Andy Boyko says things to you

A koan from Anton van Straaten:

The venerable master Qc Na was walking with his student, Anton. Hoping to prompt the master into a discussion, Anton said “Master, I have heard that objects are a very good thing – is this true?” Qc Na looked pityingly at his student and replied, “Foolish pupil – objects are merely a poor man’s closures.”

Chastised, Anton took his leave from his master and returned to his cell, intent on studying closures. He carefully read the entire “Lambda: The Ultimate…” series of papers and its cousins, and implemented a small Scheme interpreter with a closure-based object system. He learned much, and looked forward to informing his master of his progress.

On his next walk with Qc Na, Anton attempted to impress his master by saying “Master, I have diligently studied the matter, and now understand that objects are truly a poor man’s closures.” Qc Na responded by hitting Anton with his stick, saying “When will you learn? Closures are a poor man’s object.” At that moment, Anton became enlightened.

So dchud demonstrated the right way to publish the list of shows you’ve seen, which I’d been dwelling on since Genie hit me on That Site I Hate with the recent meme.

Now I regret not having kept better track of dates and venues, and I wonder what shows I’ve forgotten altogether. Stream-of-consciousness order, not chronological or priority, wheat and chaff alike. Nothing I don’t remember seeing (and hopefully nothing I remember but didn’t actually see).

High School, embryonic

• Eric Clapton
• The Who
• Rush

College, curious

• Primus/Fishbone
• Guns n’ Roses
• Faith No More
• Allman Brothers
• Stanley Jordan
• Velocity Girl
• Shudder To Think x2
• Aleka’s Attic
• Matthew Sweet x2
• Mekons
• Obituary
• Fugazi
• Seaweed
• Archers of Loaf
• William Hooker
• Sugar
• Belly
• Lollapalooza ’91: Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Living Colour, Butthole Surfers, Fishbone, Henry Rollins
• Lollapalooza ’92: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Ministry
• Lollapalooza ’93: Primus, Fishbone, I have no idea what the hell else
• WHFStival ’93: Matthew Sweet, Belly, Velocity Girl, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin

Young adulthood, voracious

• Fugazi (maybe a dozen more times?)
• Dismemberment Plan (probably a dozen)
• Jawbox (five or six?)
• Burning Airlines (also five or six)
• Stereolab (x4)
• The Make-Up (x3 or 4)
• Blond Redhead (x 3 or 4)
• Superchunk (x 3 or 4)
• Bob Mould (x3 or 4, plus one as Bob Mould Band w/Archers of Loaf)
• Low (x 3 or 4)
• Yo La Tengo (x 4)
• Prince (x 3)
• Polvo (x 2 or 3)
• Matthew Sweet (x 2 or 3)
• Godspeed You Black Emperor! x2
• Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (x 3)
• Mr. Bungle x 2
• Hot Snakes x2
• Trans Am (x2)
• June of ’44 (x2)
• Dirty Three x 2
• Shellac
• Air Miami/Tuscadero
• Faraquet
• For Carnation/Storm and Stress
• Pavement/Silkworm
• The Ex
• Butter 08
• Tortoise + Oval
• Pan Sonic
• Orbital
• Bill Frisell
• R.E.M.
• Ted Leo
• Jenny Toomey
• Sunny Day Real Estate/No Knife
• Sleater-Kinney
• Kerosene 454
• Rocket From The Crypt
• Tindersticks (w/Elliot Smith, at least I think that was that show)
• Spinanes
• Mark Robinson/Phil Krauth
• New Pornographers
• Wire
• Arlington’s Indie Rock Flea Market ’94, ’95: Eggs, Edsel, …?

Post-kids: old, jaded and lazy

• Touch & Go 25: Shellac, Big Black, Scratch Acid, Monorchid, The Ex, The New Year, Pinback, !!!, Seam, Calexico
• Boredoms
• Tim Berne’s Bloodcount
• Mary Timony/Medications
• Akron/Family (x3)
• Mastodon
• Shellac (x2)
• Gojira