Malkmus and the Jicks Concert Unites and Delights Multiple Generations of Listeners

One of the more exciting things about going to a concert in New York City is looking around the audience at the various celebrities, musical and otherwise, in attendance. During the opening act of a Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks concert at the Bowery Ballroom last Monday, I saw three out of the four Jicks (including Stephen Malkmus himself), Conor Oberst, and Bradford Cox (of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound) nodding along with the rest of us.

Malkmus is an incredibly talented guitarist who obviously enjoys coming out to play his large body of work, adding variations here and there to his tried and true sounds. Monday night, the Jicks played all but one of the tracks off of their new album Real Emotional Trash plus some old favorites. The fans (even Oberst and Cox) could not help but enjoy themselves, if only because of Malkmus’ energy and onstage enthusiasm.

With an incredibly receptive and intergenerational audience, it seemed that everyone—not only the older Pavement fans, but also the bright young things of New York’s music scene­—was there because they admired Stephen Malkmus and his music. With the exception of a few audience members taking several seconds between songs to yell “Turn it up!” the concert experience was fantastic.

Distractions aside, Malkmus was in top form Monday night, and the audience was wholeheartedly engaged. If you missed them this time, the Jicks are finishing up their North American tour, ending in May, and hitting Chicago’s Lollapalooza in August. Don’t miss out on this experience—see them once, or many times, before they leave the States.