t o n g u e - t i e d lightning

What to do with this?

2013-06-03T15:02:00.001-04:00

I'm unsure what to do with this blog. It started as a place where I could record my thoughts, post photos, write haiku, and post an occasional concert or music review. Somewhere along the way, I succumbed to Facebook, and this blog was shelved.

If there is such a thing as digital "dust" this thing would be covered in it. I still get a few hits every day, but no one stays long. They're just here for the free mp3s that have long since evaporated into the ether. Haha! The joke's on you... those things flew the coop a long time ago (for the most part.)

So it goes.

In Memory of Red Velvet, whereever she may be.

2011-09-24T14:10:00.001-04:00

RIP, Jay

2009-05-26T15:07:00.002-04:00

R.E.M. — Christmas in Athens (again)

2008-12-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

edit: For any of you keeping score, this post may seem quite familiar. Due to some anonymous persistence, I've decided to re-post the files and spread a little Christmas cheer. The version I have of "Christmas Time is Here, Again" from the 2000 Holiday Package is truncated, so if any faithful readers has this song, I'd be much obliged to replace my copy of this song.

I was a member of the R.E.M. fan club for many, many years. Somewhere along the way I let my membership slide and I keep forgetting to renew my status before the Holiday Fan Club packages are sent out. This year, once again, I lived up to my potential and forgot to re-up in time for the annual Christmas package.

But that doesn't mean I don't have a slew of Christmas-themed R.E.M. goodies from yesteryear's packages. Pipe these babies into your ears and drown out that holiday muzak that the malls push on you. You know better than to listen to that pap.

Without further ado:

+ R.E.M. — Ghost Reindeer In The Sky (1990)
+ R.E.M. — Parade Of Wooden Soldiers (1988)
+ R.E.M. — Toyland (1992)
+ R.E.M. — Christmas In Tunisia (1994)
+ R.E.M. — Good King Wenceslas (1989)
+ R.E.M. — Christmas Griping (1991)
+ R.E.M. — Christmas Time Is Here (1993)
+ R.E.M. — Silver Bells (1993)
+ R.E.M. — Jesus Christ (2002, Big Star Cover)
+ ~~R.E.M. — Christmas Time Is Here Again~~ * (2000, originally a Beatles Fan-Club Only single)
+ R.E.M. — Deck The Halls (from a 1988 Warner Promotional CD)

* If anyone has a complete version of this song, please let me know.
This one seems to be truncated, and there's no need in spreading a lousy file around.

Merry Christmas!

Reason No. 194 to Love NPR

2008-07-28T13:14:00.004-04:00

Glitter And Doom: Tom Waits In Concert
Hear A Stunning Performance, Recorded At Atlanta's Fox Theater
By Robin Hilton

NPR.org, July 28, 2008 - A trip through the world of Tom Waits can be disorienting. His ramshackle story-songs, with their creaky instrumentation and dusty poetry, usually leave listeners with more questions than answers, and his persona outside of his music revolves around a playful but guarded mix of fiction and reality.

[continue reading from NPR.org]

The concert will be available at 12 a.m. ET.

Tom Waits — Atlanta, GA

2008-07-23T21:30:00.002-04:00

05-Jul-2008, Atlanta
Fox Theatre

Even Waits needs to celebrate Independence Day... and with the generous offer of a stellar pair of Raindogs Tom and Sherry, we celebrated the holiday halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta, in a town called Oxford, AL. It was one of the best 4th of Julys I've ever had!

So after a wake-up in our rented motor lodge, we were once again on the road to Atlanta.

It's very clear that Tom cares about his fans. Even the ones that are still outside waiting to enter, as it became very evident this show wasn't going to start on time. No matter—none of these shows started at 8:00 PM. I'm cool and the gang with that. But for the punctual, I think there were some slight grumblings that he didn't start at the scheduled time.

For the show to be a tour closer, I was halfway expecting a slightly different show, but looking back, it was not much of a departure from previous stops along the way. But, it's still Tom, and sharing the room with such a commanding presence is reason enough to drive 6 hours.

I would be remiss in failing to mention the sax player Vincent Henry, who quite literally "doubled on sax" as he skillfully played two at a time during several points of the night. He was also behind the harp and could certainly give a Mr. Musselwhite a run for his money when it comes to playing harmonica.

Casey Waits has certainly matured as a drummer in the last two years. He was, in fact, the only returning member of this incarnation of the band. Waits' rhythm and tempo changes are frequent and can often change at abrupt moments during any given song, and Casey followed along near flawlessly as his father played the role of conductor, often giving very slight body movements as visual clues to the musicians.

All in all, this band played very very well together. Though I have never witnessed a searing Marc Ribot guitar solo, I find myself very content with the musicians Tom picked for his touring ensemble. It's the mark of a good band leader to surround himself with good musicians, and I applaud his choices.

Oh, one other thing... the version of "Eyeball Kid" played in Atlanta featured a brilliant mime of Tom plucking his own eyeball from its socket and tossing it up in the air. The band, who certainly had rehearsed this—they were spot on—provided sound effects to the playful tossing, juggling, and yo-yo-ing of the imaginary eyeball. At someone's shouting: "Go DEEP!" Tom did indeed throw the eyeball wayyy into the audience, and just as a yo-y0 would behave, pulled back on an imaginary string to retrieve the thing. It was brilliant, and brought a lot of laughs.

[edit: Here's a great video of Tom doing this bit in Paris.]

And while the tour has been over for me for a number of days... I still find myself thinking back to this final night, when all was seemingly right with the world. From the anticipation leading up to the show, to meeting 'dogs from all over the world, there was certainly no place I would have rather been on this night.

Sadly the road called me home, and quite possibly with the divine help of a tiny, bonafide St. Christopher, (courtesy of Dorene — It's still riding with me, too!) I chased storms all the way back to North Carolina.

Till next time...

Atlanta Setlist:

Lucinda / Down to the Well
Down in the Hole
Falling Down
Chocolate Jesus
All the World is Green
Cemetery Polka
Cause of it All / 'til the Money Runs Out
Such a Scream
November
Hold On
Black Market Baby
9th and Hennepin
Lie to Me

(at piano)

Lucky Day
On the Nickel
Lost in the Harbour
Innocent When you Dream

(off piano)

Hoist that Rag
Make it Rain
Dirt in the Ground
Get Behind the Mule
Hang Down Your Head
Jesus Gonna Be Here
Singapore

(encore)

Eyeball Kid (w/ mime)
Anywhere I Lay My Head

Once again... this set is courtesy of the inimitable Raindog-of-the-Year in my book, Shane C. via The Eyeball Kid.

Tom Waits — Birmingham, AL

2008-07-15T12:35:00.002-04:00

03-Jul-2008, Birmingham

"The memories are short, but the tales are long."

Once again, the road beckons. Tom Waits, having wound his way through the constellation Hydra, was now in the deep South for the final two nights of the North American tour. Me and my good buddy Jason, a long-time fan (I take credit for his conversion) converged upon the city of Birmingham, he from Florida, me from North Carolina.

Once we were settled in our rented room, and with growing anticipation, we left our hotel and had a spirited walk through downtown Birmingham, cutting through Lion Park on our way to 3rd street. The Alabama Theatre is a gorgeous original grand theatre of yesteryear, and it's very evident why Tom chose such a venue for this stop in Birmingham.

Waits and his band were in full stride from the first song, and as he stomped his way through the raucous, but predictable "Lucinda / Down to the Well" medley, each boot stomp raised a dust cloud from the platform and hung in the spotlight like smoke.

The divinely inspired flamenco intro on "All the World is Green" by Latin guitarist Omar Torrez didn't immediately register, but nonetheless, the flurry of notes melded beautifully into the familiar, slow progression of the song from 2000's Blood Money. It was a beautiful addition, and I think even Tom bowed in his direction and barked: "Omar Torrez" just in case we didn't know who was playing such beautiful guitar.

Waits performed over two hours again on this stop, allowing us to ride with him as he took us on an imaginary trip, complete with off-beat characters, such as the never-before-performed "Poor Edward", and the somewhat of a rarity: "Frank's Wild Years" (performed 3 times on this tour of 13 dates.)

Birmingham Setlist:

Lucinda / Down to the Well
Down in the Hole
Falling Down
Hold On
Chocolate Jesus
Cemetery Polka
Poor Edward
Lie to Me
Hang Down Your Head
All the World is Green
Black Market Baby
Frank's Wild Years
Misery is the River of the World

(at piano)

Tango 'til They're Sore
On the Nickel
Always Keep a Diamond in Your Mind
Innocent When You Dream

(off piano)

Jockey Full of Bourbon
Make it Rain / band intros
Jesus Gonna Be Here
Cold, Cold Ground
November
Hoist That Rag

(encore)

Singapore
Dirt in the Ground
Come on Up to the House

setlist provided by Shane and The Eyeball Kid
to be cont'd...

Tom Waits — Knoxville, TN

2008-07-01T12:45:00.001-04:00

29-JUN-2008
Knoxville Civic Auditorium
Knoxville, TN

The anticipation for Waits had plenty long to stew. For some, the wait had been a lifetime of listening, for others a couple of years, and for a lucky few, a matter of days. Be that as it may, the crowd in Knoxville was nearly overflowing with eager fans even when the hour of 8 PM came and went, and our idol didn't show.

"The anticipation will all disappear" I said, "once he takes the stage."

Knoxville was richly rewarded for their collective patience on Sunday night. All at once, the theatre grew very dim. There was movement on the stage... musicians taking their respective places... and then, the unmistakable chapeau, the scarecrow movements, the contorted fingers... and there he was.

What followed for close to 2 1/2 hours was nothing short of a carnival of sorts. Waits preached to us his own sort of gospel: "Way Down in the Hole", "Jesus Gonna Be Here", and "God's Away on Business." Stamping his feet on the raised platform, kicking up dust like a depression-era traveling evangelist, he took us through an inebriated travelouge that was at times very poignant "On the Nickel" (!) "Come on Up to the House" (please note: I want that song played at my funeral), and "Lucky Day".

Much like a cobra charmer, Waits has that rare capacity to completely captivate his audience, and he did just that in Knoxville. Though the set list relied heavy on "Doom", "Glitter" certainly did make an appearance. During "Eyeball Kid" Waits replaced his bowler with a mirrored Stetson hat and, with spot lights on cue, cast a disco-ball lighting effect upon us all. And true to the song "Make it Rain" he summoned a shower of silver confetti that covered the stage.

"Fannin Street", was a beautiful encore, followed by an equally beautiful rendition of "Come on Up to the House." Once the lights came up... the spell had lost some of its hold, as we were released into the Knoxville night, but the Raindog post-show gathering allowed us to relish the event we all were privilidged to see.

See you in Birmingham!

Lucinda/Ain't Goin Down to the Well
Way Down in the Hole
Falling Down
Hang Down Your Head
Chocolate Jesus
God's Away on Business
Get Behind the Mule
Metropolitan Glide
Trampled Rose
Cold Cold Ground
The Part You Throw Away
Black Market Baby
Rain Dogs/Russian Dance
On the Nickel
Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
You Can Never Hold Back Spring
Lucky Day
Innocent When You Dream
9th and Hennepin
Lie to Me
Jesus Gonna Be Here
House Where Nobody Lives
Eyeball Kid
Make It Rain

Fannin Street
Come On Up to the House

setlist via Shane / The Eyeball Kid

Tom Waits Receives Key to El Paso

2008-06-23T14:40:00.002-04:00

I didn't even know they did this type of thing anymore, but apparently Tom Waits can now come and go as he pleases in the city of El Paso, TX.

From online accounts, as Tom was sitting down to tickle the ivories in a fashion that is all his own, a peace officer came out on stage to "serve him". Tom then started ad-libbing alibis for himself, when a woman came out and presented Tom the above plaque with the key to the city.

R.E.M. Redux

2008-06-23T12:15:00.004-04:00

10-Jun-2008
Walnut Creek

It's been a long time since I've been on an R.E.M. high like this one. I suppose the last one peaked in my High School years, when Out of Time was released and "Losing My Religion" was all over MTV and the airwaves. That was back when the Public Library still lent LP Records... and subsequent cassette tape copies of Life's Rich Pageant, Document and Fables of the Reconstruction road shotgun in my first car.

In the days since R.E.M.'s latest tour brought them through the city of Raleigh, I've been on another binge. Each commute to work and home again has been peppered by the old songs, as well as some of the new.

I realize that I'm over a week late in posting any thoughts on this show, but this is more or less written for my own benefit, as well as any others whose memory will likely fail them when trying to recall little nuances of the show.

The one-time quartet of original members is now a trio with a couple of other musicians on stage, when on the road. Stipe performed in a bona fide suit, that was without a doubt very uncomfortable, as we were in a heat wave down in NC, with temperatures in the high 90's and even 100's. I didn't envy his attire in the least. But heat or not, Stipe put on a showman's show, and held nothing back. He even came off stage and into the crowd (although there was a barricade in place on the crowd level) nearing the close of the night.

The band treated us to several chestnuts during the course of the evening. Most notable to me were: "1,00o,000", "7 Chinese Brothers" and "Sitting Still". (I still don't know exactly what Stipe is singing on this one. I still get it wrong to this day singing: "Silly try for the big hill... wasting time, sitting still.") Good old Murmur. There's never been a more aptly titled R.E.M. album. Another highlight was a sweet rendition of "Let Me In" that was performed around a single mic, with Mike Mills at the piano. (I think this was the song, please correct me if I'm wrong on that.) And of course... seeing my long-time guitar idol Johnny Marr join them on-stage for my all time favorite R.E.M. song: "Fall on Me" was a moment I won't soon forget.

R.E.M. has such an extensive catalogue, that every time I've seen them (this was the 4th time around) I've been left wanting more. Be that as it may, they delivered the goods, and then some.

Long may you run.
Long may you run.

Harborcoat
Living Well's The Best Revenge
Bad Day
Whats the Frequency, Kenneth?
1,000,000
Man-Sized Wreath
Welcome To The Occupation
Accelerate
7 Chinese Brothers
Hollow Man
Imitation of Life
Houston
Electrolite
Walk Unafraid
The One I Love
Final Straw
Find The River
Let Me In
Horse To Water
Auctioneer (Another Engine)
Orange Crush
I'm Gonna DJ

Encore:
Supernatural Superserious
Losing My Religion
Pretty Persuasion
Fall On Me (w/Johnny Marr)
Sitting Still (w/Mitch Easter and Don Dixon)
Man On The Moon

[More info on the Raleigh show]

Tonight in Raleigh...

2008-06-10T12:02:00.002-04:00

My first love in music.

R.E.M. on Colbert

2008-04-10T12:05:00.000-04:00

Performing "Supernatural Superserious"

Interview that preceded the performance.
Colbert and his "codpiece" is priceless!

A Concert-Goers Taxonomy

2008-03-07T12:16:00.004-05:00

I lifted this from a Washington Post article from a number of years ago, but things really have changed very little since then, so this entire lexicon is still accurate—except for maybe all the smoking.

Just One Request
Going to A Concert? Don't Play The Fool.

By David Segal
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 20, 2004; Page C01

Nick Lowe has just finished 90 minutes of solo music at the Birchmere, a set that included all of his best-known songs -- except one. The silver-haired daddy of British pop hasn't played "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding," a track that he wrote and that helped make Elvis Costello famous in the 1970s. So everybody knows what's coming when Lowe returns to the stage for an encore. He strums the opening chords and a ripple of delight rolls through the room.

Then stops. A man in a striped shirt has wobbled up to the stage, a hand-drawn sign in one hand, a drink in the other. He edges so close to the spotlight that Lowe has no choice but to ask what he wants.

"Zmmuphhmen," comes the reply. Or something like that. Lowe looks baffled.

"What?" he asks, politely.

"Zmmuphhmen!" There's a Web address on the sign, and Lowe gamely tries to read it out loud. By now, whatever spell had mesmerized this room is gone, replaced by confusion, which is soon replaced by rage. All at once, fans realize what has happened. Their joy has been killed -- at least for the moment -- by a Concert Fool.

There is no escaping the Concert Fool. He (and every once in a while, she) is the chronic carbuncle on the butt of rock, an inflammation that makes it hard to really get comfortable. The Concert Fool is either unglued by music, or drunk, or unaware of the invisible line that separates civilization from anarchy. Or aware of the line but past caring about it. Mostly, the Concert Fool is having a great time because these guys rawwwwk and because it's a concert and up top, dude. Rock and roll!

Ultimately, the Concert Fool is confused. He believes that the rules of courtesy have been suspended during showtime, which isn't exactly true. Though it's not entirely false, either. At a typical rock concert, you get far more leash than you do at, say, the theater or the symphony. The Concert Fool, however, misconstrues limited license for an excuse to vomit on your girlfriend's pants.

Decorum at a rock concert is actually venue-dependent; what will fly at the 9:30 club, where bands skew loud and young, will get you tossed from the Birchmere, where the acts are generally quieter and pitched to adults. You need to sit down and zip it at the Birchmere and halls like it, which seems proper for a singer like Nick Lowe, whose distorted-amp days are well behind him. But even at 9:30 -- as well as the Black Cat, MCI Center, Merriweather Post and other venues -- you need a set of manners, even if those manners fall somewhere between the standards of decency for a baseball game and the standards of decency for a kegger. Most fans settle comfortably within that fairly broad range, finding a way to exult in the show without thrashing the collective buzz.

The Concert Fool, on the other hand, finds inventive ways to annoy. A wide variety stalk the nation's pop venues, and during my years as a pop-music critic, I've seen them all. So here's a field guide to what's out there -- a taxonomy, if you will, of show-going morons. Avoid them if you can.

The Singer wants to the world to know he's got a great voice. So he sings. Really, really loud, during the lulls, during the shrieks. All the time. Fans of James Mercer met a prime example of this genus of Concert Fool last year at Iota, when Mercer, the lead singer of the Shins, closed a showcase for the Seattle label Sub Pop. Toward the end of his set, Mercer played "New Slang," his most popular tune, but suddenly you could barely hear the guy. A Singer had chimed in -- eyes closed, shot glass hoisted -- at a volume loud enough to drown out the man everyone had paid to hear.

The Reckless Smoker -- A cigarette is a dangerous weapon around people packed together tight. At a Guided by Voices show in New York -- before that glorious smoking ban went into effect -- fans were so jammed one night at a club called Tramps that you had to applaud with your hands above your head. This didn't stop a guy behind me from lighting up -- and then singeing some unlucky fan standing in front of him. "Sorry, man," the Smoker said. No doubt this made the burn victim feel a whole lot better.

The Angler -- They arrived late, and they don't want to stand in the back. So the Anglers connive to get close to the stage, which is tricky -- and rude -- at a show that's sold out. The most inventive Angler I've seen waited till right before the first song and pretended to be on the verge of vomiting as he waded toward the lip of the stage. People leapt out of his way. When he got to the front, he just smiled.

More recently, at a Bob Dylan show, a woman murmured "That's my husband" as she nudged her way to a place at a forward section on the floor of the 9:30 club. She slipped an arm around a tall man and smiled as if greeting her mate. Which he wasn't. The man gave her a confounded look and a polite brushoff. Why she thought this would work is a mystery, but I had the sense it wasn't the first time she'd tried the gambit. In this instance she retreated, muttering: "What a jerk."

The Requestaholic -- They came for one song, and they're going to hear that song if it kills them. Which it nearly did at a couple of Bruce Springsteen's solo shows during his "Ghost of Tom Joad" tour in 1996. The Boss asked fans at the outset not to shout for tunes, and in those cities where the Requestaholics wouldn't stop, Springsteen threatened to ask fans nearby to take matters into their own hands.

For performers, you can imagine the frustration, especially at a show for an album like "Joad," which was somber and low-key. Anyway, most set lists are cooked up well before a tour hits the road, so shouting is nearly always pointless. It's just annoying. One of the few things I remember about the Steve Earle show at the 9:30 two years ago is a twit who screamed "Jackalope Eye!" at least 25 times over the course of the show. Earle tried to shut him up by doing a belittling impersonation of him. But the true Requestaholic won't let a little humiliation get in the way.

"Jackalope Eye!" he screamed during the very next break.

The Talker -- The bane of nearly every show. A shocking number of ticket buyers regard rock concerts as ideal moments to catch up with friends. I can remember a pair of women nattering through a My Morning Jacket concert, a guy flirting shamelessly with a mini-shirted damsel at a Peaches show, a half-dozen drinkers at Iota who didn't seem to realize a band was in the room. The most stupefying Talker I've seen was at a Melissa Etheridge show at the Warner Theatre, a woman who called a friend on her cell phone just as Etheridge hit the stage.

"I'm at the show! Yeah, Melissa just came on! Yeah! Can you hear me? What? Can you hear her? What?" There were murderous stares from everyone in her vicinity -- and then verbal threats -- but it didn't matter. The dedicated Talker doesn't care.

The Stander -- Ordinarily, this is not a big deal. But if everyone else is sitting, it can lead to violence. At a Peter Gabriel show at MCI Center, one Stander, a thirtyish woman in jeans, had the misfortune of blocking the view of a true Concert Fool (see Grabber, below) who slapped her rear end when she refused to have a seat. She ran for the cops, and he hustled out of that section of the arena, presumably to watch the show from another seat.

The Grabber -- One who grabs. See above.

That's the list. If you recognize yourself in any of these categories, let me ask a favor on behalf of everyone else who loves live music: Stay home and wait for the DVD.

Even if there won't be a DVD.

Pretty please?

original article link

"A Step in the Right Direction"

2008-03-03T18:06:00.001-05:00

Wilco — 19/20-Feb-2008 — Nights Four & Five

2008-02-25T22:30:00.002-05:00

As I'm writing this, I'm on a comfy couch back in my home state of NC. The Residency shows are still being played over in my mind, and, lest I forget, I want to write a few lines about the last couple of nights.

Tuesday was frigid. I think the wind chill temperatures on that day alone put all the others to shame. Something like minus 19 Fahrenheit. If you're dressed warm... it doesn't kill ya. While stamping out the cold in line, there was a snaggle-toothed jolly old chap armed with a bottle of vodka, and a never-ending cigarette that made his way up and down the queue of concert-goers. He was quite a dancer, too. It was all good.

The show on Tuesday was broadcast on the web for the masses, and one thing was soon evident: the "free-range" Andrew Bird wasn't on stage. Perhaps it had to do with a music labeling issue. The show was bookended with the same song, essentially: "Outta Mind (Outta Site)" (slow) and "Outta Site (Outta Mind)" (fast). I'm not sure if they'd ever played both in a single set before now. Only Wilco could pull that off!

At the end of the night, fatigue was beginning to set in, and with one more show left to go, many opted, myself and companions included, to forgo any late-night festivities and head on to bed.

We rested some more on the following day, choosing to conserve our energy and nursing our developing colds in order to maximize on the rocking later that night. At this point, many of our new friends were coughing and sniffling, and there were even reports of flu-like symptoms going around. (An aside: We are all sick a week later.)

To those keeping score, we knew that Wilco had played 90-some percent of the promised catalog, and we were really poised for an off-the-hook show for the final night. And that's just what we got.

A few highlights for the night: "Pieholden Suite." In all honesty, I never imagined this song could sound as good as it did. The "Total Pros" horn section really drove this ditty home, and I have a newfound appreciation for this Summerteeth track. "When You Wake Up Feeling Old" seemed especially apropos on this night, for reasons already mentioned. "Blood of the Lamb" from the Mermaid Avenue recordings was a sweet gospel song that would have made Woody proud.

Nels brought back this Macramé-d owl during the latter part of the show. I first saw this back in June, 2007 at Charlotte. An unexpected surprise came when John, who usually eschews blatant rock-star moves, actually jumped off the half-stack during "I Got You" (I think.) At this point, it's all blurring together, but all of us down front simply erupted with screaming and yelling. They were putting on the finishing touches to an historical series of shows, and had energy to spare. It was utterly contagious.

The night didn't end w/ the raucous "Dreamer in My Dreams" although that was the last track they played. We made it down the block to the Fat Cat where we celebrated for a couple hours afterwards. Dehydration had begun to settle in, and it was simply too early to call it a night. Our new-found friends were all there, although some of them regrettably had to get an early start on the trip home. In the end, the warm relationships formed over the Residency were no match for the Chicago winter.

Night Four

Outta Mind (Outta Site)
I Must Be High
Impossible Germany
Radio Cure
Leave Me Like You Found Me
Company In My Back
Handshake Drugs
War On War
Shake It Off
Summerteeth
In A Future Age
ELT
A Shot In The Arm
Poor Places
Reservations
Spiders
On And On And On

-break-

Hotel Arizona
Too Far Apart
Was I In Your Dreams? (w/ horns)
Misunderstood
Someday Soon
California Stars
Hate It Here (w/ horns)
The Thanks I Get (w/ horns)
Walken (w/ horns)
I'm The Man Who Loves You (w/ horns)
I'm A Wheel (w/ horns)
Kingpin
Outta Site (Outta Mind)

-encore-
The Late Greats

Night Five

Sunken Treasure
One By One
Shouldn't Be Ashamed
You Are My Face
Side With The Seeds
Pot Kettle Black
War On War
Pieholden Suite (w/ Andrew Bird & horns)
Muzzle of Bees (w/ Bird)
It's Just That Simple
Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again)
I Thought I Held You
What Light (w/ horns)
When You Wake Up Feeling Old
Summerteeth
Jesus, Etc. (w/ Bird)
Walken (w/ horns)
Hummingbird

-break-

Via Chicago
Blood Of The Lamb (w/ Bird & horns)
Can't Stand It (w/ Bird and horns)
Boxful of Letters
Heavy Metal Drummer
Hate It Here (w/ Bird & horns)
The Thanks I Get (w/ Bird & horns)
Just A Kid
Red Eyed & Blue (w/ Bird)
I Got You (w/ Bird
Casino Queen
I'm A Wheel
Less Than You Think (13 minute drone w/ Bird)
I'm The Man Who Loves You (w/ horns)

-encore-

Dreamer in my Dreams

Wilco — 18-Feb-2008 — Night Three

2008-02-19T15:18:00.007-05:00

Night Three.
After a restful Sunday to recharge our batteries (or thaw out, however you want to look at it) we were fired up to brave some bone-chilling cold (minus 5 degrees F with the wind chill) to stand in line once again. The friends we have made along the way were a welcome sight as we anxiously chattered on about the previous two nights of Wilco goodness.

Lining up early has always paid huge dividends, and tonight was no exception. Once the doors opened, we were able to score spots against the front railing, just in front of Pat.

Some highlights I scribbled down from last night:

The interplay with Nels and Andrew Bird during "Hesitating Beauty."
Jeff testifying on "You are My Face" "I have no idea how this happens...."
Nels on "Shot in the Arm" jumping up and down, acting like a crazy man.
During "Kamera" Jeff was smiling wide at Nels playing the 12-string electric.

Between songs, Jeff quips "This next one is from our first record." To which the crowd replied with applause. Nels directs him to check the setlist... and Jeff covers by saying: "This is from our first record you bought." This brought some jeers, and then Jeff says something to the effect that he "...always has to shit in the punchbowl." I shot a glance over at John, who was smiling and shaking his head in agreement. It was pretty funny. The band then launches into "Jesus, etc."

After "Pick up the Change" Jeff kept wearing the harp brace (which looks like some kind of orthodontic device) just to keep the crowd pleased. I think he said something to the effect that he might start just wearing that around all the time, since it brought great applause.

Horns on "Walken" — Holy canoli! Those guys were good! Pat's rock star moves during "Walken" are just getting better and better. The lighting effects on Pat really allowed him to bask in the spotlight during this song.

Leading up to the last song prior to the break: "I'm the Man Who Loves You" Jeff strikes the first note... and quips that it would be the last song of the set. They were doing it the way the "Dead used to do..." and that we could use the break to pee, get a beer, whatever. Then he said that that note, and he played it again, actually makes them have to pee.

During "Via Chicago" the cacophony coming from Glen's drumkit was paired with a vicious light show that shot red and white lights all over the stage and into the audience, only to halt in time with Glen.

"Monday" rocked my freakin' socks off.

Blue-Eyed Soul
Remember the Mountain Bed w/ Andrew Bird
Bob Dylan's 49th Beard
Hesitating Beauty w/ Bird
That's Not the Issue w/ Bird, Pat on banjo
Wishful Thinking
You Are My Face
Side with the Seeds
A Shot in the Arm
We're Just Friends
Kamera
Handshake Drugs
How to Fight Loneliness w/ Bird
Jesus, Etc. w/ Bird
Should've Been in Love
Pick Up the Change
Theologians
Walken
I'm the Man Who Loves You

-break-

Via Chicago
Impossible Germany
She's a Jar w/ Bird
Say You Miss Me
Box Full of Letters
I'm Always in Love
Hate It Here w/ Bird, horns
The Late Greats
Red-Eyed & Blue
I Got You (At the End of the Century)
Monday
My Darling

-encore-

Can't Stand It with horns
Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again)

Wilco — 16-Feb-2008 — Night Two

2008-02-17T20:46:00.004-05:00

Night Two.

Lessons learned from night one-- if we wanted to continue to have a good vantage, we'd still have to line up early outside the Riviera. No worries, we were in great company with VC'ers and our newly-minted friends from Day One were also stomping the cold from their feet and the anticipation for what Wilco would do launched many a conversation.

Lining up a little over 2 hours ended up paying great dividends, as the club quickly filled up with a veritable sea of people shortly after the doors opened.

The show opened with Tweedy coming on-stage alone, and, armed with an acoustic guitar. At first it seemed he might open the night with a solo song, but the remainder of the band joined him and they began with a subdued Someone Else's Song. It was clear this wouldn't be a carbon copy of the previous night's set, even though there were several repeats from night one.

A surprise entrance by violin and whistling virtuoso Andrew Bird was in store for tonight as Bird joined Jeff for a whistle duet during "Red-Eyed & Blue". Bird lent his classic violin-playing skills for several songs throughout the night.

Other highlights:
Pat Sansone's rock star moves on "Walken."
Jeff's guitar shredding on "I'm the Man Who Loves You." On this song, this is *all* Jeff, as Nels takes a breather from the frenetic fret board action.
A rocking "Casino Queen" from the band's debut... which led to a perennial crowd pleaser: "Kingpin." Jeff mentioned that since we were a hometown crowd, we already knew what to do, but he still needed to remind us to scream at the top of our lungs during the call-back portion of the song. (an aside: My throat still hurts.)

My personal highlight of the evening belongs to "Dreamer in My Dreams." They've obviously rehearsed this 1997 track well, and I have a great feeling this one will be entering in the regular rotation at post-Residency shows in the coming days. Just when you think it's over...

At the shows closer, Jeff said he'd see us on Monday, and after nearly 2 1/2 hours of playing, the band exited the stage. The only problem was: we were not going anywhere. I spied Sue Tweedy in her private box doing the rock show cat call, and we simply yelled to the top of our lungs until the band came out once again. A *true* encore!

The band gave us a pair of songs to close out the night, the last an awesome rendition of "Hoodoo Voodoo" which featured Pat and Nels trading off some of their best kick-ass guitar licks a la Dueling Banjos-style which conjured up a Guitar Hero "battle" in my mind. They had given us everything and more. With the past two nights behind us now... it's difficult to guess what they'll have in store for us on Monday.

Setlist:

Someone Else's Song
Hell is Chrome
Handshake Drugs
Muzzle of Bees
Via Chicago
I'm Trying to Break Your Heart
Hotel Arizona
Shot in the Arm
Impossible Germany
Its Just That Simple - John on vox
When You Wake Up Feeling Old
Too Far Apart
Jesus Etc. w/Andrew Bird
Forget The Flowers w/ AB
Dash 7 w/ AB
Christ For President w/AB
Walken w/ horn section
Im The Man Who Loves You

-break-
The Late Greats
Heavy Metal Drummer
Red Eyed & Blue
I Got You w/ AB
A Magazine Called Sunset
Monday w/ horn section
Casino Queen
Kingpin

-encore-
ELT
Hoodoo Voodoo

Wilco — 15-Feb-2008 — Night One

2008-02-16T11:01:00.004-05:00

So... I'm in Chicago, waking up after the first night of Wilco's five-night stand at the Riviera Theatre. During this stint, they are endeavoring to play every song they've released on the official recordings, plus a smattering of b-sides, Mermaid Avenue tracks, and surprises.

I'm still reeling.

More thoughts to come later, but I really just wanted to dust off the cobwebs of this blog (contrary to what folks might think, I'm still breathing) and gather my thoughts on what will very likely be the one and only time that Wilco attempts such an undertaking.
Set list for Night #1:

ELT
Shot in the Arm
Side with the Seeds
You are my Face
I am Trying to Break Your Heart
Pot Kettle Black
At Least that's What You Said
What's the World Got in Store
When the Roses Bloom Again
Airline to Heaven
Ashes of American Flags
Either Way
Jesus Etc
Too Far Apart
Can't Stand It
Sunken Treasure
Spiders (Kidsmoke)

-break-
Misunderstood
Far, Far Away
Why Would you Wanna Live
Impossible Germany
Sky Blue Sky
Please be Patient with Me
Cars Can't Escape
Hummingbird

-encore-
Hate it Here
Walken
I'm the Man who Loves You
Heavy Metal Drummer
Candyfloss
Outtamind (outtasite)

Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas

2007-12-24T23:50:00.000-05:00

Driving home for Christmas was a welcome slow-paced drive this year. Just me in the VW, with the Christmas songs of Sufjan from the iPod filling my car. After I made my way through that playlist, I gravitated to listening to the soothing strains of Otis Redding. I don't know, there was a warm comfort in listening to those soulful songs that resonated with me on this year's drive home.

There's a song by Okkervil River called "Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas" that prompted me to dial in Otis. I can certainly identify with the sentiment of that song, where the singer finds himself back home, in his old hometown, at Christmas time. Some of the same feelings he was singing about were washing over me. As I neared my parent's house, I found myself going slower and slower, wanting to finish the song. I even drove around the block once, creeping along (a fact that might have caused an overzealous neighbor to think something was amiss) only to allow the song a chance to play all the way through.

It's funny, the houses in my neighborhood all seem so small now. The hills I recklessly piloted my bicycle down seem so insignificant now that I'm older. All the old neighborhood kids are gone--scattered like proverbial seeds cast upon the wind. The only real visible change to the landscape are the trees. Those that have remained have been allowed to tower, while other neighbors have chosen to clear-cut huge swaths of land, creating a very different skyline than that of my youth.

So yeah... home at Christmas. There's nothing like it. At least Otis doesn't change, eh?
Incidentally, Otis died 40 years ago this month, 10-Dec-1967 when the plane he was traveling in crashed into the icy waters of Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin.

Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers. Let me hear from you in the comments... it gets lonesome sometimes in the blogosphere.

+ Okkervil River — Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas

+ Otis Redding — These Arms of Mine
+ Otis Redding — Try a Little Tenderness
+ Otis Redding — My Lover's Prayer
+ Otis Redding — That's How Strong My Love Is
+ Otis Redding — Security

"Silent Night / Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"

2007-12-17T20:29:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again... time to dust off this classic from Tom's 1979 performance on the long-running Austin City Limits.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2007-12-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

God knows, I love Bob Dylan. He's a veritable National Treasure, and there will never be another. Here's a little early Christmas treat for you: Dylan reciting the classic poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

+ 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
excerpted from episode 34 of Dylan's
Theme Time Radio Hour

Bethlehem, 2007

2007-12-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

Banksy

"Mouse House"

2007-12-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Priceless video of the Fiery Furnaces performing "Mouse House" at a Pancake Mountain dance party can be seen here.

I think I may have heard a small voice in the back: "What the heck is Pancake Mountain?"
See below:

Fill in the Blank Playlist

2007-11-30T12:10:00.000-05:00

~~Alice — Tom Waits~~
~~Alison — Pixies (Live)~~
~~Go Amanda — Steve Earle~~
~~Amy 88 — The V-Roys~~
~~Angelita — The Backsliders~~
~~Bob Dylan's 49th Beard — Wilco~~
~~Carrie Brown — Steve Earle and The Del McCoury Band~~
~~Casey Jones — Grateful Dead~~
~~Cecilia Ann — Pixies~~
~~Claire — Morphine~~
~~Clementine — The Decemberists~~
~~D. Boon — Uncle Tupelo~~
~~Danny Says — Ramones~~
~~Daria — Cake~~
~~Elaine — 6 String Drag~~ (includes my favorite local musician: Kenny Roby)
~~Eleanor Put Your Boots On — Franz Ferdinand~~
~~Eleanor Rigby — The Beatles~~
~~Emma — Richard Buckner~~
~~Evangeline — The Band~~ (w. Emmylou Harris)
~~Henrietta — The Fratellis~~
~~Ingrid Bergman — Billy Bragg~~
~~Goodnight Irene — Tom Waits~~
~~Hey, Jack Kerouac — 10,000 Maniacs~~
~~Jack & Tina — Morphine~~
~~Jackie, Dressed in Cobras — The New Pornographers~~
~~Jane — Golden Smog~~
~~Sweet Jane — Cowboy Junkies~~
~~Janine — Soul Coughing~~ (best song in the world feat. an answering machine)
~~Jesse James — Bruce Springsteen w/ the Sessions Band~~
~~Joey — Bob Dylan~~
~~John Walker's Blues — Steve Earle~~
~~John Wayne Gacy, Jr. — Sufjan Stevens~~
~~John Wesley Harding — Bob Dylan~~
~~Jolene — The White Stripes~~
~~Karen — The National~~
~~Karoline — Neko Case~~
~~What's the Frequency, Kenneth? — R.E.M.~~
~~Lisa — Morphine~~
~~Leslie Anne Levine — The Decemberists~~
~~Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken — Camera Obscura~~
~~Lola — The Kinks~~
~~Loretta — Neko Case~~
~~Lucinda — Tom Waits~~
~~Madaline — Catfish Haven~~
~~Madame George — Van Morrison~~
~~Mary — The V-Roys~~
~~Melissa — Hayseed~~
~~Michelle — The Beatles~~
~~Ophelia — The Band~~
~~Ruby's Arms — Tom Waits~~
~~Samson — Regina Spektor~~
~~Sheila — Morphine~~
~~Sheila, Take A Bow — The Smiths~~
~~A Boy Named Sue — Johnny Cash~~
~~Suzie Blue — Ben Harper~~
~~Sylvia Plath — Ryan Adams~~
~~Tom Ames' Prayer — Steve Earle~~
~~William, It Was Really Nothing — The Smiths~~
~~Willie — Cat Power~~
~~Oh Yoko — John Lennon~~
~~Yuri-G — PJ Harvey~~

How Michael J. Got His Groove Back

2007-11-26T22:15:00.000-05:00