Beastie Boys on Mark Wahlberg’s UnderwearWhen the Beastie Boys first announced their new album, The Mix Up, would be a full-bore instrumental affair, we hoped that the accompanying tour would not be. Because while the boys’ trippier non-rap fare has always been a tasty garnish, it’s those pass-the-mike jams, stuffed with pop-culture references, that are the sizzling steak. Last week’s shows were a mixed bag. The Beasties absolutely murdered their set at Summerstage on Wednesday — they traded off guitars and mikes, dripped sweat, and even ran a modified three-man weave — but Friday’s instrumental “gala” event at the Hammerstein Ballroom was predictably sedate. Thursday morning, they took a break to answer some of our questions at press conference. And yes, they were wearing suits.
last night’s gig
Sonic Youth Go Through the Motions, SpectacularlySonic Youth’s epochal 1988 album, Daydream Nation, is revered by many as the very definition of indie rock, so it was surprising that its creators would agree to a confining, go-through-the-motions, play-it-start-to-finish concert. Yet they did.
