Mystic 100s - Double Live 2LP

Mystic 100s are the kind of band that makes me wanna make an entirely flippant and unfounded claim like “Mystic 100s are the last rock band standing.”

They exist in a weird space between paying faithful and what feels like earnest homage to the greats of Neil & Crazy Horse, the Dead, the VU, and the Stooges, while also feeling contemporary but not dipping into this distanced, ironic, dress-up take on rock music that seems so prevalent.

That’s not even to mention that with the release of their fourth full length (if you count the two under previous moniker Milk Music), they fulfil the prophecy laid out by the rock school teacher in Yo La Tengo’s ‘Sugarcane’ videoclip - “Your fourth album should be DOUBLE LIVE!” (Kudos to Jen for the pickup on this one) – a sign of the real deal!!

Collecting two audience tapes from Philly and Oakland during their 2024 tour (how very Deadhead!), the set collects a bunch of their finest tracks (Crying Wand, Message From Lonnie, and yes, Drug Man), alongside winding reprisals of Have You Ever Chased A Light Beam that tie both shows together and killer covers of The Byrds and Neil Young (a roaring take on Cinnamon Girl, as well as a cover of Alberquerque, which Tom from BeatDisc (I think?) pointed out to me as inspiration for the Lonnie riff).

If anyone deserves to make the bombastic rock move of a double live LP, it’s gotta be Mystic 100s! One for fans of Europe ’72, The Matrix Tapes, Live at Max’s Kansas City, and any number of other Dead and NY boot. Long may they run! –Mitch