Wye Oak, tUnE-YarDs, Dirty Projectors, Titus Andronicus and a host of awesome indie rockers hit the stage of NYC’s Bowery Ballroom over the weekend, paying tribute to Michael Azerrad’s must-read Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 by covering songs by bands (Nirvana, Replacements, Sonic Youth, Minor Threat, etc.) documented in the classic book. By all accounts — including highlights posted by Azerrad himself, who crowd-surfed at the encouragement of Jenn Wasner — everyone killed it. This video of St. Vincent’s Annie Clark slaying Big Black’s “Kerosene,” though, is the best I’ve seen today. You can check it out above and watch another angle, which includes her take on “Bad Penny,” here. Also, NPR is streaming audio from the whole show.
Ethan Johns, Featured, Jon Brion, Laura Marling, Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams