up.
When the 2007 album 23 came out, I listened to it a lot. I couldn't have told you song titles then, but it played on a loop as a full album frequently. So I was delighted to hear "23" and "Dr. Strangeluv" during their show.
I wasn't aware of the album when it came out, but 2000's Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons has become beloved to me. It is disconcerting to realize that it came out 24 years ago. "Loved Despite of Great Faults" is one of my favorites from this album.
Of course, they played some excellent songs from their latest album, like "Snowman" and "Kiss Her Kiss Her", and "Sit Down For Dinner Pt. I and II".
I always loved "Here Sometimes" from the 2010 Penny Sparkle album, too.
Blonde Redhead may have started out as noiserock and evolved into more shoegaze and dreampop, but they've always been interesting. I let the music of this show wash over me in a tall and consuming wave. The music is sometimes sparse, sometimes lush, always intricate. Despite a packed Basement East, the show felt intimate. I don't have any point of comparison to say if that's a hallmark of their shows. I heard a rumor that 2023's Sit Down for Dinner album might be Blonde Redhead's last album - after 30 years of playing together, that's respectable. But I selfishly hope it's not the case, and that I may get another chance to experience one of their live shows again.