Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Jandek on Tour!

As I think I mentioned somewhere below, I have this fantasy that, due to mounting "rebel consumerism" -- as the herd seeks to find new ways to attain access to formerly elitist modes of expression and the ever-flexible tendrils of consumer capitalism find new ways to gratify their needs -- Jandek will become a superstar. I would greatly enjoy this; I don't expect it will ever come to pass, but tis a consummation devoutly to be wish'd... I mean, think on it, none of us old punks ever suspected that bands that any form of "our music" (even a cleaned-up and castrated Sum 41/ Green Day version) would have commercial viability among the sons and daughters of the same beer-drinkin' meatheads who used to beat us up for lookin' funny and listening to music that sucks; now the very seven inches we spent $5 on back-in-the-day are fetching upwards of $500 on eBay, punk nostaligia is at its peak, at least a few old bands are fighting like dogs over the royalties to their back catalogues or and touring again, since they can finally make money at it, and you can even occasionally hear things that remind you of the good old days on the radio (tho' you still won't be hearing the Minutemen, Flesheaters, DOA, the Big Boys or Black Flag. Not even X). He's got a ways to go, but Jandek, once considered an outsider artist, recluse, and possible nut, considered listenable only by the most uuhrm distinguished music snobs out there, as of now has had one DVD and two tribute albums devoted to him, and is set for a mini-tour of North America, the first show of which is sold out. These are steps in the right direction, folks. I think Sony should seriously look at signing him. I want to see Jandek CDs in Zellers, in Future Shop, in K-Mart. I want to hear "Message to the Clerk" on classic rock stations. If anyone deserves to be the next Bob Dylan, it's Jandek.

Does K-Mart still exist?

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