The night before Easter, I worshipped at the alter of rock and offered up all the money in my pocket for cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a $20 t-shirt.
This show was special for me because I would be popping a concert cherry. This was the first time the Drive-By Truckers and I would be at a concert together and, like many first times, I was ready for a bevy of emotions: anxiousness, excitement, and screaming (yes, that’s an emotion).
I can tell you how awesome it was seeing the band members pass a bottle of Jack Daniels or how it was inspiring seeing a variety of dancing in the pit from the young to the old. Or even how they played some of my favorite songs off their new album Brighter Than Creation’s Dark. But that would fail to encompass exactly what I experienced. Think of it as unbridled joy. It’s the same feeling you got when you first saw porn or when you discovered ice cream came in more flavors than vanilla or chocolate (or that you were “good enough” to eat Häagen-Dazs ice cream…I have weird friends).
All the stories you’ve heard are true. They’re fantastic live. Patterson Hood has a gnarly beard. Mike Cooley is laid-back and has no regard for Boston’s “No Smoking” indoors rule. Shonna Tucker will flirt with the audience (once she has JD inside of her).
But the one thing I didn’t expect to find at the concert was one tear to fall from my eye. It happened at the end of the show, when Hood launched into the back story about the song “18 Wheels of Love.” I could just lay it all out, nice and slow for ya’ll to read…but it’s so much better to hear Hood tell it.
18 Wheels Story
Immediately following this, the band launched into the song with cheers erupting from the crowd. I ain’t gonna lie. I got choked up for Chester and raised my umpteenth can of PBR for the man. Here’s the song in all its glory.
18 Wheels of Love
And for all the old-school DBT fans out there, they played one of the best songs from Pizza Deliverance.
Bulldozers and Dirt
More songs from the show are after the jump…along with a version of “Home Field Advantage” with a trashed Shonna at the helm. Read the rest of this entry »
Tucked away in the back streets of London’s Marylebone area is a little hidden gem that’s home toome of the most interesting new singer-songwriters the city has to offer. The Perseverance Pub is a pretty unsuspecting place. Your standard English pub; grubby carpets and brown wall paper all included in the free entry.
Tonight (late November) the downstairs area is reserved for an old folks Xmas party and they seem to be enjoying all the free sherry & cucumber sandwiches they can. The upstairs’ venue would feel ram-packed with all of about 15 people in it. I’m one of about half that number tonight but it feels homely & inviting. Noise from the old folks downstairs aside, I’m ready for some introverted singer-songwriters to strut!
Cellar Door goes on stage, quite unassumingly; scratching away at guitar leads and whispering to each other which songs they should do first. When she’s asked how she’d best describe her music, by a slightly out of place looking compare, singer Aimee Grinter hushes “we like to let the music do the talking”. Tell it like it is.
It’s difficult to get sucked into acoustic music at times because it’s a hard listen and it requires all of your attention. Cellar Door don’t have that problem at all. Not for me at least. Beautiful vocal melodies and clever witty lyrics.
I’m happy to say this isn’t the usual “oh it hurts so bad” singer-songwriter rhetoric, the lyrics themselves are not what you might expect to hear over the technical guitar playing of Mike Brown. They’re very matter of fact, very English in all the best ways. Scenes about drinking in a car park with your friends when you’re too young to get into the pub are crossed with a sticking “you don’t need me like I need you.”
And it’s this crossing of styles that happens throughout their set that makes this duo work so well. Vocally, I’m reminded a little of Joni Mitchell & maybe also Gillian Welch. The guitar playing goes from ambient to a harsh blues in a stroke so I’m a little lost for comparisons in that sense. Anyway, don’t get stuck on these feeble comparisons. Go and listen to this group for yourself. They deserve your attention immediately.
I can’t help but wonder how outstanding this would sound with a band & some strings behind them. Although if they did that at the Perseverance Pub there wouldn’t be much space left in the pace for the audience!
The crowd at the State Theatre was transformed from reserved to rowdy over the course of the Drive-By Truckers show on October 25. Despite the venue, an old-fashioned movie theater, the atmosphere more resembled a Southern roadhouse before the show was over, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Drive-By Truckers - Puttin People on the Moon
Drive-By Truckers - World of Hurt
This was the final leg of Drive-By Truckers’ “The Dirt Underneath” tour, a string of shows in more intimate venues that aimed to showcase the band’s acoustic material. The Truckers are known for their Southern-fried rocking and this was a surprising change of pace. Frontman Patterson Hood assured me that the show would still kick ass, but I still wasn’t prepared for the amount of ass-kicking the band doled out over the course of two and a half hours.
Ryan Bingham and Dead Horses opened for DBT, playing to a sparse and sedate crowd. Bingham’s a west Texan, evident in the twang of both his accent and his acoustic guitar. As people filtered in he strummed and sang in a smoky voice of Dylanesque Americana, with the Horses keeping time. His urgings to the audience to get up and dance went mostly unheeded until his electric guitarist tore into “Bread & Water,” a screaming slide-guitar Texas blues meltdown. The house was full of whooping and hollering that wouldn’t stop until the Truckers took their final bow.
By this point the crowd had filled in. The guys in front of me took Bingham’s advice and danced between swigs from a flask. As Bingham left the stage, he thanked the Truckers for letting him accompany them on tour and lamented the damage it had done to his liver. Roadies lugged a cooler onto the stage and placed a bottle of whiskey by each chair to prove his point. When I went downstairs to get gum from the backpack I had checked at the front desk, the woman standing guard gave me a stern look. “Go ahead, but leave the beer in there.” The State Theatre doesn’t serve alcohol. I assured her that I would.
Drive-By Truckers took the stage to hearty applause. Their stories of Southern life may at times have seemed foreign to the central Pennsylvanians in the crowd but the meaning was lost on no one. Guitarist Mike Cooley sang with the voice Mick Jagger wishes he had and Hood spoke of tornadoes and unemployment over the hypnotizing ring of John Neff’s pedal steel. Everyone shouted requests at the stage and reacted to Hood’s between-song banter.
“He had never even been to Georgia before he met me,” Hood said about Neff. “He was conceived in Ohio.”
“Is that some kind of football thing? I don’t know shit about football,” Hood said. “All I know is don’t bet against Joe Paterno. I bet on an Alabama-Penn State game one time and Paterno crushed us.”
The entire theater had cheered at the legendary Paterno’s name, myself included. With the audience back in the fold, the band launched into another song. Bottles of Jack Daniel’s were passed from band member to band member. Bottles of beer from the cooler littered the floor. At one point, Hood circled the stage, pouring whiskey the other Truckers’ mouths as they played. The guys in front of me were dancing wildly, having finished their flask.
The show culminated in a rocking rendition of one of DBT’s oldest songs, delicately titled “Buttholeville.” “I’m tired of living in Buttholeville,” Hood sang. “Tired of my job and my wife Lucille.” The guitars, now overdriven, were roaring and the place was jumping. Hood himself was clutching the mic stand, swinging it around and rolling on the floor. As the band thundered to a close, Hood collapsed onstage. He picked himself up and promised the crowd that the Truckers would be playing in a bar and really rocking the next time they came to town.
If this was Drive-By Truckers’ idea of a laid-back acoustic show, I can only imagine what they have in store next.
It was The Roadside Graves’ guitarist Jeremy Benson’s 30th birthday at the stroke of midnight two Saturdays ago and the packed crowd at the Court Tavern was in a fine mood to celebrate. The stage had been decorated in streamers and there were balloons everywhere.
The Graves opened almost abruptly with a modified take on “Family & Friends,” foregoing its instrumental intro and opting instead for an a cappella opening from lead singer John Gleason and Benson. The abbreviated version was followed immediately in blistering succession by “Jenny” and equally rollicking version of “West Coast,” the first single from their new record No One Will Know Where You’ve Been. They proceeded, at break neck speed, through a hour and a half set which mixed new material with old favorites.
The band has really evolved since I first saw the guys a few years ago at the Court. One major difference is the band now sports two new percussionists. Andrew and Colin rotated songs on the kit- but the moment one jumps off- he picks up some other percussive piece and keep the set driving forward.
Midway through, the Graves unplugged and headed out into the audience for an all acoustic version of “Jail”. Not every band can leave the PA behind and rely on their harmonies to carry the moment, but the Graves pull it off. Other highlights included new cuts like the dark percussion driven “God Touched Me (And I Didn’t Like It)” and the folky but instantly catchy “Far & Wide”. The band closed with “Radio” and as it built to a climatic finish the crowd joined them on stage singing along with the final refrains.
I’m a big fan of a talented, ensemble band. The New Pornographers are always a solid live show, especially when all the members come out for the tour.
The set-list was comprised of a pretty even mix of old and new songs, making sure to feature Dan Bejar (of Destroyer) and Neko Case with “Testament to Youth in Verse” and “Letter From an Occupant.” With Case’s and Bejar’s distinctive vocals it’s hard to imagine the band touring without them, but they have. Bejar stumbles across the stage, beer bottle in hand, and then wails with that voice. It’s shows like this that make me think, this is why you go to a show. It’s that minute, when Neko croons backed by a full band that gives me chills. They aren’t my typical musical fare, they are peppy, and way upbeat. But they have that something that only comes from a live show. There’s an earnestness and a joy backed by all that musical talent.
Opening for the New Pornographers was Lavender Diamond, a hippy, indie, pop, folk foursome with a definite schtick…or maybe not.
The lead singer gives the impression she could be a fourteen year old, and babbles softly on stage about peace and love. “Don’t let anyone tell you that there can’t be peace on earth.” Her act is punctuated with sugar smiles and curtsies, but they are also on Matador - so how much do you believe in the act? In between the more poppy numbers there are stark near-ballads, that mixed with the naive school-girl vibe gives off a creepy Twin Peaks-esqe aire. But for all this, they totally won this listener over. Call it the magic of the live show, I wasn’t ready to be a fan, but I left one. Check them out for yourself and see what you think.
I was lucky enough to see recent NYC resident (by way of Virginia, Texas, and Tennessee) Steve Earle twice this past week. On Tuesday Earle released his twelfth studio album Washington SquareSerenade. To celebrate, Steve chatted and performed a few tracks for a live satellite radio broadcast with Mojo Nixon at the SIRIUS headquarters in NYC. Earle was joined in the glass walled studio by his wife country singer Allison Moorer (Earle has been married 7 times). These are mostly love songs about New York, said Earle of the new album- and Allison. Earle was also backed by the unusual accompaniment of Neil MacDonald on turntables. Washington Square Serenade was produced by John King, one half of the production team The Dust Brothers. Earle took advantage of MacDonald’s support to kick out a couple of tracks from the new record- including “City of Immigrants” and appropriately “Satellite Radio” (Steve also has his own radio program on SIRIUS).
Allison Moorer and Steve Earle
The next night I found myself in midtown again, this time at the storied Town Hall. (See my rant on what a neat place Town Hal is here.) Earle opened the set talking about folk singing. There’s a rule, he said, that you’re supposed to tell you who taught you a song before you play it- we’ll I learned this one off of a Bob Dylan record. The track turned out to be “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down” by Eric von Schmidt. Earle reminisced that he had actually lived across the street from Schmidt in Mexico but never could get up the nerve to go and learn the song from its writer. The thoughts on folk singing proved to be an accurate indication of the evening to come- the set was no frills- with Earle accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica. MacDonald reprised his role on a few of the new tracks and also on “Jerusalem” from the 2002 record of the same name. Moorer (who also opened the show) also joined her husband for a couple of numbers including the duet “Days Aren’t Long Enough”. Earle joked that he written a lot of duets, but most of them required a bit of acting. Not the case with Allison. He closed the opening set w/Tom Waits “Way Down In The Hole” which he also covers on the new record. The Waits track is the theme song for HBO’s The Wire- each season a different artist records it for the opening credits. Earle has acted, as a recovering heroin addict, on The Wire and his version will open the fifth and final season of the show.
The Encore was a nice mix of hits, including “My Old Friend The Blues” and “Copperhead Road” as well as the “Rich Man’s War” from 2004’s excellent The Revolution Starts…Now. If you don’t play “Hardcore Troubadour” I’m not going to get laid- yelled one fan during the opening set. I’m definitely pro-sex replied Earle- obliging the request in the first encore.
Something I appreciate about Steve Earle’s music is his ability to be political with tact and grace plus a great pop sensibility. Making the message in a medium people can relate to is what makes protest music effective. The second and final encore ended with “Christmas in Washington” in which Earle calls for the return of Woody Guthrie, but I think we’ll be alright- the tradition continues- we’ve got Steve Earle.
Get your alt country fix on this fall with two of the best in the business. Memphis, TN based Lucero are possibly the best live band you will see on any stage in this great nation of touring musicians. Every time I’ve seen these guys they’ve been incredible- drunk or sober- it doesn’t matter. If you haven’t picked up their most recent record Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers stop what you’re doing and go pick it up now- while you’re at it- get That Much FurtherWest as well. Supporting is the always entertaining Bobby Bare Jr. who is supporting his new disc The Longest Meow.
OCT 10 Lawrence, KS / The Bottleneck
OCT 12 Englewood, CO / Gothic Theatre
OCT 13 Boulder, CO / Fox Theatre and Cafe
OCT 15 Salt Lake City, UT / Club Sound
OCT 17 Seattle, WA / Crocodile Cafe
OCT 18 Portland, OR / Hawthorne Theater
OCT 19 San Francisco, CA / Slim’s
OCT 20 Los Angeles, CA / El Rey Theatre
OCT 21 San Diego, CA / Brick by Brick
OCT 22 Phoenix, AZ / The Brickhouse
OCT 24 Austin, TX / Emo’s
OCT 26 Nashville, TN / Mercy Lounge
OCT 28 Wilmington, NC / The Soapbox Laundrolounge
OCT 29 Carrboro, NC / Cat’s Cradle
OCT 30 Richmond, VA / Alley Katz
OCT 31 Washington DC / Black Cat
NOV 01 Philadelphia, PA / The Trocadero
NOV 02 Cambridge, MA / Middle East
NOV 03 Brooklyn, NY / Music Hall of Williamsburg
NOV 04 New York, NY / Bowery Ballroom
NOV 06 Cleveland, OH / Grog Shop
NOV 07 Detroit, MI / Magic Stick
NOV 08 Louisville, KY / Headliner’s
NOV 09 Chicago, IL / Metro
NOV 10 Minneapolis, MN / Fine Line Music Cafe
NOV 11 Milwaukee, WI / Turner Hall
Here’s the aforementioned title track from That Much Further West.
Lowell Thompson is an extremely talented young musician from Burlington, VT. On Saturday he made a stop at The Living Room in NYC’s east village for a special acoustic set. The Living Room is one of my favorite venues for acoustic music- intimate- and the crowd is always there to listen. Thompson treated the crowd to cuts from his excellent self titled album including “Anna,” and “Turn Me Home” in addition to some new cuts and a couple of covers from Neil Young and Gram Parsons. Bill Mullins, the guitarist from Lowell’s band, accompanied also playing acoustic. Bill took a solo on almost every cut- which typically I would find excessive at an acoustic show. But Mullins was up to the task- pulling out some very impressive and appropriate chops. Lowell plays regularly in the Burlington but you can check him out in NYC again on September 28th at Pianos.
The show is hosted as part of XPN’s Free at Noon weekly series. Reservations for free spots to this one ran out pretty quickly on the web site. There’s no telling how the throngs of Ruf-ies will react to the the first-come, first-served entrance setup for the show. If enough fans are mowed down in the melee perhaps you could sneak in without a reservation. But I doubt it.
Rufus and Neko are playing an outdoor show together at the Mann Center in Philly later on the same day. The steep ticket cost completely killed my interest. But it’s sure to be a decent summer evening show if you like either act.
I’m not a fan of Rufus, or any of the Wainwrights really. But they seem to draw out Neko Case and that’s what counts to me. Neko stopped at the Trocadero in Philly in April 2006 with Martha Wainwright, Rufus’s sister, opening in support of the then-new Fox Confessor Brings the Flood album. Martha was a total yawner, while Neko got the crowd excited and played an energetic set. I’m expecting much the same next Friday.
I like women who play guitars who are revered by lesbians even though I’m not a lesbian. Stop judging me.
Brandi Carlile, the one who made this video for Grey’s Anatomy fans, gave a free concert today (Thursday, July 12) in Copley Square Park in Boston. It was part of the WBOS (the indie rock/lite rock station) Free Summer Concerts. The weather was unseasonably perfect for this time of year and the crowd was a healthy mixture of the young, old and handicapped. Some were so young that Carlile had to censor her “trucker mouth” (She failed. After performing “Turpentine” with audience participation, she explained “You guys sang your asses off!” She immediately put her hand over her mouth and apologized. Somewhere, off in the distance, a mother wailed for her young daughter’s tainted ears.)
Carlile is slowly climbing the ladder and, with the help of another successful album, will reach the coveted plateau where people like the Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge reside. Truth be told, I enjoy her music. It feels good on a balmy night with a glass of whiskey in my hands.
This was my second time seeing her live this year (I am not a fanatic) and both shows were equal in quality. She played “Late Morning Lullaby,” “Have you ever” and “The Story” off her new album, which were fine (as was evidenced by the multitude of men and women shifting their weight from side to side in what I can only assume is “dancing” in the indie rock world). But the exciting thing about seeing Carlile live is the songs she chooses to cover. This time we got Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” I would pay top dollar to hear this woman waill Cash tunes all night.
At one point Carlile and the band encountered technical difficulties, forcing stagehands to run around the stage. Because every second is precious during a free concert (just like every sperm is sacred during free sex), Carlile erupted into an inpromptu a cappella song where she clapped and yodeled. Yes, yodeled.
She also played “What Can I Say,” another familiar song for Grey’s Anatomy fans (by the way, I don’t watch Grey’s and only know all these references because of my girlfriend. I will go on record and take a lie detector test to prove it). The free concert in the park ended with Carlile coming back on stage for an encore (which felt odd since she only played for like 45 minutes) and came out with a Red Sox hat on and saying “I only have one sports obsession and that’s the Boston Red Sox.”
I know. I kinda feel like the city is making her say that too.
All music and videos posted on this site are here in support of the artists. If you find anything that should not be posted, please let us know and we'll remove it immediately.
. They proceeded, at break neck speed, through a hour and a half set which mixed new material with old favorites.
