In 1989, UVA students David Berman, Bob Nastanovich, and Steven Malkmus formed the alt-country/lo-fi/indie rock band that has become The Silver Jews, a less-famous cousin of indie-rock favorites Pavement. Seventeen years and five albums later, the Joos (as they're sometimes described) finally held their first Charlottesville concert March 16 at the Satellite Ballroom.
"David basically put together a touring band mostly of musicians from Nashville," says former bandmate Gate Pratt. "He did really well for a guy who never plays live, never tours." Nastanovich played drums on some of the songs.
Thursday's opening act was another blast from musical history. The Janks is a trio consisting of Pratt-- who played in the late 1980s with Berman, Malkmus, and Nastanovich in UVA-based Ectoslavia-- along with True Love Always veterans Matt Datesman and Jeff Grosfeld.
As part of the Joos' first-ever tour, the Thursday night Satellite show was sold out shortly after its announcement in January. Earlier Thursday, the venue released 100 extra tickets to help meet demand as the original tickets sold out months before.
Blog journalist Anne " Cool Honey" Metz called the event "this year's hipster prom."
The enthusiastic, attentive crowd at the Satellite Ballroom Thursday night swayed, drank, and perused the merch table as the Joos offered their own unique blend of low-key intensity that the crowd welcomed enthusiastically after a 17-year wait.
Overview
Rose Csorba, Matteus Frankovitch, and Jesus Clarke at the show
King of the Jews: David Berman
David and Cassie Berman
Merchandise from the show
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