Four decades later, Television still comes in loud and clear. Now silver-haired (or silver-goateed in the case of guitarist Jimmy Rip), the band showed few other signs of age.
That might owe something to four decades of sparse recording and touring, but no matter - Television came to Nashville and played a venue that would have fit them snugly in their too-short prime. At the last minute, the promoters shifted the venues from the larger Marathon Music Works to the more intimate Exit/In, which came close to selling out. Once a cult band, always a cult band, I suppose.
Crowd size aside, ,Television poured on the energy in their intricate, epic songs built on a foundation of percussion and leaving the two guitarists ample space for interplay. It's a sound often copied but seldom executed with the precision of Television. Rip, who replaced original guitarist Richard Lloyd several years ago, seemed at home with the solos and and plenty of flourishes during some of the extended jams.
The band spread out the songs from its debut/magnum opus, Marquee Moon, while sprinkling in a few other tracks. If I'm not mistaken, Little Johnny Jewel made it into the mix. They wove in tracks from the sophomore album, Adventure, and the self-titled 1993 reunion album. Full disclosure - before the show. I knew only Marquee Moon. I have held several vinyl copies of Adventure in my hands but never pulled the trigger. Now I want both of those albums.
There wasn't an overabundance of crowd banter, but Television doesn't need it. Their instruments spoke for them in a language few bands have ever mastered.
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