3 Years Ago Today: Pixies/Jay Reatard @ Wang Theatre

11/27/2012 by Leave a comment

This show happened. When it was announced that Jay Reatard would be opening for Pixies this evening, us dudes became beyond excited. Pixies playing Doolittle was enough to go nuts over, but man, it was just two months ago that we witnessed a fine Reatard (and Hunx/Nobunny/Box Elders/Useless Eaters) spectacle at Harpers Ferry. This announcement was insane.

Jay and his new backing band of Cola Freaks delivered in one of the strangest atmospheres he/they probably had ever played in. The modest crowd seemed puzzled by Jay’s performance and even more so the guy by the merchandise section who called him “Johnnie Reatard”. Either way, the KLYAM gang witnessed an amazing thing, something that afterward had us craving for more; we wondered when Reatard and crew would be back. Was this every 2-3 months of playing Boston going to become a habit? We hoped.

There are not many accounts of this show that mention Reatard. There are some, including our review of the show. Check it out: http://klyam.com/2009/12/04/concert-review-the-pixies/

If you were there for this and want to share any memories or what have you, go for it! It would be awesome to hear other perspectives.

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Classic SOTD: “Tiny Little Home” (Jay Reatard)

10/24/2012 by Leave a comment

This is the first time I have heard this version of “Tiny Little Home,” which now appears as a Watch Me Fall bonus track. Jay recorded a demo back in March 2008 and I presume gave it the full Reatard treatment a short while later.

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Listen To Another Track Off Barbaras New LP: “Day at the Shrine”

10/18/2012 by Leave a comment

The modern classic “Day at the Shrine,” originally recorded and released on The Barbaras 7″ which came via Goner in 2008. The 7″ version is very quiet and lo-fidelity, but features the same kind of awesome pop magic that this Jay Reatard produced version has. This version is better!

Check it out via MTV Hive: http://www.mtvhive.com/2012/10/18/barbaras-day-at-the-shrine-stream/

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Classic Jay Reatard Footage Totally Worth Checking Out

09/18/2012 by Leave a comment

Some lengthy Jay Reatard performances can be found on the great YouTube – you just gotta do some digging! Well I did the digging and here’s what I got:

The Reatards Live At Fallout Records (November 1999) – 25 minutes – Full in store recording. Jay apologizes for the band’s sobriety. The sound quality is a lil fuzzy (whaddaya expect?), but fans will recognize the tunes!

Jay Reatard Live In Australia – 36 minutes – Back when Billy was on drums and Stephen was on bass.

Jay Reatard Live In Dublin (November 2009) – 20 minutes – This is after Billy and Stephen quit and the Cola Freaks came into the picture as Jay’s backing band. I remember watching this a day or two before seeing Jay at the Wang and thinking damn, these guys got the hang of things quickly! Not to mention that it seems apparent that the addition of the new guys slowed things down quite a bit which I’d argue was for the better.

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Better Than Something Boston Screenings!

08/10/2012 by Leave a comment

Been eagerly waiting for this announcement for a year! Better Than Something is screening at the Museum of Fine Arts:

August 30, 2012, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
August 31, 2012, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
September 1, 2012, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
September 2, 2012, 1:10 pm – 2:40 pm

Better Than Something by Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz (2012, 83 min.). Controversial and prolific garage rock icon Jay Reatard released more than 60 records in his 10-year-career as a solo artist and with bands like The Lost Sounds, Final Solutions, and Angry Angles. Eloquently interweaving interviews with friends, rare concert footage, and scenes from a candid week spent with Jay, this intimate portrait—shot only months before his death—brings us incredibly close to Jay’s complicated punk-rock world.  Discussion with directors follows the August 31 screening.

Link to MFA: http://www.mfa.org/search/programs/Better%20than%20something

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That Barbaras Record Might Be Coming Out This Year

05/03/2012 by Leave a comment

As Stephen Pope tells New Zealand’s The Corner [LINK]:

Are you planning on releasing the Barbara’s album this year?

We’re shooting for that, yeah. Alicia from Lost Sounds and River City Tanlines is handling that. We recorded an LP with Jay Reatard like three years ago and we thought he’d deleted it in a fit of anger, cause that’s what he told us. Then the band kind of dissolved, but Alicia got hold of Jay’s recording machine, and it turned out that the Barbara’s LP was still on there. She’s been mixing it, and it’s been really slow process, but I think Goner’s going to put it out, hopefully this year.

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Read: “Jay Reatard Through Atlanta’s Eyes”

03/06/2012 by Leave a comment


Rolling Stone has published an interesting article that talks about Reatard documentary Better Than Something and Reatard’s relationships with the city of Atlanta and its people — Jared Swilley, Bradford Cox, the Carbonas, etc.

Check it out: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/all-or-nothing-guy-jay-reatard-through-atlantas-eyes-20120306

Also, check out this hilarious video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvTEPVldEtY

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Two Years Ago Today: Jay Reatard

01/12/2012 by 1 Comment

KLYAM fave and legend Jay Reatard passed away. This came as just as much of a shock to us as it did to others. Though I did not know Jay personally (and if you’ve seen my ‘experience with Jay Reatard’ video, you know damn well), I was affected by his death. Just as he was at the peak of his solo career, I was at my peak in being a fan of his music. Since January 12, 2010, I’ve delved much deeper into his deep discography. If you haven’t already, do check out Angry Angles, Destruction Unit, The Reatards, The Lost Sounds, and Final Solutions.

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Some Old Jay Reatard Vids

12/09/2011 by Leave a comment

It’s been nearly two years since Jay Reatard left this world. Time seems to be flying. When I first heard Jay in 2008, little did I know he’d become one of my favorites. Little did I know that I’d end up seeing him perform three times. I still need to watch Better Than Something. Hopefully, it gets released on DVD, or at least shown on the big screen in Boston.

[LINK] This video is from a Jay Reatard band practice in 2007. It includes a couple Blood Visions classics, an early take on “Always Wanting More” (Selling your coke or telling your joke, they always want something more from you), and an unreleased song, presumably titled “OH OH OH OH”.

Below is the official music video for “My Family”. Just kidding. Well, kind of. It’s a Mike Long video. It was removed from his original YouTube channel (along with every other of his great videos), but before that happened Jay actually saw it and liked it. In fact, he sent it as ‘thee music video’  to some zine.

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Two Years Ago Today…

11/27/2011 by 1 Comment


Chris and I saw the late great Jay Reatard opening for the Pixies at the mighty Wang Theater (now Citi Performing Arts Center). This was the last time we’d ever get to see him. I remember anticipating his next Boston show, which I figured would be very soon (he had played here three times in five months).

Our review of his set from back in the day:
“Jay and His Denmarkian cohorts (Cola Freaks), they robbed the painted nude ceiling women of their respective virginities with their twelve o’clock chunk, even though most of the crowd was settling in through their set. Their sound was great. I only wish that I was standing and bumping into my companions. As soon as they hit the stage, they blasted into the classic “Blood Visions.” Within just a few moments of mayhem, Jay Reatard aficionados, the few of us, could tell he sounded better than ever before. One fan in particular was so excited he stood up and wildly danced and humped the air! The songs were longer (well, by his standards lol) and resembled their studio counterparts a bit more, whilst retaining that noisy assault Jay prides himself on. Highlights were “See/Saw” (as always) and “I Know A Place,” although the entire set was exceptional. Without a doubt Jay Reatard goes down as my favorite opening act. Alas, the performance was underappreciated, since everyone came for the Pixies, but that’s okay because we’re all fucking creeps!”

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