Recently we were debating the relevance of a reunited Jon Spencer Blues Explosion—the band will be at the Wonder Ballroom on August 18—and how their recent reformation hasn’t garnered the fawning praise of another seminal ’90s indie act that is headed this way in the coming weeks. Truth is, JSBX were always a polarizing act, one that elicited its fair share of commentary, both positive (in a land of slack-shouldered mumbling frontman, Spencer was king) and negative (they sound like Blues Hammer).

Yet no matter where you side on the band, it was hard to deny how incredible they could be while onstage. In case you doubt me, please watch this absolutely ridiculous performance of “2 Kindsa Love” and “Flavor” from Australia’s teen/music show Recovery. It makes Odd Future’s set on Fallon look quaint and well-behaved.

End Hits: John Spencer Timbers Explosion.

Ezra Ace Caraeff is the former Music Editor for the Mercury, and spent nearly a third of his life working at the paper. More importantly, he is the owner of Olive, the Mercury’s unofficial office dog....

9 replies on “A Video Argument in Favor of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Reunion”

  1. That’s a pretty rad video, gotta love that theremin action. I’m really sad that I’m going to be out of town for this show; the two times I saw JSBX at La Luna (once with Sleater-Kinney opening, the other with R.L. Burnside) were two of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I can only hope they come back through sometime soon.

  2. They were one of the highlights at Matador 21 last year. At one point Jon broke his mic, so he got down on his hands and knees and started singing into the drum mic.

    Yeah, I saw that Sleater-Kinney/JSBX show too, er, March 21st, 1997. Somewhere I have tapes of both shows. Yeah, that show was one of the best I’ve seen too. I saw them a year or two later and there wasn’t much of a crowd and the band wasn’t as on fire…probably because it was a weeknight.

  4. Haha, Jon Spencer was great, Pussy Galore was awesome. Since when were the Archers Of Loaf “seminal”? They’re as influential as, I dunno, Sloan? Gimme a break.

  6. “Blues Hammer” is a lampoon, and an allusion to other bands of all “genres” within the blues, JSBX is by no means phony.

  7. I will always have a special place in my heart for the Blues Explosion.

    I was fortunate enough to get into Cicero’s Basement Bar in St. Louis on the eve of my 21st b-day (21+ show), the door guy told me if I drank before midnight that he would kick my ass out. And then said at midnight to go nuts and drink all I wanted.

    It was so Fucking rad to see them with Shorty opening, and like 150 people in the (tiny) venue for like 6$ on my 21st birthday.

    Cicero’s, the La Luna of St. Louis.

  9. If I remember right the JSBX one was blown out, it was one of the first “loud” shows I ever taped. I’ll dig ’em up though.

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