You Take What They Give You And You Keep It Inside
[pic via Stereogum]
Getting hacked? Not so fun, especially when your “programming” expertise is limited to writing “a href” tags. Even after reading this forum, I still have no idear what happened or how to prevent it from occuring again. Buzzless. Anyway, onto the hottness…
Let me set the scene for you. So there your Uncle Grambo was, minding his own biznass with some friends at a lounge-y type establishment in SoHo on Saturday night, when I received a text from Lindsayism that said “What arcade f did kinda ruins them for me. I’m shaking my head. I’m disgusted, honestly.” You see, words this strong were CLEARLY meant to pique my curiousity about Arcade Fire’s performance on “Saturday Night Live” (see Nummer’s complete review). And so they did — I excused myself from the evening’s proceedings approximately 45 seconds afterwards and grabbed The 6 back home.As for what I saw on the DVR when I got home? Total besteverness, plain and simple.
You see, Lindsay’s original text was in reference to when Win Butler smashed his guitar after completing the band’s first song, “Intervention” (see YouTube link at the bottom of this post). While she felt it was “a cheap, unoriginal cry for attention” (that’s a quote), your Uncle Grambo felt it was one of the more impassioned moments that I’ve ever seen on live television. Not only was their entire performance built on equal parts conviction, honesty and vulnerability, it was delivered on the kind of emotionally raw plane that no other band in their generation seems capable of achieving (with possible exception of Bright Eyes). As for the guitar smashing, it felt less like a contrived piece of performance art and more like a genuine moment born of frustration and fervor after his guitar strings snapped during the song’s climax. But then again, Linds always tells me that “you love EVERYTHING”, so I’ll let the FOW Nation judge for themselves [thanks to Brooklyn Vegan for finding the vid below].
RELATED: The only thing better than Arcade Fire playing next year’s Super Bowl halftime would be if the Springsteen rumours are true!
Posts
21 Comments so far
1. Alex Blagg wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
You just made love to the correct, Grambo.
2. Doghouse wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
It looked more like Win was intentionally snapping his guitar strings at the end there…and he smashed that guitar with so little energy that he came off looking like a total tool…even if that tired stunt wasn’t pre-meditated.
3. Uncle Grambo wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
If you look closely, one of his guitar strings snapped with around one minute left in the video. I think this is when the passion began being morphing into frustration … but it’s all in the eye of the beholder, I s’pose.
4. guy wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
meh. looks like he intentionally pulled a couple strings off and then smashed that fucker. preordained for sure.
that song felt like it took 10 minutes to get through.
nice to see the new digs, boss.
5. thigh master wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
i took the bestest nap ever at webster hall when they arrived for the show 2+ hours later
6. Winston wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Planned or otherwise, who gives a F, they were flat out best. So it wasn’t 1/100th as cool as Alex Turner saying “that man just yawned!” just before the finale of “A Certain Romance”. That single-handedly got me into that band. At least he didn’t chuck it into the air & get hit on the dome Novoselic stizz.
7. sleepyB wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
i wouldn’t go as far as to say that i’m a fan of AC, but that’s probably only because i’m really old and i’ve seen the fellies. however, the guitar smash did nothing to endure them to me. townshend smashing his ric in ‘65 = best evs. anybody (exp a mildy obsessed syd fanboy) smashing anything in ‘07 = drust.
other than that, i actually kinda thought they were pretty good.
8. sleepyB wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
or AF…or KC and the Sunshine band for that matter….
9. sleepyB wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
or the feelies…good grief…
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781EDB4CA57F20CD9C394BE9A47CE00AD650F68B1B304F4792B63E45911E21C957ED90B8F6B677AB7BA8E02CA45A089FCCE453FFD6643A2DED93&sql=11:3uvyxd0bjola
10. gorilla wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Smashing guitars went down hill after the Who. Hendrix upped the ante with the flames and lighter fluid, but that was the last innovation in guitar destruction.
Every so often, someone smashes a guitar to a generation likely ignorant of the earlier smashes.
The Clash got a top 5 cover of all time out it.
Nirvana made it relevant as it’s likely to get again.
The difference with Saturday is all those people destroyed really cool guitars. Which both makes me cringe at a piece of art being destroyed and gives the act some credibility — the guitar player is destroying what he really loves.
I think the acoustic broke the first string legit, but as soon as it appeared on screen, I thought, that’s a hunk of crap guitar.
I realize it’s part of their look and attitude having old, ugly instruments, but it looked like a guitar you buy at a pawn shop to break at your high school talent show.
I don’t know if it was contrived or not – but I doubt he lost sleep over the guitar.
11. gorilla wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Great performance though. Songs sounded hott, obvs.
12. Mick wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
I liked the performances, but I agree with Lindsay on the guitar smash. Even worse, it quickly went to a voiceover that proclaimed “this musical performance brought to you by Budweiser Select”. Lame.
13. Jasper wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Do these guys have a record out?
14. Jzahod wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Uncle Grambo’s nextbrandingcampaign…
15. makotomeme wrote on February 27th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
I’m solidly in the “great performance/kinda crap ending” camp. Gorilla nailed it. Looked like he wasn’t sure if the camera would be on him while he was jerking the remaining five strings off that machine. Shit, who hasn’t done worse. I’m the proud owner of plenty of drums that wereself-consciously stabbed to death with sticks of wood in fits of drunken whateverness. it’s just pomp ‘n’ roll — but I liked it!
wakka wakka.
btw, first time commenting on the new site. smoooooov.
16. Peabs wrote on February 28th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Being someone who has broken many a string on stage, I can assure that there are few things more frustrating. Smashing a guitar as retribution? Personally, I’d probably just go back stage and blow dudes and speedballs instead. To each his own.
Obvs in ‘08™.
17. Grizz wrote on February 28th, 2007 at 9:25 am
I was with the performance until the guitar smash. Felt contrived. And why did they choose to cover Eddie and the Cruisers for their second song?
18. Johnny Loftus wrote on February 28th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Was that a sketch or a band?
I kept looking for Rainn Wilson playing a tin whistle; maybe he was standing behind Girl Who Pined for the Intellectual Bosoms of Natalie Merchant during undergrad. Arcade Fire are the biggest offenders in the flair for overdramatic wool pull that’s consumed indie pop over the last few years, and the band’s SNL performance made that painfully, hilariously clear. I told you on text Grambo, and I’ll tell you again: liked AF a lot more when they were called The Dream Academy.
JTL
19. Lared Jetto wrote on February 28th, 2007 at 11:26 am
I’d totally hump the hurdy gurdy gurl, but I’d rather take the fiddle chicks to dueling taco town if-a-ya-get-a-my DRIFT!
Wait what?
What were you singing?
Here, use this megaphone.
That’s better I can totally here you now.
20. OperaYak wrote on February 28th, 2007 at 11:53 am
I figured they were the back up band for “Dr. Fünke’s 100% Natural Good-Time Family-Band Solution”, or some weird, in-bred Mormon-family band.
I thought they sucked hard, and that they were the weakest element of an otherwise great show.
21. TimedEnd wrote on April 1st, 2007 at 7:12 pm
it’s so neat to see this strange dichotomy with arcade fire observers.. there appears to be a lot of mesmerized loving fans as well as a lot of negative haters..
(i just caught it on the march 31st rerun and am so behind in giving this response and do realize it is mostly in nihilsitic and maybe in vain at this point but if there is one person ya you that reads these words the universe will cream itself)the performance was tremendous! (I wish i was there for the post show performance too!) even the supposed contrived guitar smash bit.. i agree destroying instuments has seen better days and i think Win would agree with that and that is why he did it in that ironic way..
i guess the moral of the story is that it is so easy especially in the contemporary world to CRITISIZE with all these friggen web logs given the negative spirit of some the minimal power to exploit itself.. but honestly if you really consider your actions you can see that it is so easy to just sulk and discredit someones elses creations.. the big question people today should ask what am I contributing to this world.. What is my art?