Pitchfork

When I watch this video, of a performance several weeks ago by former Can vocalist Damo Suzuki with Bardo Pond in Philadelphia, shot by Mike at Eattapes, I think of how musicians age, how their priorities shift, and the things they do to lead a comfortable life as they reach their twilight years. And then there's this guy, 57 years old, still going from town to town, playing with a new band each night, completely improvising crazy music in the moment for however many dozen people happen to show up. Suzuki's M.O. for many years now is to create spontaneous music with whatever local musicians will have him, who then become part of Damo Suzuki's Network, an ever-growing, free-floating pool of collaborators. It's a rough life that no one would pursue unless they had to, and when you watch his intensity here, how deeply he seems immersed inside the sound, you get the idea that he probably doesn't have a choice.