Sonic Youth will release a remixed and remastered LP of their final US performance, titled Live in Brooklyn 2011, on August 18th via Silver Current Records and digitally on Goofin’.
The 2xLP, 2xCD, or 2xTape collection follows a 2020 archival release that included the 2011 East River waterfront performance, or “The Last Show” as it came to be known by fans. Though the band subsequently toured South America before confirming their dissolution in November that year, the New York event served as a fitting conclusion with the group’s hometown connections and surprising, career-spanning set. Pre-orders are ongoing.
In a statement, drummer Steve Shelley shared, “For the Williamsburg Waterfront show I wrote out the setlist to present to the band and it was a lot of material we hadn’t played in a while, a lot of deep cuts, so I wasn’t sure if everybody would feel like doing it. After worrying about which songs the band might say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to, I threw those concerns out the window and I just made a list of songs that I thought would be a great set.”
“The stage was facing the East River from the Williamsburg, Brooklyn waterfront, and I recall the sun going down in the west during our set,” added guitarist Lee Ranaldo. “It was a pretty magical, if kinda weird day.” Stream the opening suite of “Intro>Brave Men Run (In My Family)>Death Valley ’69” below.
Frontman Thurston Moore has prepared his own recollections in an upcoming memoir, Sonic Life, set to arrive in October. He also hinted at a new solo album in February with the single “Hypnogram,” though no release date has been set.
Meanwhile, bassist Kim Gordon’s Body/Head, her alternative-experimental duo with Bill Nace, released the Come On EP in May.
Live in Brooklyn 2011 Artwork:
Live in Brooklyn 2011 Tracklist:
01. Brave Men Run (In My Family)
02. Death Valley ’69
03. Kotton Krown
04. Kill Yr Idols
05. Eric’s Trip
06. Sacred Trickster
07. Calming the Snake
08. Starfield Road
09. I Love Her All the Time
10. Ghost Bitch
11. Tom Violence
12. What We Know
13. Drunken Butterfly
14. Flower
15. Sugar Kane
16. Psychic Hearts
17. Inhuman