The Hard Quartet/Rat Henry @ Union Pool, Brooklyn, NY 8/17/25
Bill: The Hard Quartet/Rat Henry/DJ Fantasy Man
Venue: Union Pool, 484 Union Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Date: 8/17/25
Ticket: Free
4:30pm The Hard Quartet
Active: 2023 (Malkmus: Chicago via Santa Monica, CA, Sweeney: New Jersey, Kelly: Van Nuys, CA & White: Melbourne, Australia)
Affiliated: Stephen Malkmus (Pavement), Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Zwan), Emmett Kelly (Cairo Gang, The Double), Jim White (Dirty Three, The Double)
Latest Release: Lies (Something You Can Do) b/w Coreopsis Trail (Matador, 2025), The Hard Quartet (Matador, 2024)
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3:30pm Rat Henry
Active: 2018 (New York, NY)
Latest Release: Material Pop Volume One (Rat Henry, 2025)
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This free Sunday afternoon show was part of Union Pool's regular outdoor Summer Thunder series. Last years around this time was Kid Congo Power and the year or before that I saw Malcolm Mooney of Can in similar conditions. The Hard Quartet seemed a little too big for the small, backyard outdoor stage, but sometimes local bands can seem too big for that outside area. Fortunately, I saw an opening before they went on to get some sort of vantage point. Rat Henry, as you can see from the clip, I did not see in the flesh for even a second. There was a lot of reverbed baritone going on there.
Hard Quartet, I hadn't heard yet, even though the album made all the best of rounds last year. I was glad to see Malkmus in an environment where he wasn't the feature. It had been many moons since I had seen Chavez and I forgot that I had a Cairo Gang writeup on the other blog. Emmett Kelly seemed better than I thought when I heard that album. Anyway, all these songs were first pass for me and some I liked more than others. I did like the format, and what I liked about Matt Sweeney in Chavez I liked in this band. After wandering in the peak sun on a hot day near the bar for what seemed like an eternity, I was glad I was able to walk up on the stage platform on the taco truck side with a full tall can of beer that lasted most of the Hard Quartet. Malkmus was doing a quiet song when I finished it, so I felt conscious about loudly crushing the can. Then of course when the loud part came I crushed the can haphazardly and it skated under somebody's foot space. Fortunately, I was able to kick the can back, finish the crush job and the overtight audience space with minimal sight lines was spared a rolling can in the midst. These are the type of things you think about whenever Malkmus plays.
FOR FURTHER REVIEW
Stephen Malkmus-Stephen Malkmus (2001)
The Cairo Gang-The Cairo Gang (2006)
Various Artists-Hey Drag City (1994)
Pavement-Crooked Rain Crooked Rain-LA's Desert Origins (2004)
Pavement-Brighten The Corners (1997)
Pavement-Rattled By La Rush (1995)
Pavement-Father To A Sister Of Thought (1995)
Various Artists-Chemical Imbalance Vol. 2 No. 3 (1993)
Various Artists-No Alternative (1993)
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