Thursting for Moore

This past weekend I saw a living legend in full form, the one and only Thurston Moore. Never did I ever imagine getting to witness a live performance by this musical man in my own natural-born life. I headed over to the First Unitarian Church in downtown Burlington on Sunday for a night that would surely rank in my top ten list of 'best shows of all time.' Now, if you haven't paused yet and wondered why on earth Thurston Moore would ever play in a church, then clearly you are not so informed on who this genius is. Let's rewind about thirty years.

Back in the early 1980s, Thurston was the lead singer of the iconic noise-punk group, Sonic Youth. Sonic Youth was one of the first bands to take charge of this up and coming scene – a scene that was deeply rooted within the underground DIY subculture in New York City. Today, they are considered to be one of the most legendary and influential bands in experimental rock history. Their contribution and undeniable influence on what is now considered alternative and indie rock has played a huge role in giving grounds to such great acclaim.

The reason why I bring all this up is not just to justify why it was so amazing to see him perform live, (though by now you should be convinced), but because it makes seeing him play in a Unitarian Church all the more radical and also somehow hilarious. I sat most uncomfortably on a church pew, trying to ignore my foot that had decided to go into a deep, deep sleep, and drummed along as my main man sang songs and shredded away at his beautifully serene acoustic guitar. Seeing Thurston Moore pretty much destroy it at the front of the church with a two minute noise and head ache inducing interlude was probably one of the highlights of my night. That, and when he took a sip from a water bottle and said aloud, "I just had to tell myself not to throw this [water bottle] into the crowd. Sometimes I forget I'm not playing in a basement."

The whole performance was absolutely spectacular. There was a huge turn out, every seat was almost filled, and the whole church was filled with love and adoration for this god-like being that stood so tall before us. What other 53-year old man could wear a red and black plaid, loose-fitting jeans, and sport long hair that comes down over most of his face and not look ridiculous? Only my boy Thurston could pull that off, long live the king.

Check out this video to see what Sonic Youth was all about back in the good old days: