For Better Or For Worse. A Thing I Wrote About Jane's Addiction.
The Josh Wells Weekly, Episode 266
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Jinx enjoying the new box I ordered her from Amazon.
Random Thought
(I wrote this on Wednesday, 9/18. I only make this clarification up front because I reference last Wednesday a few times below which is in reference to Wed, 9/11. I also refer to ‘last night’ at one point which is actually Tue, 9/17, not the night before whatever day you happen to be reading this.)
Okay, so just a preemptive heads up that this is gonna be a long one. It’s also gonna be filled with speculation and lacking a lot of factual content. But I assure you it’s all coming from a place of love, specifically my love of live music and a few of my favorite bands. Okay, here goes…
I saw Jane’s Addiction live last Wednesday in NYC. It was 9/11 and it may be the last decent Jane’s Addiction live show ever. I say that because a few days later at their next show in Boston, lead singer Perry Farrell took a swing at guitarist Dave Navarro mid-song which ended the show abruptly. They have since cancelled the remainder of their tour. There’s been vague social media postings from all angles, a couple that allude to the idea that this might be the end of Jane’s Addiction as a band.
I have a hard time picking a place to start this story. It sorta started last Wednesday (9/11) when I was at the Jane’s Addiction show. But really, this story probably begins around 1991. Jane’s Addiction has always been a band breaking up and that was their first break up. It was probably the biggest of all their break ups. Since that break up, they get together every few years, usually with a rotating cast of characters, sometimes record new music but never with the original four members, tour the world, and disappear again. This is a band that has been in a constant state of breaking up for over 30 years. It’s almost impressive really.
I’ve seen Jane’s Addiction live six times now. Before this past Wednesday, I would’ve told you that Jane’s Addiction is always amazing live. Whatever was going on behind the scenes, they’ve always been able to hit the stage when I was present and deliver incredible performances. If you asked me to pick my favorite concert I’ve ever been to of any band ever, I’m almost certain it’s the Jane’s Addiction concert I went to after 9/11 (the first 9/11, year 2001). They crushed it live and the energy was something else. It was the first time I can remember thinking after 9/11, “life’s still gonna be alright. There’s still beautiful things in the world.”
Fast forward to this past Wednesday at Pier 17 in NYC. Jane’s Addiction were doing two nights in a row at this venue and this was night 2. While waiting for the show to start, there was all sorts of gossip flying around about the show the night before. Apparently Perry Farrell had been in real bad shape. He appeared very not sober and his singing was way off and he was going on wayward rants between songs (Farrell is known to banter in between songs and he’s usually very good at it but apparently this night was different and unenjoyable). I was sorta shocked at first but then I kept hearing it from different people. When you hear the same thing four or five times in a short period, you start to give it credence. And also, wasn’t it Jane’s Addiction who taught me in the first place that nothing is shocking? (‘Nothing’s Shocking’ is the name of a song and album of theirs.)
And then the show began. And they were pretty good. Actually, the band was great. They were super tight. But Farrell seemed a little off. Not as bad as people made it seem from the night before. And he sorta got it together about three songs in and found his rhythm. He still delivered some banter between songs but nothing too crazy. In fact, a lot of it was lovey-dovey type stuff. As I write this, I remain under the impression that Farrell was probably a little fucked up, but not super fucked up, and maybe it was on uppers of some sort. He seemed to be in a happy place (like I said earlier, this is heavy with speculation).
I wouldn’t say they were as good as I usually found them to be. But if I had never seen them before, I think I would’ve been okay with that performance. I would’ve left thinking that I got to see the legendary Jane’s Addiction, a band I love, and they were good enough for me.
But if I’m being honest, I can’t help but think that it’s easily the least on point I’ve seen them. And beyond that, it felt like there was a weird vibe within the band. Something was off. The other three members seemed to be communicating around Farrell. Constantly checking in with each other, saying things real quick, that sorta thing. But it was like no one would even look at or acknowledge Farrell and vice versa. It was like he was isolated out there and the band played real hard around him almost like it was in spite of Farrell, who had fucked up the show so bad the night before.
On the subway going home, I turned to my girlfriend at one point and said, “have you ever seen a band you loved and thought this was the last time you were ever gonna see them? Because that’s how I feel right now.” That was just how I felt at that moment. Even if they continued the tour with shows like the one we just saw, it felt like this was a band that had to split ASAP. And they’re not getting any younger. Farrell is 65. Why would anyone else in the band continue to put up with this kind of environment? It just didn’t feel like this thing was built to last much longer.
And then a few days later the Boston show happened. Farrell took a swing at Navarro and next thing you know, the whole tour was cancelled. Suddenly, that show I went to a few days earlier, the one that was just “good enough,” happened to maybe be the last “good enough” Jane’s Addiction show ever. I felt lucky and bummed all at once. I had a couple friends go to the show the night before on 9/10 and one of them, a super big Jane’s Addiction fan, said, “I’ll never pay money to see them again.” Like, never mind the idea of if they could continue on, my friend was opting out either way.
And then there’s the whole symbolism of 9/11 for me. Seeing Jane’s Addiction 23 years ago after 9/11 was so damn amazing. It’s just this beautiful thing I’ll never forget. I think about it a lot when I want to think about how great and awe-inspiring life can be sometimes. Holding that in my back pocket for 23 years to see them on the actual date of 9/11, that shit felt special to me. And it still is but now the memory will be slightly tarnished. I’ll think of Jane’s Addiction and 9/11 and life and beauty but I’ll also think about how I saw the last good Jane’s Addiction show and what a bummer of a final chapter this all might be for this band I love.
It’s also added value to some other things. Like the final NOFX tour going on right now. I’ve been very fortunate to see NOFX three times during this tour. And while the shows have been great, the idea that this band is gonna disappear forever bums me out. A part of me just thinks like, hey, maybe take a few years off and come back again. Why the finality of it all?
But after this Jane’s Addiction experience, I’m starting to feel more comfortable with NOFX’s decision to call it quits. If you can end it on your terms, you probably should. If you can go out with an impressive bang, why wouldn’t you do that? Why keep going till it gets sad? If you’ve got a notion as a band that you got one more final good/great run in you and that’s it, then call your shot and close the story with a happy ending. Everyone loves a happy ending.
There’s also the Rolling Stones and how I saw them this year and that will probably be the last time (also, the first time) I’ll ever see them live. And I’m alright with that too. Although with the Stones, I know if they do actually ever tour again, they’re gonna bring it. They won’t half ass it, even if they are all in their late 70’s/80’s (when I say they, I mean Mick, Keith, and Ronnie. Everyone else in the band is probably a way more decent age for the rigors of the road).
And then there’s the show I went to last night. It was Laura Jane Grace and the Mississippi Medicals. The show was on a boat. I don’t know if that specific is important but it was kinda funny that all three acts at this show mentioned out loud that they’ve never played on a boat before (it’s sorta a staple though for NYC underground rock music). And a part of me wonders if bands are excited to play on a boat or if they think it’s weird (I’ve been on many boat shows and they fucking rule).
Beyond that, I had checked in on Grace’s social media before the show and she didn’t seem to be in a good mood. She had two posts complaining about touring. She had another post complaining about the strength of her voice. Coming off of the Jane’s Addiction stuff, I was like, fuuuck, don’t tell me this show’s gonna suck.
But it didn’t. LJG and the MM hit the stage and LJG was ferocious. They tore through the first 6-7 songs with almost no stops, no moment for rest. They just kept ripping shit up. And after that 7th or so song, LJG tells the crowd, “wow, I was in a dog shit mood all day before I hit this stage.”
And what a cool thing to admit. Rock stars, they’re just like us. They have good days and bad days. Sometimes our favorite bands will be in dog shit moods. But when they hit that stage, what are they gonna do with it? It felt like LJG took that dog shit mood and somehow transmuted that energy and delivered it to us in a super sonic display of live rock and roll music.
And maybe what LJG did wouldn’t have worked for Jane’s Addiction. I’ll never know for certain. But after the Jane’s Addiction debacle, watching a band I love go into self destruct mode in real time right before my eyes on social media, it was super, super refreshing to see another beloved rocker take it in the completely opposite direction and deliver what may have been one of my favorite live LJG shows ever.
Jane’s Addiction forever. The good, the bad, it all matters. It all makes (or made) them what they are. The music and the memories will always mean so much to me.
Movie I Watched Recently
Addicted to Fresno
(Prime)
It’s so weird to write this long thing about Jane’s Addiction and then realize the movie I watched this week also has a form of the word, ‘addiction,’ in it. I’m slightly tired of typing this word.
Anyways, I watched this movie mostly because of the cast which features Natasha Lyonne, Aubrey Plaza, Ron Livingston, and some other fun names as well. This movie hit weird with me. It hit like a comedy and it is but there’s a lot of dark material in it as well. This is almost certainly a dark comedy by categorization but for some reason it feels like they could’ve emphasized more on the ‘dark’ aspect. I just can’t recall the last time I watched a movie and thought the whole thing could’ve been delivered completely differently.
Overall, it’s a fun watch and it’s not very long. If that’s something you’re looking for, give it a go.
TV show I’m currently watching
Jeopardy!
I’m watching Jeopardy but I don’t really have a lot to say about it. It’s been a lot of one-day champions so far which is okay but a new season always brings the hope of a new super champion. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Album of the Week
All Born Screaming / St. Vincent
This album came out a few months ago but I’m only getting around to listening to it now. I wasn’t really sure if it was gonna be my cup of tea but I had a friend tell me it’s very good (this was weeks ago, but if you tell me something is good, I just might check it out weeks later and not forget about your recommendation totally) so that sorta stuck with me as I searched for something new to listen to.
There was something oddly captivating about this album. I’m not sure how to describe it. It sounds like a pop star trying their best to sound like diet-Nine Inch Nails. Since I’ve never really listened to a full St. Vincent album before, I have no idea if this is how all her records sound or if this is some kind of departure. Back in my Radiohead days, I remember when ‘Kid A’ came out and it was hotly anticipated but it sounded NOTHING like ‘OK Computer’ which was the album they put out before that and was a super big deal. But I loved ‘Kid A.’ It was so different and strange. I feel like that somehow prepared me for an album like this. It’s like dark pop music infused with a slight nod to rock music, but not much. Also, St. Vincent’s voice is obviously much better than Thom Yorke’s (although not nearly as menacing).
If you were interested in trying to get a pop music audience into more weird shit, stuff like NIN, Radiohead, Tom Waits, etc… an album like this might be a good gateway or starting point. Whereas some of those bands can get completely disturbing and even unlistenable at times, this album maintains a pop-infused base that keeps the whole thing together and makes it possible to bop your head along the entire time, even if it feels like it’s coming from a darker place than you might be used to.
Much like the album, I’m not completely sure what to make of the cover. Her sleeves are on fire, I get that. But I feel like this cover is digging for something deeper much like most of the songs on this album.
Book I’m Currently Reading
Raised in Captivity: Fictional Nonfiction / Chuck Klosterman
I’m a pretty big Klosterman fan but somehow this one got by me. I’m not sure how. I’m usually up on his new stuff when it comes out. The copyright says it came out in 2019 and I was gonna blame it on the pandemic but I guess that excuse doesn’t work out well. Sometimes my head is in the sand and my favorite authors get one past me and that’s just the way it is.
So far this book is very enjoyable. It’s all a bunch of weird short stories. Very short and also very weird. A lot of the endings are abrupt and bizarre and sometimes I’ve had to go back and read a page or two because I was left thinking, “that’s it? How did we get to this ending in such little time?”
Klosterman’s bread and butter is in pop culture. He usually writes long, essay-type stuff about all sorts of different things. Like the last book of his I read was, ‘The Nineties,’ which was all about culture in the 90’s but in a fun way… not a boring historical text sort of way. That’s where his greatest strength lies.
But this has been a fun change of pace so far. I’m looking forward to getting through the rest of it and then asking myself, “are there any other Klosterman books I don’t know about that I haven’t read yet?” (Probably but I feel comfortable enough to say that I’ve almost certainly read most of his books).
A smarter person than myself would probably try to figure out if there’s an ongoing theme throughout all the stories and if they relate in any way to the title and cover of the book. But so far I’ve got nothing.
Random sports thought of the week
Some quick random NFL thoughts:
-I hope the Saints just keep steamrolling their opponents. It’s fun to watch. This season’s Super Bowl is in New Orleans, if this team is looking for any extra incentive to be good this season.
-I want the Lions to win all the games but I also find it fun watching Baker Mayfield excel at being a QB in the league after many pundits/fans/etc considered him a bust.
-Keep your head up Bryce Young. He was just officially benched by the Panthers. Is it Young or is it this team? Who knows for sure but this team never gave him a very good chance at winning.
-Will Levis of the Tennessee Titans made two bonehead plays two weeks in a row at crucial moments that probably lost his team the game. It’s hard to watch but it also sorta reminds me of how I play Madden. I’d be a terrible NFL QB.
-Gimme all your Raiders/Garner Minshew wins. I don’t care how ugly the wins are. I’m gonna probably root for any team that allows Minshew to be a starter, but especially the Raiders.
-The Ravens are 0-2 and the Cowboys are playing below their expectations (even if those expectations are probably inflated for just being the Dallas Cowboys). This should be a hot game coming up between the two this week. Both teams are coming in with huge chips on their shoulders.
That moment when Will Levis’s coach Brian Callahan was caught on live TV clearly yelling, “What the fuck are you doing?” at Levis.
Random pro wrestling thought of the week
So the PWI 500 dropped a little over a week ago and it looks like they excluded Brody King, which is crazy to me. There’s no way that there’s 500 better pro wrestlers on the planet than Brody King. And while most other fans would probably rather spend their time debating the top of the list, who’s in the top 10, how they got those top picks wrong, etc, etc… I wanna concentrate on someone I’ve become a big fan of in the past couple of years, Big Bad Brody King.
I remember seeing Brody King at an ROH show years ago and at the time, I didn’t get him. I knew he was straight edge and had a bunch of tattoos and I thought maybe he was just an indie attempt at a bigger, sloppier CM Punk. This was a cruel and idiotic judgement on my part. But I’m stuck with that and I can’t take it back.
Fast forward a few years later and he’s debuting in AEW. Not only that, but he’s tagging with Malakai Black and I was a big fan of Malakai’s so I immediately decided I had to give this dude another chance. But there was still a part of me that didn’t want to like him because Brodie Lee had recently passed away and he was my favorite wrestler on the planet and maybe AEW doesn’t need anymore Brodie’s (even if they spell it differently).
But Brody King grew on me quickly. Much like Brodie Lee actually, he was a big bruiser type who at times could exhibit speed and an athletic ability that seemed above someone in his weight class. He was part of the House of Black stable and he immediately felt right in the role as the heavy of the group. Sure, all three are talented wrestlers (the third guy being Buddy Matthews), but Brody was the muscle, the one who was really gonna fuck your shit up. He had the look, the size, the power, and the cool bark that has caught on with fans.
Beyond the ring, Brody is the real fucking deal. He’s the lead singer of a brutal hardcore band called, ‘God’s Hate.’ Their music is intense and vicious. The sound of the band matches Brody’s in-ring intensity. It all seems to fit together.
And yet, if you follow him on social media, you will see at times that he is also a complete teddy bear when it comes to his family and his kids. You realize there’s levels to the man. He’s not just a big pile of scary tattoos. He’s a family man who wants to fight and excel at wrestling not just for himself, but for them.
I’ve never seen Brody not be entertaining in AEW. I also believe if given the chance, he could go on to accomplish bigger things. He’s become one of my favorite dudes to watch not just in AEW, but in all of wrestling. PWI be damned, Brody King is easily in my Top 50, maybe higher. I’d try to give you a more exact number but honestly, I’m not gonna sit around and rank my top 500 favorite wrestlers. I’m not like those nerds over at PWI. All I know is if I’m a fan of someone or if I’m not, and with Brody, I am a fan, a Big Bad fan at that.
Top 5 Jane’s Addiction Songs
1- Ocean Size
2- Ain’t No Right
3- Whores
4- Pigs in Zen
5- Had a Dad
Weekly Quote
“If you're not part of the freaks, you're part of the boredom.”
-Perry Farrell
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