SEATTLE (Top40 Charts) - Just over two years after his last appearance with a band (the one-off No-WTO Combo, which played Seattle in 1999), former
Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is back with a brand new outfit, Eyes Adrift.
The band, which features Novoselic on bass, the Meat Puppets' Curt Kirkwood on guitar/vocals, and Sublime/Long Beach Dub Allstars' drummer Bud Gaugh, headlined a show at Seattle's I-Spy club last Friday (Jan. 25), the second stop on a 12-day tour that began Thursday (Jan. 24) in Astoria, Ore.
Novoselic and Kirkwood last worked together on Nirvana's Unplugged in New York show and CD. After running into each other on Kirkwood's last solo tour, the two decided to collaborate again. Gaugh, who also saw one of Kirkwood's solo shows, expressed an interest in joining the endeavor, and the three musicians hunkered down in Austin last December, recording tracks for an album.
The band's nine-song set stuck to the Meat Puppets' alt-country terrain, one fan describing it as "space country." Most of the music had a laid-back feel. "What I Said," for instance, had Kirkwood dreamily delivering lines like "Silence is better than nothing" against a warm musical backing. Other times, as on the closer, "Pasted," Kirkwood's guitar spun off into effects-laden noodling while Novoselic and Gaugh dug out a solid rhythmic groove.
The biggest surprise came when Novoselic sang lead on a few songs, bringing cheers from the crowd. Instead of the off-key warbling that appeared on Nirvana's "Territorial Pissings," Novoselic's voice was surprisingly sweet, his songs having a decidedly pop feel. "Enquiring Minds" dealt with "blood-sucking vampires" in the media and referenced the murder of Jon-Benet Ramsey; another was a lively countrified tune about his dogs.
Though the band currently is without a record label ("It's bliss time!" says Kirkwood), Eyes Adrift plans to complete their album following the tour and hopes to release it this year.
Upcoming Eyes Adrift shows include:
Jan. 28, Slims, San Francisco
Jan. 29, Harlows, Sacramento
Jan. 30, Troubadour, Los Angeles
Jan. 31, Galaxy, Santa Ana, Calif.
Feb. 2, Nita's Hideaway, Phoenix, Ariz.
Feb. 3, Launchpad, Albuquerque, N.M.
Feb. 5, Trees, Dallas
Feb. 6, Fitzgerald's, Houston
Feb. 7, Emos, Austin, Texas
