Today would have been Steve Albini's 62nd birthday, and to commemorate the late musician and engineer, a group of musical friends and collaborators paid tribute over the weekend in Guelph, ON.
On Saturday (July 20), the Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, members of Land of Talk, and Kreative Kontrol head and Exclaim! contributor Vish Khanna took time during a collaborative session at Hillside 2024 to perform Shellac's "Watch Song" — the final track of the band's third album 1000 Hurts — in memory of Albini. The performance was organized by Khanna, who fronts the band and provides the jagged-glass guitar work.
Produced by SOAK FILM, you can watch a video of the live performance below.
The performance footage arrives as part of the viral #ThankYouSteveAlbini campaign, which asks social media users to share photos, videos and stories that speak to the late artist's impact.
Albini passed away May 7 of a heart attack, days ahead of Shellac releasing sixth studio album To All Trains. He was 61.
Revisit Exclaim!'s 2024 interview with Steve Albini.