Sally Timms and Jon Langford bring
small shows to the East Village
BY BOB KRASNER
If you know the Mekons, chances are
you love them. And if you are part
of that elite group and you were in
the Village Work’s backyard at 90 East
3rd St. on Sunday, you were pretty darn
happy. Sally Timms and Jon Langford,
accompanied by Steve Goulding, Jean
Cook and Martin Billheimer, enthusiastically
entertained the capacity crowd
of 30 people with a mix of old favorites,
covers, obscurities and new tunes.
It’s been a long road for Langford and
Timms since they began their careers
over 4 decades ago, acquiring critical
status, a dedicated fan base and a huge
catalog in and out of the Mekons while
somehow eluding the success that came
to less talented bands.
As their sound has gone through
some changes, we wondered if their
artistic goals have as well.
“Not drastically,” states Timms. “We
both came out of punk rock and neither
of us had any expectations to be musicians
in a band, and definitely not for
40 odd years. Punk was about making
things for yourself, being DIY, creating
for your community. We still do that,
but we’re better at what we do.”
The pair, who live in Chicago (separately),
had plenty of time to spend in
their community during the COVID
lockdown. Timms, who has
a steady gig as a paralegal,
thought that working from
home would give her more time
to work on her music but that
turned out not to be the case.
Langford, who is also an accomplished
painter, “was really
bored by 2021with the idea of
trying to pivot.” Nevertheless,
they managed to produce a
new Mekons album through the
magic of digital communication
( ‘Exquisite’, available on Bandcamp.
com ) and do a series of
streaming shows and backyard
gigs as things loosened up.
“People were very generous
with us,” Langford recalls. ” I
don’t really like the big gigs,”
he muses. “We’ve opened for
Robert Plant…it’s not really us. I
Timms and Langford take a stance. Goulding approves.
really like house parties and small clubs,
even before the pandemic.”
Timms concurs, adding, “We like
an intimate show. I’d rather play three
small shows than one big one.”
There were two small shows on Sunday,
an afternoon and evening set both
with a generous setlist. The audience
was quite pleased, with one exception
(more about that later). Noted musician
Deerfrance said, “It was great. They
made some change, they entertained
everyone, it was beautiful! “
Kate Peila of The Front NYC, co-produced
the event with Gianluca
Tramontana and had plenty of
positive feedback.
“My joy is producing events
that not only showcase great
artists but also inspire the community
to join in,” she said. “Jon
Langford/Sally Timms et al did
just that and more! Everyone who
attended not only thanked me but
also told me how special it was
because of the intimacy – they felt
like they were almost a part of
the band. “
Joseph Sheridan, the proprietor
of the Village Works shop,
sounded like he’d do it again.
“It was so nice to host Sally
Timms and Jon Langford’s acoustic
music at Village Works in
association with Kate’s release
party for Gianluca’s Changui box
PHOTOS BY BOB KRASNER
set of 3 CDs and a book,” he said. “Just
the kind of collaboration we like, as a
gallery and bookstore that supports cool
culture in the neighborhood.”
The neighborhood, being the East
Village, holds some memories for both
Langford and Timms. Sally recalls that
“we played CBGBs many times, but
the main thing this time for me was
wandering around the streets where I’d
roamed about thirty years ago. It felt a
little poignant.”
“The East Village was always where
we gravitated to even back in the eighties,”
relates Jon. “So many memories
of naughty nights on the town…..even
went with Joey Ramone for beers after
a gig in 1987!” But, he adds, “Nostalgia,
f–k it.Future future future!!! No
room for sitting on the punk rocker
laurels!”
For further info on the web:www.
mekons.de/mekonhom.htm,www.
themekons.co.uk/. Jon Langford and
Friends will be at TVEYE in Ridgewood
on 10/22. Jon’s painting can
be found atwww.yarddog.comand
you can follow him on Instagram: @
jonlangfordofficial
Sally Timms and Jon Langford in the backyard
of the Village Works bookstore.
18 Auugguusstt 55,, 22002211 SScchhnneeppss Meeddiiaa
/
/mekonhom.htm
/
/mekonhom.htm
/mekonhom.htm,www
/themekons.co.uk
/atwww.yarddog.com
