Rubber takes on a new life when
it’s performed live, specifically the Rooftop Session version filmed by
Billboard. The band reworks the song by performing it slower than originally
recorded. It’s as if the more aggressive presence of the album version has
gained hope and naivety, slowing down its pace and enjoying the journey of life
in all its glory and horror.
The visuals obviously add another dimension to the live version,
which goes without saying. Images fill your head of Blumberg’s strained neck as
he whines the lyrics “put me on a chain/change my name/and lead me to/the place
that I need to go”; his previous apathetic demeanor then turns into intense
emotion. Jonny, the drummer, is phenomenal when it comes to syncopation. His
drum line throughout the whole piece is another key element in addition to
Blumberg’s vocals, a surprising addition given how it sounds like the backing
beat for an A Tribe Called Quest song that's smoked a bit of pot and decided to
chill out and relax. And, no doubt, the pedal experimentation in the background
that the lead guitarist fools around with during the whole track gives the song
an echoing feel, like thoughts that have been bouncing around in your head for
years finally reveal themselves in a jumbled and indecipherable manner.
Although it wasn’t the most engaging part of the performance,
the outro starting at 7:22 was the deal breaker for me. Each individual artist in
the band really goes into their own leaving the resulting mess of noise unsalvageable,
damned to its own awesomeness. Mariko,
the bassist, is probably my favorite out of all four members during this part of
the performance. At one point, she sways back and forth with her head cocked to
the side, bass shooting up vertically in the air, completely immersed in the
world of noise that they’re creating. I catch myself doing exactly the same
thing when I listen to this song. Whether it is in the worst of circumstances,
or during some of the best moments of my life, this song has always found a way
to creep right up into the foreground of the atmospheric fog of my perception.