Amoeba Music

It made perfect sense for Thurston Moore to be playing an Amoeba in-store to support the release of his new solo album, Trees Outside the Academy, because he has been shopping here for years. He can usually be found rifling through the experimental section for hours, gamely talking to awkward fans who muster up enough courage to approach him.

The stage was full of acoustic guitars-- not the usual fifty that Sonic Youth bring along, but at least five-- a simple drum kit, and a violin. Moore broke a string halfway through the song, and gamely kept playing.

"Can I have that string?" said one of the alter boys up front. Moore seemed amused but a bit baffled.

"What kind of guitar do you have that will take this string?" he asked the kid, handing it over. "Keep me posted how that works out," he laughed.

By the end we had all forgotten that this wasn't a concert at the Fillmore, and the set seemed to end too soon. He thanked the folks for coming out, gave one last nod to the guy who was clutching his broken string, and left the stage.