I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: November 9, 2024] Makoto Kawabata+ Tim Dahl + Simeon Cain

I had missed Acid Mothers Temple when they played Philly last month, so I was pretty excited to see that Kawabata Makoto was hanging around the Northeast to do a mini improvised tour with Tim Dahl and a rotating cast of drummers.

This November, a collaborative music tour between guitarist Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple) and bassist Tim Dahl (Lydia Lunch, Child Abuse) will hit the American Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, promising rock intensity, avant-garde design, and psychedelic perception. With a combination of predetermined material and improvisation, one can expect a focused yet unpredictable and dynamic sonic experience. This collaboration will take audiences on a journey through chaotic, noise-infused passages that suddenly give way to moments of serene beauty, showcasing variety, creativity, and fearlessness. Each night’s concert will be enriched by the distinctive styles of a notable regional guest drummer, adding fresh, unpredictable elements to the performance. Audiences should expect a whirlwind of sound that pushes the boundaries of conventional music and celebrates the expression of unrestrained artistry.

I had never heard of Tim Dahl and was entirely interested in the show for Kawabata.  But it’s possible that Tim Dahl may have been the real draw?

Tim Dahl is a New York based bassist and vocalist best known for his work with the noise-rock bands Lydia Lunch Retrovirus and Child Abuse.

The name of that last band tells you a lot about Dahl’s sound.  He plays a fascinating bass style–in which it doesn’t seem like he is actually playing notes–just running his hands up and down the fretboard at random.  He also uses a finger slide but in his picking hand, generating all kinds of noise.  Combine this with the fact that his microphone seemed to have a very fast repeating echo on it so whatever he said or sang into the mic was repeated beyond recognition and he really seemed to dominate the room.

At first I was in front of him (which gave me a great view of Kwabata, but I felt like Dahl’s sounds were so loud that I couldn’t hear the guitar.

After the first song, a photographer moved in front of me so I moved over in front of Kawabata which gave me a much better sense of his guitars.

Our drummer was Simeon Cain who has played with Rollins Band and Ween.  I didn’t recognize him, but I enjoyed his drumming quite a lot.  He played beats, but he also played random, interesting percussion.

There were a few moments where the music wasn’t loud and crazy and it was interesting to see just what Dahl was doing–it was definitely weird.

But I was there for Kawabata.

He bowed strings for the introduction.  He used some kind of device (like a mini theremin?) to generate sounds that he played through his guitar pedals.  For one song he put a small cymbal under his strings and tapped on it making clear chiming sounds but also wild echoing sounds from his strings.  And of course he soloed like a madman–although much less than I would have expected.

They played about 6 songs, it lasted about an hour.  I’m not sure I really enjoyed it.  I liked some of it, but a lot of it was just noise–which was the point I suppose.

And yet I’m really glad I went.  It was fun seeing Kawabata in a different environment and I really enjoyed at the end of the set when he and Simeon Cain shook hands–like it was a pleasure playing with you.

I might have hung out afterwards, but I had already purchased a hand painted keychain from Kawabata and didn’t really feel the need to say much more to anyone.

Plus, it was nice being able to get home early.

Here’s some videos from a woman who was apparently standing behind me before I moved to Kawabata’s side of the room.