Archive
ha’fway 2017
Happy 241st birthday, United States!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ah, the annual halfway through the year music recap where I rarely post an end of year recap. *eyeroll* Eh… I don’t blog much anymore… regardless, here goes for my Top 10 of 2017 so far…
Artist – Album (style)
- Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Mulhy & James McAlister – Planetarium (indie rock)
- Burning Ghosts – Reclamation (jazz metal)
- KXM (Doug Pinnick / George Lynch / Ray Luzier) – Scatterbrain (hard rock)
- Peter Mulvey – Are You Listening? (singer-songwriter)
- Sexmob – Cultural Capital (jazz)
- David Bazan – Care (indie rock)
- Ani DiFranco – Binary (singer-songwriter)
- Future Islands – The Far Field (indie pop)
- Mostly Other People Do the Killing (with Steven Bernstein of Sexmob) – Loafer’s Hollow (jazz)
- Incubus – 8 (rock)
Honorable mentions…
- Albums by Lydia Ainsworth, Alt-J, Brian Marsella Trio’s Masada Book Two, Aimee Mann, Dave Douglas’ Riverside, and Throttle Elevator Music (Kamasi Washington).
- EP – ANOHNI’s Paradise
- Live – ISIS’ Live VII: 2.25.2010
- Re-issues – Pink Floyd early years boxset(s), the Beatles Srgt. Pepper’s 50th, U2 The Joshua Tree 30th, Radiohead OK Computer 20th
- Novelty – A**l Trump’s If You Thought ********* **** Was a Lot of People, You Should Have Seen My Inauguration 5″ vinyl (in “Seth Putnam form,” shall we say).
What’s still to come in 2017…
Claypool-Lennon Delirium 12″ (RSD wider-issue), Spotlights, Antibalas, Steven Wilson, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Mogwai, Radiohead OKNOTOK (physical), Failure live vinyl, Lo Tom (David Bazan, TW Walsh & Starflyer 59 folks), Celldweller, The National, Secret Chiefs 3, Weird Al boxset, plus much more, I’m sure.
Will I continue with blogs in the future? I don’t know. :P
Dan – np: Critters Buggin – Muti -EP-
Ashley Peacock… help him make a new solo record in 2013!
My good-good friend from the Cincinnati area, Ashley Peacock, is breaking his 9 year silence as a solo musical artist. His last solo album was 2003’s Precursor EP, which led into his brit-pop band The Times’ 2005 album Begin (link w/ audio samples). His last album with a group was 2012’s Growing Concern (link w/ audio samples) under the Chance Brothers moniker.
He is long overdue for a solo album, and he’s trying to raise $1,750 via Kickstarter to put the finishing touches on the record.
I’m not sure where he’ll go with his new record. I love a lot of music, but I know when he’s working on something I need to support it. I hope you’ll listen to some of his past stuff and give him your attention for what’s to come.
Odds weigh heavily that you’ll like it! Go to the Kickstarter HERE.
~Dan – np: Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender
Double-REVIEW: Beck @ Les Schwab (Bend, OR – 5/27/12) and Jack White @ the Hult (Eugene, OR – 5/28/12)
It was a long Memorial Day weekend. But it was a musically fruitful weekend. I could have made it more fruitful by adding The Shins / Blind Pilot / Head and the Heart as well as the Tenacious D shows on Friday and Saturday in Bend, respectively; alas, I needed to save some time and energy for Beck in Bend on Sunday and Jack White in Eugene on Monday. It was still quite a great full weekend for my ears!
I had never seen either Beck or Jack White in concert. I was familiar with Beck’s music fairly well… having all of his stuff. I was completely unfamiliar with Jack White’s music – outside of some of the White Stripes and Raconteurs that I’d heard. Needless to say, I was equally excited about both shows.
Beck in Bend was the tail-end of a nice “Bend Ale Trail” weekend for me… sampling some new places for me: 10 Barrel Brewing & Good Life Brewing. Both highly recommended for their beer and their food! Bend also had some lovely weather and some odd rainbows in the clouds…
(not photoshopped… photo taken near Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR)
Metric was Beck’s opener… the Toronto indie rock quartet ripped through a dancey hour-long set. Their fifth album, Synthetica, comes out on June 12, 2012. If the way they had the Bend audience going is any indication, the new album should be a crowd pleaser as well.
Beck went on after a short set break… kicking the show off right with some Odelay goodness by way of “Devil’s Haircut.”
Among his two-hour long set, he bounced around his back and “recent” catalog (2008’s Modern Guilt) fairly well. Every era got some great representation. As mentioned, I had never seen him live before. I was pleasantly surprised with the great mix, especially the songs off of Sea Change…
Beck’s Setlist: about 2 hours
- Devil’s Haircut
- Loser
- Black Tambourine
- Soul of a Man
- Hotwax
- Sissyneck
- The Golden Age
- Lost Cause
- Sunday Sun
- Think I’m In Love
- The New Pollution
- Modern Guilt
- Paper Tiger
- “Song for Bend” [Improv]
- End of the Day
- Tropicalia [partial]
- Jack-Ass
- Gamma Ray
- Minus
- Girl
- Where It’s At
- Encore: Soldier Jane
- Looking Back
- Mutherfuker
- E-Pro
Next, on to Eugene…
I missed Jack White’s opener, Quasi. I’d heard of them before, and would have liked to have seen the show (I like Sam Coomes work with Elliott Smith). Alas, driving back from Bend and personal commitments made it so we skated into the venue right as Quasi was ending their set… d’oh!
Jack White’s show… what to say, what to say? Professional, yet muddy. Loud, yet not necessary. Thoroughly energetic, yet confusing. Quite enjoyable, yet painful.
The man writes hooky songs, and plays guitar and piano very well… yet, the sound was cranked through the roof. It lost so many of the lushness and subtlety that I think would have been suited for this show at the Hult Center.
Another thing that can’t go without mentioning, the “III” imagery abounding. Sure, rockstars should have iconic imagery. But a suffix namesake seems like an odd thing to so vehemently brand… unless you’re branding your ego or something.
Several times it seemed as if Eugene wasn’t stroking his ego enough… he quipped that if we didn’t want, they didn’t have to come back out (after their 45 minute initial set). He tried to get the crowd to do a sing-a-long on one song, but it seemed as if the song had ended already, and it was more of a confusing thing (or so it seemed to me).
The loudness, was, again… unnecessary. Fantastic musicianship and seemingly intricate things going on with fantastic players… completely lost in the brash, feedback-induced sound cloud. So many subtleties lost. So many subtleties lost.
Jack White’s Setlist: two sets, ~45 mins & ~35 mins
- Set 1: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground [The White Stripes]
- Missing Pieces
- Sixteen Saltines
- Love Interruption
- Cannon/300 Pounds of Joy [Howlin’ Wolf]
- You Know That I Know [Hank Williams]
- Hotel Yorba [The White Stripes]
- Weep Themselves to Sleep
- We’re Going to Be Friends [The White Stripes]
- Blunderbuss
- I Cut Like A Buffalo [The Dead Weather]
- Steady as She Goes [The Raconteurs]
- Set 2: Freedom At 21
- Trash Tongue Talker
- I’m Slowly Turning Into You [The White Stripes]
- Carolina Drama [The Raconteurs]
- Seven Nation Army [The White Stripes]
- Goodnight, Irene [Lead Belly]
(pro photos from Eugene will be posted at jwiii.com)
The bottom line… I really enjoyed the Jack White show. The flaws that I saw in the show are totally fixable. Who am I to say what he should do anyhow? :) I’m just thinking that something that shows off his musical chops, his writing prowess, his voice, his players, and his songs at the forefront – not clouded by sheer volume – could have been far, far, FAR more enjoyable… and probably far, far, far more enjoyable to more to others (not just me).
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Beck’s Site
- Beck’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Metric’s Site
- Metric’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- Les Schwab Amphitheater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter1 / Twitter2
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
- Jack White’s Site
- Jack White 2012 Tour Photos by Jo McCaughey
- Jack White’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Quasi’s Site
- Quasi’s Facebook / MySpace
- The Hult’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Emily Wells @ WOW Hall on 6/3.
~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Valtari
Over the Rhine on The Portland Sessions
Last November, Cincinnati-based folk-Americana band Over the Rhine stopped by Portland, Oregon. Their show at the Aladdin Theater on 11/17 is recounted at my post HERE.
From the stage, singer Karin Bergquist mentioned that they had stopped by and recorded in-studio with The Portland Sessions. TPS wasn’t up and running yet, but it is now posted… enjoy all 26 minutes!
They play “The King Knows How” (dedicated to Elvis), “Oh Yeah by the Way,” the new song that I’m unofficially calling “On The Sacred Ground,” the Good Dog Bad Dog classic “Latter Days,” and end it with a Q&A.
Follow Over the Rhine: WEB / FB / Tw
Follow The Portland Sessions: WEB / FB / Tw
~Dan – np: Year of the Rabbit – Year of the Rabbit
REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR – 11/17/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Prior to the show, we fought against the horrid Portland traffic, dodged rain and ducked into a fine meal at Portobello Trattoria, a creative vegetarian establishment that is fast becoming my new favorite SE Portland dinner spot. Their cocktail list is impressive (apple-infused vodka ginger hot toddy), their bottle list is impressive (Russian River… yum), and their menu is the kind that is frustrating due to having too many things you want and one that a meat-eater wouldn’t even notice or care. Check it out sometime.
After dinner, we got to the venue a little bit before the opener… we had a little bit of time to catch up with Kentucky-based friend / Over the Rhine photographer Bill Ivester. He’s helping them out on this tour with merch and social media, and photography. After briefly catching up, we found some seats for the opener…
The Milk Carton Kids were a fantastic guitar duo. Based on their name, I was going in hoping it wasn’t going to be a repeat of “The Children’s Hour” opener for Over the Rhine a score ago. Well, I was greatly pleased. They played about a half hour set of mellower folk songs. Fitting for fans of Paul Simon. Excellent guitar chops and quite humorous between songs, as well. They also have all of their recorded music available for free mp3 download (go here for free music).
Over the Rhine hit the stage at 9pm. Karin & Linford had Nick Radina with them again on drums/percussion/cuatro, as well as a slide guitar player Jason Goforth.
The set seemed somewhat similar to last year’s tour, a lot of The Long Surrender tunes. But this time, the album was officially out. It was nice to hear those tunes more in a live setting. I get thrown off that it’s technically a 2011 release, I think I’ve had it too long. Anyway, it’s a beautiful record, and it’ll wind up somewhere at the top of the pile for 2011, for sure.
Setlist: 1 hour 45 mins
- The Laugh Of Recognition
- Rave On
- Undamned
- The King Knows How
- Suitcase
- I’m on a Roll
- Infamous Love Song
- Only God Can Save Us Now
- Latter Days
- “On The Sacred Ground” (new song, currently untitled)
- Jesus in New Orleans
- Trouble (with drum solo)
- All My Favorite People
- Encore: Hallelujah [Leonard Cohen]
- Born
- Drunkard’s Prayer
My favorite tunes of the night were “Trouble” and “Latter Days,” and the lead-in of “Laugh…” through “Undamned” is a great start to the show as well. The new currently untitled song is great… it seemed quite poetic and moving. Karin was about to give out a tentative title, then stopped. I’ll go with “On the Sacred Ground” for now, but I doubt that’s it. I wish I had more listens to digest it.
They’re wrapping up a few more dates this year, culminating in the annual Taft Theatre show in Cincinnati. Catch ’em if you can! Oh, Karin also mentioned that they recorded a Portland Session when they were here. Keep an eye out on the Portland Session Vimeo & Facebook pages for that to be posted in the future (HERE NOW).
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Over the Rhine’s Site
- Bill Ivester’s photos from the 11/17 show
- OTR Nov 2011 Portland Sessions
- Over the Rhine’s Social Media Links (see below)
- The Milk Carton Kids’ Site
- The Milk Carton Kids’ Facebook / Twitter
My Other Related Reviews~- Aladdin Theater (Portland – Nov 2010)
- WOW Hall (Eugene – Nov 2010)
- Doug Fir Lounge (Portland – Sept 2007)
- Bogarts (Cincinnati – March 2001)
- Canal Street Tavern (Dayton – June 2000)
- Aladdin Theater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… Dan Deacon at the Branx in Portland on 12/3.
~Dan – np: Sigur Rós – Inní (live)
OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Fall 2011 Tour Dates
- Fri, 2011-11-18 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
- Sat, 2011-11-19 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
- Sun, 2011-11-20 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
- Fri, 2011-12-02 Boston, MA Berklee Performance Center
- Sat, 2011-12-03 New York, NY (le) poisson rouge
- Sun, 2011-12-04 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
- Mon, 2011-12-05 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live!
- Wed, 2011-12-07 Columbus, OH The Lincoln Theatre
- Thu, 2011-12-08 Kent, OH The Kent Stage
- Fri, 2011-12-09 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College
- Sat, 2011-12-10 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music (7:00 PM)
- Sat, 2011-12-10 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music (10:00 PM)
- Sat, 2011-12-17 Cincinnati, OH The Taft Theatre
- Sun, 2011-12-18 Norwood, OH Sunday Soiree @ St. Elizabeth’s
REVIEW: A 3-day string of shows with Peter Mulvey (Eugene & Corvallis, OR – 11/10 to 11/12/11)
Peter Mulvey takes the craft of American singer-songwriter out of the humdrum of a “guy and three chords on a guitar” into the realm of oft-comedic-oft-sentimental storytelling mixed in with the grit of the road and the shine of fine silver in your grandmother’s dining room. He plays Tom Waits with humility and charm, and he plays perfectly ear-worm inducing folk-pop originals. He plays show tunes, rock covers, and Michael Hedges-executed instrumentals. His music gets stuck in your head, and for me, any time I hear of new music from him, I get it without question. I also try to see him whenever I can… which brings me to recount the past three days of fantastic music.
from the house concert, 11/11/11
more photos at the bottom
Three Peter Mulvey concerts, three unique experiences. First up, an interview with Peter Mulvey on KLCC Living Large (stream it here). He talks about his tentative new standards album (tentatively called “Pocket Diamonds“) and played a few new songs in the studio.
The first of three shows was at Sam Bond’s Garage in Eugene on Thursday, November 10th. The opener was local musician Michael Conley. He played a shortish 25 minute set, but I was impressed with his songs… he fit in really well with fans of Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault. Good guitar work. Gritty songs, yet with a pop edge.
Peter came on at 9:45 and started off with a normal closing song for him, “Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (And Far Away From Home).” As expected, Peter’s set was a great mix of originals and covers. Despite the large amount of covers that he plays, he really puts his own mark on them. He also pulls songs out that are classics or memorable favorites but not in the forefront of one’s memory. A favorite from the night was his take on U2’s “The Fly“…
Eugene 11/10 Setlist: ~80 minutes
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
- Are You Sure? [Willie Nelson]
- Old Simon Stimson
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song]
- The Knuckleball Suite
- Two Janes [Los Lobos]
- Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies [Maybelle Carter]
- Some People
- Lonely at the Top [Randy Newman]
Black Rabbit- What Else Was It? [new PM song]
- Lord I Have Made You a Place in My Heart [Greg Brown]
- The Dreams
- Blackbird [The Beatles]
- Charlie
- The Fly [U2]
- Kids In The Square
- Encore: The Book of Love [The Magnetic Fields]
Peter is usually good with a few one-liners or jokes. Some favorites from the Sam Bond’s gig:
“Freedom should be fried.”
“I had a banjo once, and then someone broke into my car… and they left 12 more banjos.“
SO, how do you make a concert experience better? You invite the musician to your house (or a friend’s house in this instance) and have him play in a living room for 35-40 of your friends.
Well, that’s what we did on Friday, November 11th… we invited Peter to play at a friend’s farm in Creswell (near Eugene). He played two fantastic sets, with only a little bit of overlap from the night before. There was much fantastic music, fantastic food (a HUGE vegetarian smorgasbord thanks to host Jenny!), vegan cupcakes (yay Divine Cupcake!), great craft beer and homebrew beers and sodas, and great discussion!
House Show 11/11 Setlist: two 45-minute sets
- Set1 ~ You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams [Fats Waller]
- “shout the battle cry of freedom” [public domain w/ Beatles instrumental tag at end]
- Kids In The Square
- Windshield
- Pearl Handled Pistol [Jeffrey Foucault]
- The Knuckleball Suite
- Shirt
- What Else Was It? [new PM song]
- …Plus The Many Inevitable Fragments / Dynamite Bill
Set2 ~ Black Rabbit- Charlie
- The Trouble With Poets
- Trempealeau [new from 2010, not recorded yet]
- Jockey Full of Bourbon [Tom Waits]
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song]
- The Healthfood Girl [new PM song]
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
No Encore
I bought tickets to the Corvallis show (Saturday, November 12th) before I even knew about the Sam Bond’s show and before I could organize the house show. Was I going to go? Um… duh!
This was my first time to the Majestic Theatre in downtown Corvallis. It was a gorgeously remodeled theater, and it looks like they’re ramping up to have a lot more exciting things going on (if you’re local, friend them on Facebook or sign up for their newsletter).
We had a wonderful dinner at Del Alma then dodged the rain to catch the opener Joe Von Appen. I had only seen a YouTube clip of him prior, and it didn’t grab my interest. Well, I’m glad I showed up for his set. He was a mix of thinker/agitator/comedian/one-man freak show. He was thought provoking, humorous, and frighteningly exciting and entrancing. He is from Portland, and I hope he makes his way down south sometime again. He was highly entertaining!
Peter hit the stage at 8:45 and played his longest set of the weekend. Some repeats (hey, we like re-Petes) and tons of untouched music in the three-day run. He did one of my favorite spoken word pieces from Letters From A Flying Machine – “Vlad the Astrophysicist.”
A new Mulvey tune “The Cardinal” made its first appearance for me. It was a touching tune that came along with a seemingly non sequitur story about a squirrel getting into a large batch of THC butter. Another favorite song he played was a Joe Henry cover… “Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation“… I think I’ve heard Peter play this before. Prior to this, though, I was only familiar with Joe’s producer/mixer work (he does a LOT, specifically Over the Rhine’s latest album that I’m currently listening to in advance of their gig this coming week – The Long Surrender).
Peter also busted out not one, not two, but three Tom Waits tunes – the last one as the encore, sung off-mic. He has a side gig in The LPs, and they play Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs front to back! I’d LOVE to see that gig…
Corvallis 11/12 Setlist: ~1 hour 40 min
- Kids In The Square
- “man I’m broke and I’ve got nowhere to go” [Mississippi John Hurt, unidentified title]
- Black Rabbit
- Oh What A Beautiful Morning [Rodgers & Hammerstein Oklahoma! teaser]
- The Dreams
- Charlie
- Shirt
- “The Rain Comes Down” [new PM song, guess on title]
Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation [Joe Henry]- Girl in the Hi-Tops
- Old Simon Stimson
- Jockey Full of Bourbon [Tom Waits]
- Hang Down Your Head [Tom Waits]
- The Cardinal [new song]
- What Else Was It? [new song]
- Some People
- Vlad The Astrophysicist
- Mailman
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home)
- Encore: Goodnight Irene [off-mic] [Tom Waits]
Some gems of info… Peter was once in an all-rollerskate version of Oklahoma! Also, apparently, scientists have a difficult time showing THC toxicity in small animals. A new expression Peter uttered… “the nickel of espresso dropped.” (explaining when the caffeine kicks in). I dig it!
Peter has a new guitar duets CD out now, Nine Days Wonder, with long-time collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich.
It’s a fantastic record (click the image to the right for samples) – though it’s not really indicative of his live show. Based on the amount of new material he played this weekend (five songs not on a PM record yet), it looks like he has a good start on a new studio record. Here’s hoping!
In the meantime, check him out on Facebook, iTunes/Amazon, YouTube, etc… and go see him live if you get a chance. He plays upwards of 120 live gigs a year all over the US (and sometimes in Europe, too).
I can guarantee you’ll like him (I’ve yet to hear someone who doesn’t love him when I drag them along to shows). :)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Peter Mulvey’s Site
- Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Mulvey & Foucault @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene – Oct 2010)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Michael Conley’s MySpace (Eugene opener, sorry couldn’t find a non-MySp site)
- Joe Von Appen’s MySpace (Corvallis opener, sorry couldn’t find a non-MySp site)
- KLCC Living Large interview with Peter from 11/10/11
- Sam Bond’s Garage Site / Facebook
- The Majestic Theatre’s Site / Facebook
Next shows for me… Cirque du Soliel presents Michael Jackson: The Immortal (Eugene 11/15), rapper Chali 2Na (Eugene 11/16) and the Americana duo Over the Rhine (Portland 1/17).
~Dan – np: Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender
PETER MULVEY PHOTOS 11/10 to 11/12/2011
Ani DiFranco – Which Side Are You On? (Jan 2012)
This just in… new album from Ani DiFranco called Which Side Are You On? comes out January 17, 2012. It’s her first album in over 3 years (or 1,204 days – but who’s counting?). And, yay, Anais Mitchell & Skerik are on it!
Update 11/18 Tracklist (below) and pre-order info (ships 12/23 for the 1/17 release date):
Pre-order from RBR http://store.righteousbabe.com/departments/product/anidifranco/
Pre-order from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0060GVI2C/
Here’s the official press release:
ANI DIFRANCO RETURNS WITH HER FIRST NEW ALBUM IN MORE THAN THREE YEARS
Powerful collection features array of iconic guests, including Ivan & Cyril Neville, Anaïs Mitchell, and the legendary Pete Seeger
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Ani DiFranco has announced the upcoming release of her eagerly awaited new album. Which Side Are You On? arrives via the Grammy-winning artist’s own Righteous Babe Records on January 17, 2012.
Which Side Are You On? marks DiFranco’s first studio album in more than three years. The collection features 11 new songs alongside a radically reworked rendition of the classic title song, famously popularized by the one and only Pete Seeger nearly five decades ago, but no less relevant today. Backing DiFranco is a remarkably diverse line-up of stellar musicians, including members of her own crack touring band as well as such guest players as Ivan and Cyril Neville (of New Orleans’ first family of funk and R&B, The Neville Brothers), avant-saxophonist Skerik (Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Bonnie Raitt, The Meters), acclaimed singer/songwriter (and Righteous Babe recording artist) Anaïs Mitchell, guitarist Adam Levy (Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Amos Lee), and a host of New Orleans-based horn players known for their work in such outfits as Galactic, Bonerama, and The Rebirth Brass Band.
What’s more, Ani is joined on her stunning new version of Which Side Are You On? by the aforementioned Pete Seeger, whom she praises as “my elder, my forefather in folk music and political song.” DiFranco was inspired to record the famed protest anthem after being invited to perform at Seeger’s 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden in May 2009. She contributed her own straight-from-the headlines verses to the song and has used it to close her own live shows ever since. The newly recorded version of Which Side Are You On? is a funk-fueled epic, incorporating not just Ani’s band, but Seeger himself on banjo and vocals alongside The Rivertown Kids, a Hudson Valley-based children’s chorus, and The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, a brass band consisting of students from The Roots of Music, a music education program for at-risk middle-school students in New Orleans.
“All of my musical community, my comrades, are in there,” says Ani of the cross-generational recording. Which Side Are You On? was co-produced by DiFranco and her longtime collaborator Mike Napolitano over a series of sessions in 2010 and 2011. The basic tracks feature two slightly different versions of Ani’s touring band, recorded at Bogalusa, Louisiana’s renowned Studio In The Country, Brooklyn, New York’s Brooklyn Bridge Studio, and her own New Orleans home studio, The Dugout.
The album represents an extraordinary snapshot of DiFranco’s own life as well as her sense of where the country stands at this particular moment in time. The long gap since 2008’s acclaimed Red Letter Year offered an array of new opportunities, including a backlog of songs and the ability to painstakingly fine-tune new recordings. Many of the songs featured on Which Side Are You On? are reflections on growing older and being totally okay with that process. As she sings on “If Yr Not,” “If yr not getting happier as you get older/then yr fucking up.”
Elsewhere, Ani tackles some of the many crises that are currently confronting the nation and the world, spanning environmental disaster, government inaction, and a culture hooked on comfort and acquisition at any cost. Songs such as “Amendment” and “J” see DiFranco addressing these issues with a directness that is striking even for an artist long known for her activism and outspoken point of view.
“I’m testing deeper waters with the political songs on this album,” she says. “I feel a little bit frustrated, politically desperate. After having written hundreds of songs over decades, I think, ‘Now what? How far can I go with this? Can you sing the word ‘abortion,’ can you sing the word ‘patriarchy’ – what can you sing and get away with? I guess I’ve been pushing my own boundaries of politics and art. Seeing what people have the ears to listen to. How big is my mouth? What can I get out of it successfully?”
The last two decades have seen DiFranco staking a historic claim on popular music, spanning 16 studio albums and countless live recordings (including 1997’s RIAA gold-certified Living in Clip), EPs, and compilation contributions. Along the way she has amassed a devoted fan following, received numerous awards and nominations, earned rapturous reviews, and basically rewrote the rules of the recording industry.
Now Ani’s recommendation about the album’s opening track “Life Boat” can be said to apply to Which Side Are You On? as a whole: “Just listen, drop your idea of who is singing and what you already know they’re saying, and go somewhere else, open yourself up to a new story.”
CD, vinyl and mp3 digital download release.
Tracklist
- Life Boat
- Unworry
- Which Side Are You On?
- Splinter
- Promiscuity
- Albacore
- J
- If Yr Not
- Hearse
- Mariachi
- Amendment
- Zoo
~Dan – np: The Unbelievable Truth – Almost Here
Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs (2011)
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder is putting out his stripped down Ukulele Songs album next Tuesday (May 31st).
It’s a short album (less than 35 minutes), but has many of the things we love of the voice that is Eddie Vedder. Musically, I find it lacking. I’m used to the rock(!)… but I still think it’s a good record.
The album is streaming for free over on NPR. You can order it from the Amazons now.
Eddie’s upcoming summer tour with The Swell Season/The Frames frontman Glen Hansard (and not Thom Yorke) starts in mid-June:
June 15: Providence, R.I. (Providence Performing Arts Center)
June 16: Boston, Mass. (The Wang Theatre)
June 18: Hartford, Conn. (The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts)
June 21: New York, N.Y. (Beacon Theatre)
June 22: New York, N.Y. (Beacon Theatre)
June 25: Philadelphia, Pa. (Tower Theatre)
June 26: Detroit, Mich. (Fox Theatre)
June 28: Chicago, Ill. (The Chicago Theatre)
July 1: St. Louis, Mo. (Fox Theatre)
July 2: Minneapolis, Minn. (Orpheum Theatre )
July 5: San Diego, Calif. (Copley Symphony Hall)
July 6: Long Beach, Calif. (Terrace Theater)
July 8: Los Angeles (The Wiltern)
July 9: Santa Barbara, Calif. (Santa Barbara Bowl)
July 11: Oakland, Calif. (The Paramount Theatre)
July 14: Portland, Ore. (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall)
July 15: Seattle, Wash. (Benaroya Hall)
~Dan – np: 
Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs
REVIEW: Ani DiFranco @ McDonald Theatre (Eugene, OR – 4/12/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Ani DiFranco comes through Eugene on just about every West Coast tour – which is always a delight. The crowd seemed a tad sparse… perhaps due to the lack of new Ani material out there recently. She’s prolific, but hasn’t put out an album since 2008’s Red Letter Year. She hasn’t even put out any new official live bootlegs since 2009. With that lack of apparent new music on the shelves (CD World or iTunes), one might think she’s taking a break. Well, as you’ll see from the setlist below, no break has occurred with her songwriting proliferation…
Super busy week; so I apologize in advance… I didn’t catch the opener Animal Prufrock this time. I saw her back in 2008 with Judy Grahn & Ani D. I enjoyed Animal’s raucous energy, but again… twas an uber-busy week, and I couldn’t make it to the McD for the early opener start time (Animal @ 7:30, Ani D @ 8:30!).
I got into the venue about 30 seconds before Ani and band hit the stage. Whew, perfect timing! Her band this time was the same as her prior Eugene gig… Andy Barger on drums, Mike Dillon on percussion, and Todd Sickafoose on contrabass. Fantastically gelled band… I love watching these guys play. In fact, I’ll be seeing Mike Dillon play again next week in Eugene. At the end of the Ani tour, he’s hitting the road with Skerik and the rest of the guys with Garage A Trois.
Tons of new stuff was played…
Setlist: around 90 minutes pre-encore
- Anticipate
- Angry Any More
- Unworry (newish – she played it at Eugene 2009)
- Paradigm
- Promiscuity (new)
- Gloating (new)
- W.O.W. (new)
- J (new)
- I Know This Bar
- See See “Still in Love with You” (new)
- The Atom
- Everest
- If You’re Not (new)
- Untouchable Face
- Which Side Are You On?
- Encore: Overlap
- Angel from Montgomery
Due to a hectic week, I had to bail right before the encore. Based on other reports from this tour, she also played a few older tunes and maybe the newer tune “Mariachi.” Anyone with a good memory or notes throw a little help on what she played after “Which Side…” for an encore?
As far as the new stuff, I dug it… especially “Gloating,” “Jay,” and “W.O.W.” I will say one of the best things of the night was the main line to “If You’re Not”…
If you’re not getting happier as you get older, you’re fucking up.
A lot of new stuff to digest… I usually need some more time for the new material to kick around my brain. Perhaps with this glut of new material, she’s heading into the studio soon for studio album #18(!). Anyone catch her Crystal Ballroom show in Portland? Any major difference in setlist?
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Ani DiFranco’s Site
- Ani DiFranco’s Social Media Links (see below)
- My Other Ani-Related Reviews~
- McDonald Theatre (Eugene – Oct 2009)
- McDonald Theatre (Eugene – Apr 2008)
- McDonald Theatre’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Skerik, Mike Dillon, Marc Benevento and Stanton Moore are Garage A Trois @ Sam Bond’s 4/21.
~Dan – np: Todd Sickafoose – Tiny Resistors
ANI DIFRANCO PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: Derek Webb @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 1/20/11)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I’ve been a fan of Derek Webb ever since seeing him in Caedmon’s Call in the mid-90s. His voice and lyricism is something I connect with, regardless of my now-differing beliefs. He’s a genuine artist & thinker, and I think he’s a Christian that I think really “gets it”… or is at least trying to “get it” (we’re all a work in progress)…
His last two albums, 2009’s Stockholm Syndrome and 2010’s instrumental Feedback, have some of the best material he’s put out, in my opinion. Since I went into a long-ish discussion about my connection and thoughts about Webb & Christianity in my review of the Jennifer Knapp tour in the Spring 2010 and my thoughts about Feedback, I’ll keep this review shorter and sweeter…
We showed up a little after the early start time… I got a chuckle out of Derek’s tweet about it being a “Christian seated show” (with photo) and took in the last half of opener Anna Gilbert‘s set…
Anna is an Oregonian, went to the University of Oregon, lives in Portland, and has a handful of delightfully sonic pop albums. Her third CD, Your Love My Medicine, was produced by none other than knob-wizard Charlie Peacock (his wiki). Anna’s sound… poppy, singer-songwriter. Nice positive songs.
After a short break and a beer, Derek hit the stage at 8pm…
Great set, a mix of songs from his solo albums, a couple of Caedmon’s tunes… and one lonely cover song. Based on my prior experience with Derek, and his recent Democracy covers series (now heading into Volume 2), I figured he’d hit us with another cover or two.
The acoustic version of the mostly electronic Stockholm Syndrome songs worked well. “What Matters More” is a favorite, and while the studio version is full of electronics, the stripped down version still remained one of my favorites from the night. For other Derek fans (or Derek himself), have the Stockholm songs ever been played out live with keyboards and/or a full band (Joshua Moore, etc)? That would kick ass.
Setlist: about 90 mins
- The End / The Very End
- The Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum
- New Law
- I Hate Everything (But You)
- Freddie, Please
- A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fears
- I Love/Hate You
- God’s Hometown [Caedmon’s Call]
- I Just Don’t Want Coffee [Caedmon’s Call]
- Wedding Dress
- Heaven
- What Matters More
- She Must And Shall Go Free
- (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding [Nick Lowe]
“Spirit vs. Kick Drum,” “Love/Hate,” and the Caedmon’s “Coffee” were some other favorite selections from the night. His banter was charming as usual. I was surprised he didn’t talk about Shawn Colvin being on his flight to Eugene… alas, perhaps he was distracted by Delta not being as gentle with his guitar as he’d have liked… assuming his guitar makes it back to Nashville with him, he needs to get a few things checked out (loose screw or something).
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Derek Webb’s Site
- Derek Webb’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Anna Gilbert’s Site
- Anna Gilbert’s Facebook / MySpace / Twitter
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Aladdin Theater w/ Jennifer Knapp (Portland – April 2010)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
He’s playing Seattle, WA, tonight (1/22 @ the Q Cafe). Check out more tour dates at http://derekwebb.com/.
Next concert for me… Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp-Muhl’s Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger on 1/28.
~Dan – np: No-Man – Returning Jesus
DEREK WEBB PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Derek Webb – 1/20 Eugene setlist (full review by Sat)
Derek Webb last night at the WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon… Update: GO HERE FOR FULL REVIEW
Setlist: about 90 mins
- The End / The Very End
- The Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum
- New Law
- I Hate Everything (But You)
- Freddie, Please
- A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fears
- I Love/Hate You
- God’s Hometown [Caedmon’s Call]
- I Just Don’t Want Coffee [Caedmon’s Call]
- Wedding Dress
- Heaven
- What Matters More
- She Must And Shall Go Free
- (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding [Nick Lowe]
Full review & more photos posted by Saturday… GO HERE FOR FULL REVIEW.
~Dan – np: No-Man – Speak
REDBIRD Live (Mulvey/Foucault/Delmhorst/Goodrich)
Redbird, the folk supergroup made up of Peter Mulvey / Jeffrey Foucault / Kris Delmhorst / David Goodrich, is coming out with their second album…
Each December for the past seven years Redbird has played a sold-out three-night stand at the venerable Café Carpe in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Now Redbird Live at the Café Carpe invites you into the session, culling from these intimate shows performances of songs ranging from Mississippi John Hurt to Merle Haggard and Tin Pan Alley (along with a few well-chosen originals), and recapturing the magic and depth of songs passed between friends in a crowded bar.
- I’m Beginning to see the Light
- Strangers
- What Made Milwaukee Famous
- Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies
- For the Turnstiles
- Ships
- Snowed In
- Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me
- Silver Wings
- Ooh La La
- Phonebooth of Love
- Stewart’s Coat
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad, and Faraway From Home (Mulvey)
- 4 & 20 Blues (Foucault)
http://younghunter.com/store/redbird-live.php
Mine is gladly on order… I’d urge you to follow suit. You won’t be disappointed. I’d also highly recommend their first album – a studio venture (out in 2005).
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Broadway the Hard Way
Over the Rhine – The Laugh of Recognition
Great new musicFOG video of Over the Rhine performing “The Laugh of Recognition” from their forthcoming album, The Long Surrender:
TLS comes out February 8, 2011.
http://overtherhine.com/
~Dan – np: Ozric Tentacles – The Yumyum Tree
REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 11/17/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I went into a little history about Over the Rhine on my 11/15 WOW Hall show blog (link). This Aladdin show was OTR Show #52 for me. Yep… I’m OCD, I love music, and I’ve had far too many opportunities to see this wonderful band. I’m fortunate. Since I blathered on in the blog from two days ago… I’ll jump right into it…
Lucy Wainwright Roche did a similar set… no discussion of the car break-in clean-up, but she’s quite the humorist. I found myself humming along to some of her tunes, as if they were long lost friends. I only first heard her music two days prior… so I guess that’s a testament to her craft.
Over the Rhine played a fairly similar set, with a few things swapped around and the addition of “The Trumpet Child” and “Ohio.” They nixed the instrumental, but the additional tunes made up for it in my book. Lots of stuff from The Long Surrender. The album is really growing on me. I’m looking forward to the lush vinyl that will hit my mailbox sometime in early 2011.
Setlist: about 75 mins
- The Laugh Of Recognition
- I Don’t Wanna Waste Your Time
- Trouble (horny & inebriated mix)
- “The Bluebird” by Charles Bukowski [poetry reading by Karin]
- There’s A Bluebird In My Heart
- Rave On
- Undamned
- I Want You To Be My Love
- Oh Yeah By The Way
- I’m On A Roll (to be covered by The Judds on their next record)
- The King Knows How
- Drunkard’s Prayer
- Only God Can Save Us Now
- The Trumpet Child
- Days Like This [Kim Taylor song]
- All My Favorite People
- Encore: Ohio [Karin solo on piano]
- Infamous Love Song
- No Kill Shelter
Once again, Over the Rhine deliver a beautiful evening. Thanks for stopping by Karin, Linford, Nick & Lucy! Have fun in Seattle!
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Over the Rhine’s Site
- Over the Rhine: The Orchard
- OTR’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Lucy Wainwright Roche’s Site / MySpace
- My Other Related Reviews~
- WOW Hall (Eugene – Nov 2010)
- Doug Fir Lounge (Portland – Sept 2007)
- Bogarts (Cincinnati – March 2001)
- Canal Street Tavern (Dayton – June 2000)
- Aladdin Theater’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
|
|
|
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Mr. Bungle – Disco Volante
OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Fall 2010 Tour Dates
- Fri, 2010-11-12 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
- Sat, 2010-11-13 San Franscisco, CA Great American Music Hall
- Mon, 2010-11-15 Eugene, OR W.O.W. Hall
- Wed, 2010-11-17 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
- Fri, 2010-11-19 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Sat, 2010-11-20 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Sun, 2010-11-21 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Fri, 2010-12-03 Marion, OH Palace Theatre
- Sat, 2010-12-04 Kent, OH Kent Stage
- Sun, 2010-12-05 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
- Tue, 2010-12-07 Columbus, OH Lincoln Theatre
- Fri, 2010-12-10 Louisville, KY Bomhard Theater
- Sat, 2010-12-11 Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music 7pm & 10pm
- Fri, 2010-12-17 Cincinnati, OH THE LONG SURRENDER PREMIERE @ the Jarson-Kaplan Theatre (in the Aronoff Center)
- Sat, 2010-12-18 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
- Sun, 2010-12-19 Norwood, OH St. Elizabeth’s
REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 11/15/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
It’s been three long years since I’ve seen Over the Rhine. I missed them on their last tour through Portland (Doug Fir 2009) due to illness. Going three years between shows is odd… I mean, when I lived in Southwest Ohio, I would see them 5 times a year (on average) for about 10 years. Well, I’m making up for lost time by seeing them in both Eugene and Portland (Aladdin show review link). One might call me a fan.
For those that don’t know Over the Rhine, they started out as a four piece in Cincinnati in 1989 and put out their “post-nuclear, pseudo-alternative, folk-tinged art-pop” indie debut ‘Til We Have Faces in 1991. It was Karin Bergquist on vocals & guitar, Linford Detweiler on bass & keyboard (later focusing on primarily keys), Ric Hordinski on guitar, and Brian Kelley on drums. They put out four studio albums and a dark, broodingly beautiful Christmas album as a four-piece. Then in the late 90s, Ric & Brian left. Ric went off to do some amazing records under the moniker MONK (check it!). Brian still drums for various groups around Cincinnati.
Karin & Linford carried on the Over the Rhine flame throughout the years… moving away from a rockier feel to a more folky-pop-Americana thing. What I like about Over the Rhine is they continually change and evolve into a different band with each album and each outing. I’ve seen them rock out, I’ve seen them jazz it up, I’ve seen them happy, I’ve seen them somber, I’ve seen them celebratory, and I’ve seen them tell stories that will make you laugh and cry.
They’re on their annual West Coast tour as a precursor to their forthcoming album, The Long Surrender – which (last I saw in print) comes out on January 11, 2011 (aka 1/11/11). I’ve heard the songs from it (it pays to pre-order), and I’m digging it a bunch.
They also have a huge back catalogue (my count: 8 studio albums, 2 Christmas studio albums, 3 studio & live b-side releases, 4 official live releases, 1 greatest hits, and 3 Linford solo releases). While it’s hard to limit a large catalogue to a few albums, go check out some of my faves: the indie rocker Eve (1994), the acoustic homespun Good Dog Bad Dog (1996), the re-imagined band on Films for Radio (2001), or the magnum opus Ohio (2-CD 2003). You can’t go wrong. Happy scout’s honor.
So, being that I haven’t seen them in three years, it was noted as a duo show by their publicist, and they have a large catalog of songs to play, I was excited for the hopeful surprises. But first the opener…
Lucy Wainwright Roche played a humourous 30 minute set prior to Over the Rhine going on. She was a great mix of stand-up comedian (unintentional?) and singer-songwriter. Nice banter in between the songs. You can see her father Loudon’s humour in her. Where else are you going to hear about a car break-in “clean up” instead of a theft? Or a first date whose lung collapsed at dinner? And then top it off with a “Hungry Heart” sing-along? Lucy was a very formidable crowd warmer-upper!
A suprise to me based on the initial reports, Karin & Linford weren’t just a duo on this West Coast jaunt. They also brought along percussionist and cuatro player Nick Radina. He provided some nice layers to the already grogeous sounds coming from the guitars and keys and voices. Nick and Linford also played a nice instrumental which was called “Descarga” on the Santa Fe setlist. I don’t know if this is the actual name, or just some other setlist identifer. Anyway, it had a nice Latin feel.
They played a lot of their forthcoming The Long Surrender songs, with a few Trumpet Child and Drunkard’s Prayer songs thrown in. Linford was on keyboard for most of the night, but did join Karin on guitar for a handful of tunes. Karin also busted out some poetry prior to their “Bluebird” tune and a nice backstory about her mom’s nursing home prior to “Only God Can Save Us Now.” The backstory made the song make much more sense to me… especially all of those characters.
Setlist: about 75 mins
- The Laugh Of Recognition
- I Don’t Wanna Waste Your Time
- Trouble (horny & inebriated mix)
- “The Bluebird” by Charles Bukowski [poetry reading by Karin]
- There’s A Bluebird In My Heart
- Rave On
- Undamned
- I Want You To Be My Love
- (Instrumental)
- Oh Yeah By The Way
- The King Knows How
- I’m On A Roll (to be covered by The Judds on their next record)
- Drunkard’s Prayer
- Only God Can Save Us Now
- Days Like This [Kim Taylor song]
- All My Favorite People
- Encore: Infamous Love Song
- No Kill Shelter
It was soooooo great to see them again after too many years. We got to chat with Linford for a bit after the show. I forgot to ask / confirm the release date of The Long Surrender (the merch lady said Feb 8th instead of Jan 11th). Here’s hoping they stick to 1/11/11, because that’s a superb release date… if I remember and I see him, I’ll check on Wednesday.
Anyway, Linford was glad to be able to spend a little bit of time in Oregon. He said that had a great experience on their Roots on the Rail tour (go here for Bill Ivester’s write-up of the experience). They might be doing another train tour next year in the west/central United States (Colorado area?). I’ll be seriously considering it for 2011 vacation plans.
For the meantime, enjoy some Eugene photos. Sorry about the primarily black & white and graininess… WOW Hall is a dark venue with normally high use of red lights (i.e.- death for my camera’s focus). Here’s hoping I’ll get some better shots at the Aladdin Theater show in Portland on Wednesday.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Over the Rhine’s Site
- Over the Rhine: The Orchard
- OTR’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Lucy Wainwright Roche’s Site / MySpace
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Aladdin Theater (Portland – 11/17/2010)
- Doug Fir Lounge (Portland – Sept 2007)
- Bogarts (Cincinnati – March 2001)
- Canal Street Tavern (Dayton – June 2000)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
|
|
|
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill
OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
these 11 pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien (emobie photography),
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
these 22 pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Fall 2010 Tour Dates
- Fri, 2010-11-12 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
- Sat, 2010-11-13 San Franscisco, CA Great American Music Hall
- Mon, 2010-11-15 Eugene, OR W.O.W. Hall
- Wed, 2010-11-17 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
- Fri, 2010-11-19 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Sat, 2010-11-20 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Sun, 2010-11-21 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Fri, 2010-12-03 Marion, OH Palace Theatre
- Sat, 2010-12-04 Kent, OH Kent Stage
- Sun, 2010-12-05 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
- Tue, 2010-12-07 Columbus, OH Lincoln Theatre
- Fri, 2010-12-10 Louisville, KY Bomhard Theater
- Sat, 2010-12-11 Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music 7pm & 10pm
- Fri, 2010-12-17 Cincinnati, OH THE LONG SURRENDER PREMIERE @ the Jarson-Kaplan Theatre (in the Aronoff Center)
- Sat, 2010-12-18 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
- Sun, 2010-12-19 Norwood, OH St. Elizabeth’s
Over the Rhine swing through Oregon
Over the years, Over the Rhine has achieved indie cred, gained notability and had the opportunity to open up for Bob Dylan, Adrian Belew, The Cowboy Junkies and many more. They have been featured in Paste Magazine’s Top 100 Living Songwriters and Indie Rock A-to-Z lists. They span genres from folksy singer-songwriter pop to jazzy, sultry gospel to rustic, storytelling Americana. Whichever “sound” Over the Rhine produces, husband-wife duo Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist live their lives in their songs. They are a treasure for those who know their work: the gentle tinkling of the keys, melodic strumming on an old acoustic guitar, pontifications and allegories of their daily life on the farm outside Cincinnati and the ambrosial poetic words from Bergquist’s microphone oozing through the cracks amongst the notes. Detweiler makes being a musical beat poet a realistic modern possibility. Bergquist’s provocative voice is offset by her down-to-earth charm and humor. That charm makes what they do seem more tangible, real and relatable. They could very well be in your living room, singing for you alone.
Fresh off their “Across the West” train tour, Over the Rhine’s stop in Eugene & Portland will be a special, intimate duo show — featuring an array of songs from Detweiler & Bergquist’s 20 year history and their forthcoming album, The Long Surrender (due out 1/11/11).
Eugene (Mon 11/15): doors at 7pm, show at 7:30 pm at WOW Hall
For more info: http://wowhall.org/events.php
Portland (Wed 11/17): doors at 7pm, show at 8pm at Aladdin Theater
For more info: http://aladdin-theater.com/show_page.aspx?eventid=1901
I’ll be at both. If you see me shooting away near the stage, come and say “hi” during the break or afterwards.
~Dan – np: Mephista – Entomological Reflections
REVIEW: Yard Dogs Road Show @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 11/5/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Great show last night by local bellydance favorites / friends Audralina & Luminessah followed-up by a melting pot of sights and sounds from the headliner – Oakland’s Yard Dogs Road Show. [I have to apologize, as due to a “user error” I lost about half of my photos when transferring to my computer. Luckily Margarita was also snapping away.]
Opener Dela Project suffered the most from the lack of photos due to my error… sorry! They were a great gypsy-folk duo… nice sound and a wide array of instruments including saw, wood block, cello, as well as a traditional bag of tricks. Up next was a beautiful set of bellydance numbers by Lila, Regina & Ali of Luminessah with Audralina doing a couple of songs as a set break.
The bellydance set was more intimate than the last time I saw a MEDGE show at WOW Hall. Both Luminesseh and Audralina danced on the floor (not the stage), surrounded by candles and tunes coming from DJ Layla. Layla mixed it up for Luminessah’s last song (total improv!!).
The capper for the night was the Yard Dogs energetic set. I had never experienced the Yard Dogs, but they were equal parts street band, roaring ’20s flapper show, burlesque, hipster steam-punk, and rock circus – including a sword (and chair leg) swallower. It was a completely fun experience, and a nice set-up on the WOW Hall stage. The YDRS banners seemed to box the group in pretty tight on stage, but they pulled it off amazingly.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- YDRS’s Site
- YDRS’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Luminessah’s Site
- Luminesseh’s MySpace / Facebook / Twitter
- Audralina’s Site
- Dela Project’s Site
- Dela Project’s MySpace
- WOW Hall‘s Site / Facebook / Twitter
|
|
|
~Dan – np: Elliott Smith – An Introduction to…
LUMINESSAH, AUDRALINA &
YARD DOGS ROAD SHOW PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret OBrien (emobie photography)
& Daniel Temmesfeld, you may use freely
under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Higher Resolution (15 pics)
Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (42 pics)
REVIEW: Sufjan Stevens @ Schnitzer (Portland, OR – 10/29/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
So, the last few months has been a flurry of unexpected, yet superbly exciting information coming from Sufjan Stevens and Asthmatic Kitty. First was the tour announcement (on Aug 9th), then a week and a half later came the immediate release of the
All Delighted People EP, and less than a week later came the news of the new full length album The Age of Adz (pronounced ‘odds’). Outside of the orchestral The BQE piece, Sufjan had been silent for a couple years (which we recently found out was due to nervous system health issues). Within the past two months, he came roaring back in 2010 with a North American-spanning tour and two new adventurous albums (the “EP” is 58+ minutes).
The new music from Delighted and Adz is a little less accessible compared to Seven Swans or his “State” albums, but a little more poppy/accessible compared to BQE or Rabbit. I think the new music strikes a nice balance between the adventurousness and electronic-ness in his past music… possibly “A Sun Came! updated for the Sufjan listener in 2010.” While I don’t think it’s a repeat of A Sun Came! (at all) – that’s the best Sufjan repertoire comparison I can muster. It’s sweeping and glitchy, quiet and loud. But how would it translate into a live show?
Before we could find out, labelmate DM Stith hit the stage. He only played 20 minutes, but was a good warm-up. Nice singer-songwriter fare, with Sufjans’ horn section on “Thanksgiving Moon.” I’d heard DM’s music via AK samplers and free downloads. It never struck me as solidly as Sufjan has, but in the live setting, he seemed to carry himself well. After he did his tunes, he left to go put on shiny pants for Sufjan’s band. I was slightly disappointed that he left after only 20 minutes, but that disappointment soon went away as the anticipation for Sufjan mounted.
Sufjan and his 10 piece band hit the stage around 10 ’til 9pm in shiny outfits. His band was comprised of DM Stith on keyboards, two drummers, a 3-member torn section, a guitarist, bassist, and two backup singers/dancers. After a short hello, they went immediate into “All Delighted People” and didn’t stop with the new material until 10:30. I’d been listening to the new material for the past week, and glad they played some personal favorites: Heirloom, Futile Devices, The Owl and the Tanager, and the 20+ minute Impossible Soul.
Sufjan’s “slow jam” dancing to “I Walked” was charming. The projected graphics and dark, hallowed lighting during “Vesuvius” made my friend mention that it seemed like a weird, ancient worship service. The auto tune hip-hop near the end of “Impossible Soul” is one of my favorite parts, and it really worked in the live setting. I wish cameras had been allowed near the end, as a large luminescent diamond descended*, and Sufjan busted out the jams in front of the back-lit, strobe-diamond facade. While that was his most “rockstar moment,” most of the show, he was talkative, yet unassuming and grateful to the audience.
* Amanda McAuley got some photos of it (some shown below), plus I found an “Impossible Soul” part 2 video snippet – see alphaleonis’ youtube for more from the show.
Setlist: about 2 1/4 hours
- All Delighted People
- Too Much
- Age of Adz
- Heirloom
- I Walked
- Futile Devices
- Vesuvius
- The Owl and the Tanager [Sufjan solo with backing vocals]
- Get Real Get Right [with story about Royal Robertson]
- Enchanting Ghost
- Impossible Soul
- Chicago
- Encore: Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois [Sufjan solo piano]
- Casimir Pulaski Day
It was a brilliant show. He was quirky and subdued, gentle and cacophonous, amusing and bewildering, and all around charming. He saved the old tunes for last, and only three Illinois tracks made the cut. I got goosebumps as he hit the intro for “Concerning the UFO Sighting.” While the older tunes were nice (and I wish there had been more sprinkled in), I can honestly say that the new tunes hold their own. There’s a reason Sufjan has a piece of our hearts. Seeing the new songs live definitely elevated those albums to being amongst my favoritesfor 2010. After seeing them performed live, I think they fit better within his catalogue, too. I hope it’s not another 3+ years until I get to see Sufjan and his band of musicians again.
Sidenote: Sufjan’s one of the only artists who could have pulled me away from a reported, equally awesome Nellie McKay show in Eugene (check back tomorrow for Nellie McKay photos from Margaret O’Brien – who went in my place).
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Sufjan’s Site / Asthmatic Kitty
- Sufjan’s Social Media Links (see below)
- DM Stith’s Site
- DM Stith’s MySpace / Twitter
- Alphaleonis’ balcony YouTube videos from the Portland 2010 show (far away, but good sound quality)
- Amanda McAuley’s Flickr shots from Portland
- Related Reviews~
- Chris Young‘s Portland 2010 review on OMN (with my photos)
- BrooklynVegan‘s Chicago review (10/15/2010)
- My MusicNow Fest 2007 (Cincinnati – Apr 2007)
- PCPA/Schnitzer’s Site
|
|
|
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan –Dave Douglas & Keystone – Spark of Being: Expand
SUFJAN STEVENS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Sufjan’s 2010 Tour Dates
- Tuesday, 12 October – Metropolis Theater, Montreal QC
- Wednesday, 13 October – Massey Hall, Toronto ON
- Thursday, 14 October – Royal Oak Music Theater, Royal Oak MI
- Friday, 15 October – Chicago Theater, Chicago IL
- Saturday, 16 October – Orpheum Theater, Minneapolis MN
- Sunday, 17 October – Uptown Theater, Kansas City MO
- Tuesday, 19 October – The Long Center for the Performing Arts, Austin TX
- Wednesday, 20 October – McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, Dallas TX
- Friday, 22 October – Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theater, Mesa AZ
- Saturday, 23 October – The Wiltern, Los Angeles CA
- Tuesday, 26 October – The Paramount Theater, Oakland CA
- Thursday, 28 October – Orpheum Theater, Vancouver BC
- Friday, 29 October – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland OR
- Saturday, 30 October – The Paramount Theatre, Seattle WA
- Monday, 1 November – Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City UT
- Tuesday, 2 November – Paramount Theatre, Denver CO
- Thursday, 4 November – Hilbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis IN
- Friday, 5 November – Bijou Theater, Knoxville TN
- Saturday, 6 November – The Tabernacle, Atlanta GA
- Sunday, 7 November – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville NC
- Wednesday, 10 November – Kimmel Center, Philadelphia PA
- Thursday, 11 November – Orpheum Theatre, Boston MA
- Sunday, 14 November – Beacon Theatre, New York NY
- Monday, 15 November – Beacon Theatre, New York NY
REVIEW: Peter Mulvey & Jeffrey Foucault @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – 10/24/10)
Summing Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault‘s travelling show in one word would be: “authentic.” This was round two for me (link here for my Friday Portland review with photos); so I’ll keep it short and sweet.
They hit the stage at Sam Bond’s around 8:45 and played two great sets. The show was partially more of the same, but don’t take that the wrong way… it was definitely not a disappointment. Switching off on vocal duties, about a half originals and half covers. They also switched up about half of their setlist from the Friday show… great show as usual for these gents. Quite a talky crowd, but still a bit more subdued than a normal Sam Bond’s crowd.
Setlist: 90+ minutes
- Set 1: Starlight and Static (Jeffrey on vocals, new tune)
- Kids in the Square (Peter on vocals)
- Mesa, Arizona (JF)
- The Obvious Child [Paul Simon] (PM)
- Pretty Girl in a Small Town (JF, new tune)
- Shirt (PM)
- Last Night I Dreamed of Television (JF, new tune)
- Some People (PM)
- Goners Most (JF, new tune)
- But I Do [Bobby Charles] (PM)
- Set 2: Everybody Knows [Leonard Cohen] (PM)
- City Flower (JF)
- Ithaca [Redbird] (PM)
- Tulsa Time [Don Williams] (JF)
- Duncan and Brady [P.D.] (PM)
- Late Season (JF)
- Diamond and Gold [Tom Waits] (PM)
- Tea and Tobacco (JF, new tune)
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home) (PM)
- 4 & 20 Blues (JF)
- Encore: Tecumseh Valley [Townes Van Zandt] (PM/JF)
thanks to Eric for JF new tunes/song identification
more photos below
Re-posting Friday’s NEWS from the stage:
Jeffrey Foucault has a new album out called Cold Satellite. Peter Mulvey has recorded a new duet instrumental album with longtime collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich – release next year(?). And the Peter & Jeffrey collaboration with Kris Delmhorst and Goody called Redbird has a second installment on the horizon. It’s already been mastered (woot!), and the last four songs will have the explicit tag in iTunes. It was recorded live, but they didn’t mention live in studio or live on stage. I guess we’ll see.
Kris Delmhorst (Jeffrey’s wife, fellow singer-songwriter) is coming to Eugene… Tsunami Books on Saturday, November 6th – 8pm. Make note!
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Peter Mulvey’s Site
- Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (click below)
|
|
- Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
- Jeffrey Foucault’s Social Media Links (he doesn’t appear to have any?)
- Past Related Reviews~
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Mulvey & Foucault @ The Woods (Portland – Oct 2010)
- The Woods PDX’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Carissa’s Wierd – Songs About Leaving
PETER MULVEY & JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
Eugene pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien
of Emobie Photography, you may use freely
under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Mulvey & Foucault West Coast 2010 Tour Dates
- 10.22 – The Woods – Portland, OR
- 10.23 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
- 10.24 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
- 10.25 – Arcata Playhouse – Arcata, CA
- 10.26 – Freight and Salvage – Berkely, CA
- 10.27 – Maverick Saloon – Santa Ynez, CA – w/ Bonnie Prince Billy
- 10.29 – McCabe’s – Santa Monica, CA
- 10.30 – Janey’s Coffee House – Cave Creek, AZ
REVIEW: Peter Mulvey & Jeffrey Foucault @ The Woods (Portland, OR – 10/22/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Last night was my first time to The Woods in SE Portland. One word: melikey. Nice cozy living room feel in the middle of an old funeral parlour. Random chairs, couches, beer & wine, candles, and a well laid out listening room. It was actually the perfect listening room for the likes of Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault. They had the early show last night; so we shuffled into the venue and found some seats… we got up close (but to the right of the stage). There’s not really a bad spot in the house… but a tip, if you come to a show at The Woods – show up early for the primo spots.
The guys got on the stage shortly after 7:30, and kicked into a hour and half set of songs, trading off in the vocal slot. They played a few originals, a few covers, told some stories, and warmed the crowd with their all around genuineness. Both of these men are prime performers – excellent songwriters and guitarists in their own right, but they really draw you in with their humanity, humility and… well… their charm.
They reminded me a lot of the Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt show from last fall in their trade-off approach and general witty banter. Their song selection was also excellent… I didn’t know all of the songs, but I loved them all.
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- Everybody Knows [Leonard Cohen] (Peter on vocals)
- Starlight and Static (Jeffrey on vocals, new tune)
- On the Way Up (PM)
- Mesa, Arizona (JF)
- Some People (PM)
- Last Night I Dreamed of Television (JF, new tune)
- Trempealeau (PM – new song?)
- “Don’t Fuck with my Miller Time” [Andy Friedman & the Other Failures] (JF/PM)
- O My Star! [Anais Mitchell] (PM)
- Train to Jackson (JF)
- Knuckleball Suite (PM)
- Passerines (JF, new tune)
- We’ll Go No More A-Roving [Kris Delmhorst/Lord Byron] (PM)
- Anybody’s Heaven [Kris Delmhorst] (JF)
- Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me [Mississippi John Hurt] (PM)
- Real Love (JF, new tune)
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away From Home) (PM)
- 4 & 20 Blues (JF)
- Encore: Moonshiner [Bob Dylan] (JF)
thanks to Eric for JF new tunes/song identification
I’ll be seeing Peter & Jeffrey again in Eugene on Sunday at Sam Bond’s. Oh, and I almost forgot… the NEWS from the stage:
Jeffrey Foucault has a new album out called Cold Satellite. Peter Mulvey has recorded a new duet instrumental album with longtime collaborator David “Goody” Goodrich – release next year(?). And the Peter & Jeffrey collaboration with Kris Delmhorst and Goody called Redbird has a second installment on the horizon. It’s already been mastered (woot!), and the last four songs will have the explicit tag in iTunes. It was recorded live, but they didn’t mention live in studio or live on stage. I guess we’ll see.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Peter Mulvey’s Site
- Peter Mulvey’s Social Media Links (click below)
|
|
- Jeffrey Foucault’s Site
- Jeffrey Foucault’s Social Media Links (he doesn’t appear to have any?)
- Past Related Reviews~
- Peter Mulvey Double-Weekend (Eugene & Portland – Oct 2009)
- Peter & Jeffrey @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene – Oct 2010)
- The Woods PDX’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Carissa’s Wierd – Ugly But Honest
PETER MULVEY & JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Mulvey & Foucault West Coast 2010 Tour Dates
- 10.22 – The Woods – Portland, OR
- 10.23 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
- 10.24 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR
- 10.25 – Arcata Playhouse – Arcata, CA
- 10.26 – Freight and Salvage – Berkely, CA
- 10.27 – Maverick Saloon – Santa Ynez, CA – w/ Bonnie Prince Billy
- 10.29 – McCabe’s – Santa Monica, CA
- 10.30 – Janey’s Coffee House – Cave Creek, AZ
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
Creative Commons
This blog and concert photos therein are licensed under a Creative Commons License. Available with Attribution for Non-Commercial, Non-Derivative Use.
pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news 