Written and posted 7/1/2010.

During the summer of 2000 Sonic Youth was on a tour opening for Pearl Jam. For three dates they snuck off and headlined small club shows as a side project called Perspective Musicales. This show, held at Sapphire Supper Club (now called The Social), was held almost in complete secrecy. It was not announced or listed in any local listings. Unless you were 'in the know' or recognized the name "SYR Perspective Musicales" on the Sapphire Supper Club calendar you would have missed out on a rare opportunity to see this influential band in a small setting. Word got out literally days before the show. If you were quick enough to the record store you could get tickets before a sell out.

Perspective Musicales is members of Sonic Youth performing a mixture of their own side bands, improvisations with various people concluded with an entire set of Sonic Youth material. No opening acts. They began with Thurston Moore's "Psychic Hearts" with help from Jim O'Rourke (touring with SY as a fifth member), Steve Shelley and Lee Ranaldo followed by an improvisational between Thurtson, Jim O'Rourke and their guitar tech Eric. Lee Ranaldo followed with a poetry reading backed with music by Shelley and O'Rourke. The last installment before Sonic Youth was "International Spy" with Kim Gordon, O'Rourke and Shelley.

Then Sonic Youth came out and closed out with a thirteen song set including older songs like "Schizophrenia", "Brother James" and "White Kross". The only song from Goo they played was "Kool Thing". Since they were touring behind the album 'NYC Ghosts and Flowers' they played a couple off that record. To date, this has been the only time I have seen Sonic Youth. Seeing them up so close was pretty awesome and will be hard to top. The band has not been back to Orlando since.

I have a bunch of blurry pictures to share. These photos have been sitting in a plastic box for one month short of ten years. I don't even have them in my albums. At the time, the camera I was using began to fail. Just about every photo I have from this period is blurry because the automatic sensor could not focus AND the flash quit working. Even if they aren't of good quality this was a show worth remembering.

Pictures:

Sonic Youth - Thurston Moore.

Sonic Youth - Thurston Moore.

Sonic Youth - Kim Gordon.

Sonic Youth. You can just make out Lee Ranaldo and Jim O'Rourke on the left. Kim Gordon in the middle and Steve on drums on the right.

Sonic Youth. Thurston Moore playing guitar behind his head.

Sonic Youth. Kim Gordon on the mic.

Sonic Youth.

Videos:

 
Sonic Youth "Brother James". Video by Gary Smith.
I can't believe this footage exists!

Links:
Setlist and poster from this show on SonicYouth.com.
Sonic Youth.