Live Review: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Twerps

Well, this is just delightful. Couldn’t be lovelier.

We’re sitting on a picnic rug on the grass, there are babies everywhere and lions are roaring in the distance. The aroma of camembert and fresh basil is floating across the cool breeze. There are No Smoking signs everywhere but we’re outside. A G&T with a slice of pink grapefruit for me, please. Yes, this is a Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks gig.

Local four-piece Twerps are a great, jangly entrée, they play a good, solid set despite declaring they’d made a grumpy start. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks are introduced by the MC as John Malkmus – oops. Malkmus jokes it off before the band kicks their gig at the zoo off with Tigers, from 2011’s Mirror Traffic. Good choice for a zoo gig. In typically low-key fashion, Malkmus delivers his subtle humour from side of stage. He is the anti-star, the amazing guitarist who never shows it off, the slacker icon who still looks 20 years old in youthful face and lanky body, and still plays incredibly clever, melodic guitar lines in the most modest way. The band plays Cinnamon & Lesbians from the latest Wig Out At Jagbags record.

“That was a big hit in America,” says Malkmus. They play Out Of Reaches, and we’re treated to more of Malkmus’s clever guitar noodling. He continues his charmingly subtle comedy. “How’s the calamari? I hope a few of you are sipping on a little gin and juice,” he says. The crowd barely responds. “Ah, two of you,” he surmises. Shibboleth and Lariat, both from the latest record are both great, and the band truly wigs out for Houston Hades, a magnificently wacky tune.

The sun goes down and the half-moon hides behind clouds, which brings the rock’n’roll lights out. “I feel like a wombat on a road at night,” says Malkmus. “And a truckie comes and it’s all over for me. That’s how bands feel on stage.” The band returns for an encore, admitting they’ve been sticking to “the list your mother could love”. Malkmus says he does have some blue material, including a joke about a squid and some diapers, but tonight is definitely G-rated. They play Asking Price, and in the growing dark we notice that by now there’s even a few people standing up down the front. We even saw someone nodding his head. Things are getting crazy all up in here, and it’s after bed time. 9pm. Time to get out of here.