August 5 – On This Day!

http://www.ripitup.co.nz/music/photos-jon-spencer-blues-explosion-and-swamp-thing-auckland/1987: Pussy Galore – Joel Aid / The Channel, Boston, US
w/ Big Black, Urge Overkill, MC Byron Coley and DJ Debbie Southwood Smith

nb. Last Big Black show.

1989: Pussy Galore – CBGB, New York City, NY, US
w/ Cop Shoot Cop, Honeymoon Killers, The Unsane and The Dust Devils

nb. Last Pussy Galore show (excluding the reunion at Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ on December 23, 2011).

The recordings from this show were remixed in 1997 and released as Live: In The Red on vinyl and CD.

Part of this show was broadcast on The John Peel radio show on 25 July 1990.

Peel Session Tracks:

Dead Meat
SM57
Understand Me
Pig Sweat
Nothin’ Can Bring Me Down
New Breed

Poster Image: alexinnyc (https://vassifer.blogs.com/alexinnyc/2006/12/sweet_little_hi.html)

1994: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Playroom, Gold Coast, Australia
w/ Beck and Magic Dirt

“Anybody who witnessed The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on their first visit to Australia and New Zealand in the early nineties as support to US hipster Beck, would have seen a man – a band – seemingly possessed with the spirit of everything great rock ‘n’ roll has to offer. A flat out garage attack of diamond riffs, snarled vocals, blues hollering, the funky drummer beats and tunes you can actually dance and/or fuck to.” – FeelPresents.com (2011)

Comment regarding The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion supporting Beck during the Australian tour (exact show unknown):

“A few much cooler people were there solely for the support band, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, who really confused the audience who wanted to like them, but couldn’t yell and scream because the JSBX played continuously, with no breaks between songs.

Beck joined the JSBX for a song, which massively excited the audience, but it wasn’t Loser so it didn’t really matter.” – robyngallagher.com

2000: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Summer Sonic, Tokyo, Japan

The band have referred to this online and said that their set was delayed by 45 minutes due to James Brown but the band had the “good fortune to meet the Godfather” and Russell got his autograph.

There was also a Summer Sonic shirt specifically for this event.

2011: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Off Festival, Katowice, Poland

2015: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand
w/ Swamp Thing

nb. Show rescheduled from 31 July 2015

Live Photo (Colour): Trevor Villers
Live Photos (b/w): Powerstation ( https://www.facebook.com/powerstationnz/)

2017: Cat Power (w/ Judah Bauer) – Feed The Body, Feed The Soul @ Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, 400 W College Ave, Appleton, Wisconsin, WI 54911, US

2018: Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – The Vogue Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, US
w/ Melvins

HITmakers show #8

Interview / Show Preview:

“NUVO: I know you’re putting out your first solo record in the fall. What went into the decision to go down this solo route?

SPENCER: Because I wanted to do something, and I don’t have a band. [laughs] I needed to just get out there and start something new. Boss Hog [a band he’s in with his wife] put a record out about a year ago called Brood X. We did some touring, but we were somewhat limited because most people in the group have full-time jobs. We’ve done some touring. We’d like to do more, but we can’t go out for weeks at a time.

I was really missing having a band. Last summer, I wrote a bunch of songs and then took a trip out to Benton Harbor, Michigan to work at Key Club Recording and made this record Spencer Sings the Hits! I worked with Sam Coomes, who is best known for being one half of Quasi. Sam played bass using a lot of synthesizers, and the drummer is a local guy from Kalamazoo named M. Sord. Sord was somebody that I got to know from working at the Key Club. He’s kind of like the studio handyman, but he’s also a great drummer.

We tracked the record last fall, and the session got cut short because my father-in-law passed away. Then, in January, I went back out to the Key Club to finish the record—to overdub and mix the thing. It’s been done for a while, and hopefully it’ll be out in October. If people come out and see us play, we will have a special prerelease vinyl-only tour edition of the record. So you could buy a copy if you come to the show. Otherwise, you’ve gotta wait until October. I should also mention that joining us live on these dates will be my old friend Bob Bert, who was in Pussy Galore with me. There are going to be four of us.” – Seth Johnson / nuvo.newsnirvana.com

Full Interview: https://nuvo.newsnirvana.com/music/jon-spencer-s-wild-ride/article_cf2b7400-94fd-11e8-843f-67ad9a357545.html

Poster Design: Jeremy Packer (https://www.instagram.com/zombieyeti/)
Live Photo: Kevin Hickner (https://www.instagram.com/kev_yo/)
Billboard Photo: Luc Alberts (https://www.instagram.com/sixstringrevolver/)

Posted in On This Day!

August 4 – On This Day!

1987: Pussy Galore – unknown US tour date

1989: Pussy Galore – unknown US tour date

1994: Jon Spencer – interview with Thicker Magazine, New York City, NY, US

Photos: Cristina Martinez

1994: Boss Hog – Tramps, New York City, NY, US

1999: Dub Narcotic Sound System & Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Sideways Soul: Dub Narcotic Sound System Meets The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in a Dancehall Style – The test pressing was manufactured on August 4, 1999 and the commercial version was released in September 1999.

nb. This copy of the record sold for $36.00 and was later listed by another seller for a truly heroic $2999.99

2006: Coldcut (feat. Jon Spencer) – Live at The Big Chill, Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire, UK

2008: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Init Club, Rome, Italy

2011: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Palác Acropolis, Prague, Czech Republic

2015: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, New Zealand

“Jon Spencer Blues Explosion such a phenomenal show at Chick’s Hotel tonight. Jon even had energy for some bar work.”

Live Photo / Quote: Fishrider Records (https://twitter.com/FishriderNZ)

2017: Jon Spencer [DJ Set] – Shakin’ All Over Under Sideways Down!, New York Night Train @ Home Sweet Home, New York City, NY, US

2018: Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Ace of Cups, Columbus, OH, US
w/ Cheater Slicks

HITmakers show #7

Live Photo: Danielle Petrosa (https://www.instagram.com/daniellepetrosa/)
Ticket Image: John Grosvenor (https://www.instagram.com/grosvenordesign/)

Posted in On This Day!

August 3 – On This Day!

1989: Pussy Galore – Ground Zero, Boston, US

1999: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI, US
w/ Rage Against The Machine

2001: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Rock in Japan Festival, Ibaraki, Japan

2003: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Summer Sonic, Osaka, Japan

2008: Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

2014: Mike Edison / Cristina Martinez / Jon Spencer – Arts & Seizures – Heritage Radio Network @ Robertas, 261 Moore Street, Brooklyn, NY, US

Including the live performances of River Deep Mountain High and three different renditions of ‘Birthday Blues’ (two of which feature Cristina and Jon).

2018: Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – El Club, Detroit, MI, US
w/ The Melvins

HITmakers show #6

Soundcheck Photo: Brian Walsby (https://www.instagram.com/brianwalsby/)

Interview / Show Preview Feature:

“Todd: Not at all. Even the club scene is coming back. I know that we’ll get to that a little bit because you’re coming to town August 3rd to play the El Club. You’ve played a lot of clubs in Detroit over your extensive career.

Jon: Been there a few times. One of my fondest memories of Detroit was getting shown around by Danny Kroha, and it was back when the Fortune Building was still there. You know – Fortune Record Studio. And I guess we were sort of breaking into abandoned buildings, but climbing the fence, and going in there. There wasn’t much to see, but it was still very exciting for us, me and my band mates. Danny would say like, “Oh, yeah, when I first went in here you could find old paper labels.” There were still kind of pieces there that indicated what the history of what that place once was. Detroit is definitely a very cool place. It’s interesting to see, I don’t know what you call it, the rejuvenation or the reinvention.” – Todd ‘ToddStar’ Jolicoeur / https://100percentrock.com/2018/07/interview-jon-spencer-july-2018/

Posted in On This Day!

August 2 – On This Day!

1989: Pussy Galore – Les Foufounes Électriques, Montreal, QC, Canada
w/ Shlonk and Bliss

2002: 20 Miles – El Matador, New Orleans, LA, US

2003: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Summer Sonic, Tokyo, Japan

2006: Puffy – Splurge EP – vinyl edition released in Japan

Includes Go Baby Power Now featuring Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray of Heavy Trash along with Simon Chardiet, Daniel Jodocy and Phil Hernandez (who all performed on the Going Way Out With Heavy Trash album) and Chris Maxwell.

2008: Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues – Newport Folk Festival, Newport, Rhode Island, US

2011: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Gebaude 9, Köln, Germany

2015: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Allen St, Christchurch, New Zealand

2018: Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids, MI, US
w/ The Melvins and Yen Yen

HITmakers show #5

“His 45-minute set was minimalist and coarse, unrefined rock with lurching rhythms and awkward spaces between notes, topped with Spencer’s hallmark affected yelps.”

“Spencer’s guitar was all jagged skronk. What’s best described as “miscellaneous percussion” was played on an empty automobile gas tank and, yes, a trash can. It’s surely the type of anti-virtuoso racket that’s harder to play than it looks.” – John Serba / localspins.com

Poster Design: Shawn Knight (https://www.instagram.com/shawnknight000/)
Live Photos: Derek Ketchum (https://localspins.com/melvins-rock-might-tight-head-scratchingly-brilliant-in-grand-rapids-local-spans/)
Notice Board Photo: Jon Spencer

Posted in On This Day!

August 1 – On This Day!

Pussy Galore - Apocalypse Club, Toronto, Canada (1 August 1989)1989: Pussy Galore – Apocalypse Club, Toronto, ON, Canada

Photo Credit: Rick McGinnis (https://www.instagram.com/rickmcginnis/)

1995: Cheater Slicks – Don’t Like You – released

Jon Spencer produced this album and provided guest vocals on Mystery Ship.

2002: 20 Miles – Rudyard’s, Houston, TX, US

2003: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Shibuya Club Quattro, Tokyo, Japan

2008: Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues – Lollapaloza, Grant Park, Chicago, IL, US

Poster Design: Justin Hampton

2010: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Osheaga, Montreal, QC, Canada

2015: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Bar Bodega, Wellington, New Zealand

Live Photo: Damian McDonnell (https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/photo/16359/Jon-Spencer-Blues-Explosion.utr)

2016: The Scientists – A Place Called Bad – released

The cover sticker features a quote from Jon Spencer which is taken from the Sedition live album.

“The Scientists turned my head around and made a man out of me! They grew hair on my palms and made my socks stink!” – Jon Spencer

2018: Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Ignition Music Garage, Goshen, IN, US
w/ Bugg

nb. This was the first headline show for Jon Spencer & The HITmakers

HITmakers show #4

Band Photo: Andy Weatherill (https://www.instagram.com/uuuhyeah/)
Bob Bert (Inside): Ignition Music (https://www.facebook.com/IgnitionMusicGarage/)
Bob Bert (Outside) / Set List: Jon Spencer (https://www.instagram.com/jonspencerhitmaker/)

Posted in On This Day!