It might’ve been a cop-out going to see Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks merely because of the immortal Pavement frontman’s accomplishments in the ‘90s (effectively cementing him as a poster boy for indie enthusiasts). This is due to the fact that his lesser heard modern tracks made for a set full of cleverly structured, genre-crossing ballads, still highlighting his talents as one of the best songwriters of this generation.
Supporting were Twerps, a sad irony of their set being in trying to find the way to the Zoo’s stage, a lot of people ended up dicking around as the set started. However, past the surprisingly adequate soundproofing of the giraffe pen and the small horde of disinterested primates lay a grand sea of picnic blankets accompanied by the smooth jangle tones of the local four-piece. Tracks such as I Don’t Mind,with its lo-fi surf sound cultured an atmosphere of sorts, complementing the canned beers and lush grass sitting space perfectly. Although admittedly worried about playing too fast due to nerves, Twerps played a reserved yet polished set with a careful balance between old tracks and new including enough on-stage banter to keep the show jovial.
Next up was the man himself, and straight from the moment he opened his mouth, that all too familiar, drawn-out cadence of Stephen Malkmus threw the audience back two decades while buttering the grounds up with blues licks, progressive melodies and commanding guitar solos being held together by four chord backing riffs. Many a dorky joke was thrown around, Malkmus saying he came “dressed as a Sydney waiter” with an unbuttoned white shirt looking slightly unkempt, but a surprising edge buffed the set when he took the microphone and muted his guitar strings in a very Sonic Youth fashion. The show wrapped up in perfect fashion with Pavement’s track, Summer Babe, crowd members scurrying to the front after trying to pop their eyes back in their head from the surprise.
Something unusual to note about the show (taking into consideration this is probably the first time punters were watching a show near a literal lion’s den) was the near perfect quality of sound. The mixing for the outdoor stage was uncharacteristically crisp compared to mixing gaffes that plagued this festival season, making it that much easier to appreciate the acts. Vocals were audible and equal between parts with more than one singer, bass and drumming wasn’t mixed so high as to dominate the set and intricate lead guitar twangs and solos were heard clearly – and even outside of the charismatic grip of both acts, this round of the Melbourne Zoo’s Twilight Series was overall a flawless listening experience.
BY THOMAS BRAND
Loved: The fact that the ‘new’ stuff was as good as the ‘old’ stuff.
Hated: Not being able to ride the giraffes.
Drank: Too much, awoke in a pub toilet at 4.30am.
