I'm usually pretty on the ball with tickets, but I've been getting increasingly allergic to Ticketmaster fees and the almost $10 they were tacking on for last night's Stephen Malkmus show was too much for me to stomach. Of course, the show sold out on me by the time I made it to the box office, and as a result I've never had to work so hard for a ticket. Long story short, a couple things fell through but I ended up getting in for face value. These things have a way of working out.

The show itself was very good - a cut below the Pig Lib shows I saw, but more because I love Pig Lib so much than because of any real shortcomings. Jicks shows seem to lean heavily on the latest album, and Face the Truth dominated last night's setlist with only "Kindling for the Master" and "Post-Paint Boy" going unplayed. Some of the songs sounded a little flatter on stage ("Freeze the Saints," "Mama," "I've Hardly Been"), but the best songs reached new heights - an epic "No More Shoes," "It Kills," and "Baby C'mon" especially. SM's guitar playing never fails to impress me live, always so expressive with extra licks everywhere, but it was John Moen's drumming that really won me over. He's gotten better with every tour, and his playing on killer versions of "Pencil Rot" and "Water and a Seat" made it clear that he's become an essential part of the band. Both were highlights, and "Dynamic Calories" (from the Pig Lib bonus disc) was a wonderful surprise. A few more old tunes would've been nice.

That said, the best song of the night, by a long shot, was one that I'd never heard before. (It's not often you say that about a show.) "Carl the Clod" is an unreleased Jicks tune, apparently from the Face the Truth sessions, and it was amazing last night - 10 or so minutes long, sort of like a classic rock marriage of "No More Shoes" and "1% of One" (if that makes any sense). The encore was definite letdown afterwards, but all in all it was a satisfying show. They'll be back on July 4, and I look forward to it. (And, BTW, I rank myself somewhere between categories 1 and 2 on Jason's gigography when it comes to Malkmus.)

Check out Fluxblog for another review of the show and solo MP3's of "Carl the Clod" and "Grace" (the other unreleased song played). Acid Casualties has a full-band version of "Carl the Clod" closer to last night's. And more pictures are on Flickr.

SETLIST

Mama / Pencil Rot / Water and a Seat / Loud Cloud Crowd / No More Shoes / Dynamic Calories / I've Hardly Been / Freeze the Saints / Dark Wave / It Kills / Jenny and the Ess-Dog / Grace / Baby C'mon / Carl the Clod

ENCORE: Malediction / ? (SM on drums, Moen on guitar/vocals)