Those mysterious Mid-Michigan misfits of free improv are at it again. This fantastic and fun live album from the record release party and concert of Pushovers "Loft Sessions" further proves my point that THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT. Shit, they are more than alright; they are teaching us old and grizzled long white beard types some very new (and much needed) tricks. "Back in my day, we didn't use SAMPLERS! We played REAL INSTRUMENTS!" Perhaps, and you also put a lot of us to bed FOR GOOD like the old man snoring while it was raining and pouring. Well, Pushovers ain't going out like that...and they've put out a live record to drill this through our skulls and wake us from our slumbers.
Pelting us with their extensive range from the spacey avant-folk of "Jesus Saves" to the hilarious (and genuinely earnest) rock lyrics of "Weights In My Coat," Pushovers elected to leave all the between song band/audience banter on the record as it happened. Fortunately for us, we get to hear just why Jan's Pizza sucks (because it comes in BAGS! WHAT KIND OF PIZZA COMES IN BAGS?) and the excitement of the fellas when the jam they intended to make last thirty minutes clocks in at thirty-seven. Unfortunately for us, the tape didn't last nearly long enough and "Tricked Out Treadmills" comes in at a measly fourteen. We can only hope that Coltrane's theory of live music floating around in space forever is true, and the other twenty-three minutes of "Tricked Out Treadmills" are happily tittering about the free improv world, beating the shit out of Evan Parker saxophone dervishes daily.
That, and we can eagerly hope for more from Pushovers.
