GBV to reunite for ‘Matador at 21′ fest in Las Vegas

Does anyone have a bunch of money I could borrow? I have never been tempted by the bright lights of Las Vegas, but I really, really want to be there from Oct. 1-3 for “Matador at 21,” a celebration of Matador Records’ 21st anniversary.

As if the presence of Pavement, Sonic Youth, Belle and Sebastian and Spoon wasn’t enough, the event promises an appearance by a reunited Guided by Voices. And not just GBV, but “the Classic ’93-’96 Lineup” of the band. That means Mitch Mitchell, Tobin Sprout, Kevin Fennell and Robert Pollard, together on stage for the first time in 14 years.

I saw this version of the group once at Liberty Lunch during the 1996 SXSW. In that pre-Internet era, I didn’t really know as much about the band as I would have liked. I had the Vampire on Titus/Propeller split, Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes, as well as every single I could put my hands on, but I wasn’t fully aware of the lore. 15 years later, of course, I could more fully appreciate a show by that version of the band. I assume the setlist would be limited to the pre ’97 discography, which would make for an awfully great night.

Seeing the list of bands scheduled to play, I’m struck by how strong Matador’s roster has been. I can take a pass on the bands in the last few lines of that flyer for the most part (save for Shearwatert, but everything else is top notch. Only Merge has had as consistently solid a lineup.

So, anyone who would like to contribute to the “TIRBD to Vegas” fund, please feel free to get in touch.