SlipLive

The Bowery Ballroom show was excellent -- as good a Slip show as I've seen in years, dating back before their hiatus. (Thanks for the review Lucas! Cross-posted)

Fired up, having fun, tight-but-loose-in-the-pocket, in command of the material, and straight-up blowing-it-out for adoring fans after a two-year absence from the scene.

Our dozen-strong crew (multiple ten-year Slip vets to novices) of citizen-journalists was grinning ear-to-ear and tearing it up for the whole show.

(Re: Harry’s setlist issue: After a long hiatus, you know they’re working up a smaller list of songs to play VERY WELL. As this mini-tour moves forward, trust that they will bust out some of the old-school classics you want to hear, if not the super-rare esoteric tracks that few people other than us know. The Slip played the best Weight of Solomon I’ve heard in a decade Friday night. You will not be disappointed at HSMF.)

Let me get the bad news out of the way. I was disappointed that on a Friday night in NYC the band didn't garner a better turnout, though I can’t say I was surprised. Maybe 350 people showed up at a club that can hold double that. I know they’ve been on hiatus, but I live within walking distance of the venue, and I saw/heard no promotion.

So where is The Slip’s management? On Friday, a person close to the band told me The Slip currently doesn't have a manager. Pause.

I've worked in the management/booking/promotion business, and I can tell you this is not good. I have no inside knowledge. But if it’s true, I have no doubt that the band must be trying to address this issue if they plan on releasing another album or touring more widely.

Now, the good news. After witnessing Bowery -- and hearing Paradise -- I'm very pleased to report that as of July 1, 2009 The Slip sounds outstanding live: really working it out and grooving hard on recent and older material and prepping interesting new stuff. Crowd response has been fierce.

The band sounds and appears enthusiastic, engaged, forward-looking, and perhaps most important -- very, very sharp. During their long hiatus, The Slip clearly spent quite a bit of time practicing. This is really good news for Slip fans. This band sounds amazing right now. And it's only going to sound better.

In particular, Slip drummer Andrew Barr sounds as good as I've ever heard him -- dating back a decade. At Bowery, this percussion master displayed a blinding show of speed, virtuosity and soul, with an absolute command of his kit. Just incredible. Must be heard and seen to believed!

Marc and Brad are both practiced up and engaged as well. Marc is COMPLETELY dialed in -- even as he deliberately eschews the Lafaro/Pastorious-type melodic bass solos he once reeled off seemingly effortlessly. Brad is fully in the game and playing his ass off, and he sounds great.

I can only imagine this very special band is shopping its new record/tour, and I expect new management will come with that.

About Bowery: We loved the show -- and I think the tape will prove what an outstanding show it truly was. I won't do a song-by-song review, (other than to thank the band for playing Weight of Solomon very well), but suffice it to say the band sounded very enthusiastic and tight. Really on it: knowing the songs well and executing them well.

The key ingredients are here, then, for a Slip resurgence. But they’ll have to prove it on the road, as they always have. At Bowery, all three band-members appeared pumped up and smiling, and most importantly ENJOYING and even REVELING in playing these Slip songs together. The new songs are excellent. There is definitely a new album in here, if not two.

At the Bowery, I was impressed by how crisp the playing was -- much crisper than I expected after the hiatus and doubts about whether The Slip would continue to record and tour. By Brad’s own admission, The Slip has been taking a long break "hiding out" and "happily plotting our next thing." This band is on – or close to – its game.

But will the “next thing” be new Slip material and a tour, or a renamed version of Surprise Me Mr. Davis, the troubadour-rock quartet fronted by rising singer-songwriter (and my friend) Nathan Moore -- that Slip fans have enjoyed in recent years while their favorite band was on hiatus?

“Keep the faith,” Brad Barr sings, during a new song provisionally titled “England,” which is cropping up as a reliable encore during this mini-tour. Hard-core Slip partisans will certainly keep the faith. But how many new fans will the band attract if it changes format to a full-time quartet with a completely new name?

To me, The Slip is a better, more enjoyable band than SMMD, and I think The Slip should focus on building their own valuable brand, rather than messing around with other configurations.

You want to talk about Michael Jackson. The Slip is a national rock institution. It’s time the band -- and it's fans -- get serious about a new album and tour. Hire management, procure a record deal, cut a record, promote the hell out of it, and go on tour. We’ll be there, and we’ll bring our friends.

Ten years later, The Slip still has the right stuff. What’s really encouraging to me is that the band clearly believes it, too.
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Can't answer the poll as I've only heard the 1st 2 shows on tape; still waiting for our Canadian friends to post the last two (hint, hint!)

I could see the Slip doing pretty well for themselves if they made a go of it... They actually seemed well on the way a couple years ago with Guitar Hero, Conan, Eisenhower, tour opening for MMJ, etc. but I am glad they took their time to get their heads together a little bit. As good as the music was in late '06 and throughout '07 I could hear (and see) the burnout a little bit. They definitely sound refreshed... actually they really sounded good in Dec. at the Paradise IMO.

As far as management goes if they want to make a living playing music they are going to need a good manager. I kind of suspected they didn't have a manager after I talked to their old manager last Winter and he said he wasn't doing much for the guys anymore. With the Internet and the crazy access to music that everyone has as well as the state of the economy you really need someone out there to pimp your band and even if someone in the band is inclined towards shameless self-promotion it seems really hard to juggle that as well as being the artist if any measure of success is reached.

Of course, there are always exceptions, I was reading an interview with Doug Martsch of Built to Spill and he was saying that he basically road-manages them, picking up the dry-cleaning on tour and all of that. Now Built To Spill certainly isn't a household name for most of America but they seem to make it, doing pretty extensive touring in Europe and playing a lot of mid-sized venues in the U.S.

It is going to be hard to divide their attentions between Slip and Davis but then again Nathan has his solo thing going on too. I think there's enough room for both, I hope they can just get someone involved to do all the promotional legwork which will start getting venues filled. I mean if Capshaw wasn't on board with Phish 3.0 I don't think their whole Summer tour would have necessarily sold out....

In any case I am here because I love the music. I hope they enjoy financial and critical success for many reasons but a large part of the motivation of my wishes is selfish - I want them to be able to keep going so I can keep seeing them play!

just to clarify, Built To Spill is much, much, much bigger than The Slip.

They pull in sell out crowds at mid-sized venues all across the country, and are actually considered one of the catalyst bands (along with Pavement, Sonic Youth, The Pixies, etc.) of this "indie" thing that's been going on for the last few years.

I'm not trying to knock The Slip at all, but they've got a long way to go, to get to that point. Unless they release a "best of the year" type album soon, I don't see The Slip ever getting to that point.

I've been to some Slip shows in the southeast and in Colorado where there were fewer than 50 paying customers in the club.

But hey, that doesn't necessarily matter in the long run. If they can keep going -- doing what they're doing -- I hope they do it forever. These guys make some of the most honest music I've ever heard. All three of them have chops out the wazoo. I'm glad to hear they're still playing and playing how they want to. I wouldn't expect anything else.

putty wrote:just to clarify, Built To Spill is much, much, much bigger than The Slip.

They pull in sell out crowds at mid-sized venues all across the country, and are actually considered one of the catalyst bands (along with Pavement, Sonic Youth, The Pixies, etc.) of this "indie" thing that's been going on for the last few years.

I'm not trying to knock The Slip at all, but they've got a long way to go, to get to that point. Unless they release a "best of the year" type album soon, I don't see The Slip ever getting to that point.

I've been to some Slip shows in the southeast and in Colorado where there were fewer than 50 paying customers in the club.

But hey, that doesn't necessarily matter in the long run. If they can keep going -- doing what they're doing -- I hope they do it forever. These guys make some of the most honest music I've ever heard. All three of them have chops out the wazoo. I'm glad to hear they're still playing and playing how they want to. I wouldn't expect anything else.

Yeah, and until BTS covers a Slip song...you're absolutely correct. [but I like The Slip's version better personally...]

i'm pretty sure the built to spill is headlining pitchfork in chicago soon. the set they are playing is supposedly going to be selected by the audience. maybe i can sneak in a slip song or two into the setlist. then, we can compare...