August 27 – On This Day!

1995: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Bogart’s, Cincinatti, OH, US
w/ Demolition Doll Rolls

1996: Butter 08 – Butter – released in the US

1999: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Reading Festival, Evening Session Stage, Berkshire, UK

“Watching a popular British act in a massive crowd was high on my to-do list but I still skipped seeing the headlining Charlatans, who I’d been missing for eight years to see Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Elastica absolutely destroy in the big tent.” – https://yerdoingreat.wordpress.com

2000: Boss Hog – Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, Biddinghuizen, Netherlands

2005: Heavy Trash – Postbahnhof, Berlin, Germany
w/ The Tremolo Beer Gut and Powersolo

“Umjesto ‘Blues Explosion!’ urlika Jon Spencer je vikao ‘Heavy Trash ladies and gentlemen! Heavy Trash!’ i nije nedostajalo skakanja po pozornici, bacanja na pod, naginjanja u publiku, rušenja stvari i općenito svega onoga zbog čega je Jon Spencer – Jon Spencer. Ali dojam je ipak bio drugačiji. Nekako se činio veselijim. A tek novi plesni pokreti… Elvis je mala beba naspram njega! S Blues Explosion je ipak malo mračnija atmosfera.” – Ana (terapija.net)

Front and rear of a set-list from Heavy Trash at the Postbahnhof, Berlin show. The rear side shows a provisional set-list written in biro with Dark Hair’d Rider put in at a later time.

Review / Set List / Photo: Ana

2009: Cat Power (w/ Judah Bauer, Russell Simins, Erik Paparazzi and Gregg Foreman) – Marymoor Amphitheater, Redmond, Washington, US
w/ The Pretenders and Juliette Lewis

Posted in On This Day!

August 26 – On This Day!

1995: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Metro, Chicago, IL, US

2000: Boss Hog – Pukkelpop, Kiewit, Hasselt, Belgium

Live Photos: Gie Knaeps

2002: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – The Boat Club, Nottingham, UK

2005: Heavy Trash – VibraCrunch 7, Molleparken, Malmo, Sweden
w/ The Raveonettes, 18th Dye, The Mopeds, EPO-555, South Ambulance, Figurines, Tublenco, Frank Ziyanak and Bazookahosen

2006: Heavy Trash – Bug Jar Summer Music Fest, Highland Bowl, Rochester, New York, US
w/ Chinese Stars, Foreign Islands, Bludwulf, Gaylord, The Purrs, Hinkley, with DJs Thunderclap and El Destructo

“Spencer’s a suave sonofabitch as well. He comes on greasy and strong. His music’s undeniable sweat, swagger and reverence are menacing. And though something of an iconoclastic cult figure, Spencer has no underlying motive beyond diggin’ the kicks the music brings. It happens every time.

“I know once we get started playing, I’m just going to feel swept away,” Spencer says from his home in New York. “It’s just the music. I don’t know how to explain it any differently. It really just makes me feel so good.”” – Frank De Blasé / RochesterCityNewspaper.com

Show Preview / Interview: https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/heavy-trash/Content?oid=2132981

2007: The Pierces (w/ Russell Simins) – Mercury Lounge

2009: Cat Power (w/ Judah Bauer, Russell Simins, Erik Paparazzi and Gregg Foreman) – Malkin Bowl, Vancouver, BC, Canada
w/ The Pretenders and Juliette Lewis

2011: Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues – Webster Hall, New York City, NY, US
w/ Voorhees

Live Photo: Cesar Perdomo

SET LIST:

Bully
Don’t Explain
Song to Bobby
Silver Stallion
Lord, Help the Poor and Needy
Real Life
Brave Liar
The Greatest

– [long intermission] –

I Wanna Be Your Dog
Cherokee
Dreams
unknown new song
Let Me Go
*unknown new song
Monster
Ruin
I Don’t Blame You

Posted in On This Day!

August 25 – On This Day!

August 25 – On This Day!

1995: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI, US
w/ R. L. Burnside

Poster Artwork: Mark Dancey

2000: Boss Hog – Reading Festival, Berkshire, UK

2002: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK

2005: Heavy Trash – Musikcaféen, Århus, Denmark

2006: Heavy Trash – Bearsville Theater, Woodstock, New York, US

2009: Jail Weddings – Inconvenient Dreams – released in the US

2009: Cat Power (w/ Judah Bauer, Russell Simins, Erik Paparazzi and Gregg Foreman) – Edgefield Amphitheater, OR, US
w/ The Pretenders and Juliette Lewis

Poster Design: Keegan Onefoot

2011: Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues – Webster Hall, New York City, NY, US

Posted in On This Day!

August 24 – On This Day!

1995: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – The Wedge, Much Music, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The presenter is Sook-Yin Lee who was filming with Jon Spencer and Russell Simins around Polson Street and whilst being interviewed on top of the van at the docks at exactly 12.32am they witnessed a fireball over Toronto and the resulting footage appeared on the news.

This footage of this live performance and the fireball appeared on the Live Promo Video (VIDEO, US)and is mentioned in the article Vice: I Cannot Play The Blues: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Fireball Jon Spencer.

“The summer of 1995 was hot for us Ontarians – so hot, in fact, that one night in July the sky boiled. I remember thinking, “you know, green is an awfully funny colour for the sky,” when the gigantic ball of fire screamed its way south, directly over my head. It turned out to be a meteor; it landed close to Buffalo, or maybe in Buffalo, or on Buffalo. At any rate, I was shocked. I phoned the police and asked them about the giant ball of fire. The police didn’t know anything. I asked my family. They were also mute. I asked friends and neighbours, in whose regard I slipped a notch or two I’m afraid. Nobody knew anything, and I began to question my sanity.

I’d all but forgotten about the giant ball of fire when, absent-mindedly flipping to Much Music, I saw Jon Spencer Blues Explosion interview with Sook-Yin Lee. Jon Spencer, Russell Simins and Judah Bauer were seated outside, speaking with Lee, when that very same giant ball of fire flew over their heads. The ball of fire finished the interview. I was pleased to be redeemed, but also kind of awe-struck by the cosmic powers of the Blues Explosion. Where else can you find a band to bring down the heavens?” – Jon Durbin (Vice magazine, November 1998)

1995: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – The Phoenix, Toronto, ON, Canada
w/ R. L. Burnside

Poster Design: Adam Swinbourne

1997: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen, The Netherlands

Live Photo: Niels van Ipren

2002: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Reading Festival, Reading, UK

Live Photos: John Bownas (https://www.flickr.com/photos/virtualfestivals/)

2005: Heavy Trash – Studenterhuset, Aalborg, Denmark

Posted in On This Day!

August 23 – On This Day!

1997: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Pukkelpop, Hasselt, Belgium

Live Photos: Gie Knaeps

1999: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Heavy – released in the UK

2002: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen, Netherlands

2005: Heavy Trash – Pusterviksbaren, Gothenburg, Sweden

2009: Cat Power (w/ Judah Bauer, Russell Simins, Erik Paparazzi and Gregg Foreman) – Red Butte Garden Amphiteatre, Salt Lake City, Utah, US
w/ The Pretenders and Juliette Lewis

Posted in On This Day!