Archive

Posts Tagged ‘singer-songwriter’

SETLIST: David Bazan @ Gutenberg College (Eugene, OR – 4/24/13)

25th Apr 13 (Thu) Leave a comment

David Bazan at Gutenberg College, EugeneDavid Bazan is off on another jaunt of a 40+ house concert tour.  Last night’s show at the McKenzie Study Center at Gutenberg College wasn’t technically a “house,” but it still had that living room feel.

He showed up a tad late, but after quickly setting up, he entertained a few questions and then kicked into his set…

Setlist: about 75 minutes

  • Q&A #1
  • Hot Girls [Headphones]
  • Fewer Broken Pieces
  • Big Trucks [Pedro the Lion]
  • Man In Me [Bob Dylan]
  • Q&A #2
  • “I write it down for what it’s worth” [new song, no title mentioned]
  • Hard To Be
  • Virginia
  • Shit Talker [Headphones]
  • Q&A #3
  • Wolves At The Door
  • Selling Advertising
  • Of Minor Prophets and Their Prostitute Wives [Pedro the Lion]
  • Q&A #4
  • The Fleecing [Pedro the Lion]
  • Cold Beer and Cigarettes
  • Q&A #5
  • Strange Negotiations
    No Encore

David Bazan at Gutenberg College, Eugene

Some Bazan-related news…

David Bazan and friends - Overseas1) His newest side-project Overseas is up for pre-order now.  If you pre-order it, you get a download of the full album immediately.  I got it a couple weeks ago, and I dig it.  Overseas is David Bazan, Will Johnson, Matt Kadane and Bubba Kadane…. and in the 2nd Q&A I asked if they were going to tour.  He said that they will likely do a limited set of dates: a few Texas dates, New York area dates, and then a limited West Coast run (LA, SF, Portland, Seattle).

2) On this tour, though he didn’t have them available last night, is a art print that comes with a download code for a Covers EP.  He didn’t have them last night, but noted that we could buy it online (soon) without shipping fees.  He should have them soon on some of the other dates on this tour.  He mentioned the Bob Dylan cover, Radiohead’s “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box,” and a few others will be included.

The Appropriate Linkage:

This was his second date of this tour… check out more tour dates below (sorry, many are already sold out).

Next show for me… Infected Mushroom at McDonald Theater (4/25).

~Dan – np: Pet Bottle Ningen – Non-Recyclable
Pet Bottle Ningen - Non-Recyclable

David Bazan – Spring 2013 House Show Tour

04/23/13 Tue – Portland OR – SOLD OUT
04/24/13 Wed – Eugene OR – SOLD OUT
04/25/13 Thu – Redding CA
04/26/13 Fri – Sacramento CA – SOLD OUT
04/27/13 Sat – San Francisco CA – SOLD OUT
04/28/13 Sun – Hollister CA
04/29/13 Mon – OFF
04/30/13 Tue – Los Angeles CA – SOLD OUT
05/01/13 Wed – Costa Mesa CA – SOLD OUT
05/02/13 Thu – Riverside CA – SOLD OUT
05/03/13 Fri – San Diego CA – SOLD OUT
05/04/13 Sat – Tucson AZ – SOLD OUT
05/05/13 Sun – Phoenix AZ – SOLD OUT
05/06/13 Mon – OFF
05/07/13 Tue – Graham TX
05/08/13 Wed – San Antonio TX – SOLD OUT
05/09/13 Thu – Houston TX – SOLD OUT
05/10/13 Fri – Baton Rouge LA
05/11/13 Sat – New Orleans LA – SOLD OUT
05/12/13 Sun – OFF
05/13/13 Mon – Orlando FL – SOLD OUT
05/14/13 Tue – Jacksonville FL – SOLD OUT
05/15/13 Wed – Augusta GA – SOLD OUT
05/16/13 Thu – Atlanta GA – SOLD OUT
05/17/13 Fri – Columbus GA
05/18/13 Sat – Birmingham AL – SOLD OUT
05/19/13 Sun – Memphis TN
05/20/13 Mon – OFF
05/21/13 Tue – St Louis MO – SOLD OUT
05/22/13 Wed – Kansas City MO – SOLD OUT
05/23/13 Thu – Tulsa OK – SOLD OUT
05/24/13 Fri – Oklahoma City OK – SOLD OUT
05/25/13 Sat – Lubbock TX
05/26/13 Sun – Los Alamos NM
05/27/13 Mon – Prescott AZ
05/28/13 Tue – Las Vegas NV
05/29/13 Wed – OFF
05/30/13 Thu – Davis CA
05/31/13 Fri – Chico CA – SOLD OUT
06/01/13 Sat – Phoenix OR (Medford)
06/02/13 Sun – Portland OR – SOLD OUT

http://www.undertowstore.com/artist/overseas

Advertisement

New music coming from Jude!

26th Jan 13 (Sat) Leave a comment

Jude ChristodalCall it intuition, call it luck, call it the power of the letter “J” – but I haven’t thought of Jude (Christodal) in forever.  After spinning some Jurassic 5 on my iPod yesterday afternoon and flipped on over to Jude’s lovely No One Is Really Beautiful shortly after that.

Then I thought… what the hell has Jude been up to lately?

Time to hop on over to www.judemusic.com, and what do you know… he had posted this bit of news only a day before…

Thurs, Jan 24th, 2012: (bold by me)

I’ve decided to cobble together some unfinished records and make some new recordings as well. I’m past the point of pain from the writing, past the preciousness that keeps me from finishing songs, and past the point of thinking each track can change my life. So, with that remarkably confident build-up, in case anyone is still out there reading this, I love you for listening, and I hope to please you with this next work.

All I can do is try to be truthful in the songs. My instrument (vox) ain’t exactly what it used to be, but I’ll try to hide that from you with magical over-tracking, just like all the cool kids do now :)

Peace be with you. I expect to take a month, and then maybe get it out this Spring or something, no need to wait, right?

Now be patient and kind or I’ll crawl back into my hole! Oh, and Happy 2012. Peace be with us all.

His last post prior to Thursday’s post was March 17th… 2010.  Yay!  New Jude music on the very near horizon!

In other news… sorry for my own lack of posts lately.  Crazy busy time for me lately.  I still plan to have my “Best of 2012” post out soon, too.  WTF is wrong with me?!

~Dan – np: JudeNo One Is Really Beautiful
Jude - No One Is Really Beautiful

2012 mix

24th Dec 12 (Mon) 3 comments

Time for this year’s mix CD, except I decided to go CD-free again (like 2011’s mix). It’s still formatted to stay contained on one CD (21 tracks ~79 mins); so if you want to download the whole shebang and burn to a CD – go for it!

Check out prior year-based mixes: 2009 (CD) and 2010 (CD) and 2011 (digital). No major theme this time like some of my prior mixes (4 Elements & A-to-Z mixes)… the only rule I placed before myself was that everything is current (i.e.- released in 2012).  A few of the songs were technically released in 2012, but the album will hit in 2013.

This year’s mix ended up poppier and/or melancholier than prior mixes.  Sometimes that’s just how things shake out. I hope you enjoy.

The following songs were put on the mix from mostly lossless sources where possible and for promotional purposes only (read: free direct market advertising to people who decidedly love music). Most of the artists on this compilation are independent (put out the music themselves) or signed to smaller, independent labels. If you like what you hear, check out their music / support them with your wallet if you are able. The artists’ Webpage, Facebook, and Amazon links are available for each song below. I’ve also included concert review links if I’ve seen the artist recently.

Download the ZIP File (140M) available *HERE*, extract then drag & drop the mp3 files to your iTunes (or other playback software).

All Songs Streaming Playlist (click arrows to skip back & forth… for individual songs find them below.)

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

01 Brian Borcherdt / Dusted(Into The) Atmosphere” from Total Dust

Brian Borcherdt from Canadian live-electronic band Holy Fuck has done some singer-songwriter-y solo projects in the past, but this album in-between HF albums still held on to some electronics and keys versus the standard acoustic guitar fare.  This lo-fi, melodic, and haunting affair hit me well this rainy Oregon fall.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

02 O.S.I.Wind Won’t Howl” from Fire Make Thunder

The fourth album in the O.S.I. partnership of Kevin Moore (Chroma Key) and Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) isn’t a metal heavy as the other albums.  I love how there’s a bit of rock in this track to offset the melancholy delivery of Kevin’s vocals.  Guest drummer on the entire album is Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree.  The album fits in with what I’d call “glitch prog,” to which Kevin liked my moniker.  Organic/real drums cut up electronically alongside with prog rock keys & guitars.  This album is easily one of my favorites of 2012.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

03 Peter MulveyEgg Radio (instrumental)” from The Good Stuff

04 Peter MulveyGreen Grass” from The Good Stuff

Peter Mulvey is an American treasure. His lyrical storytelling, guitar prowess, and overall charm and earnestness make him a favorite artists of mine, period.  With his recent album, he put together a band and re-purposed others’ music… “new standards” if you will.  The instrumental “Egg Radio” is originally penned by jazz guitarist Bill Frisell and “Green Grass” is from Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

05 Levi WeaverTalk Me Down” from I Am Only A Tiny Noise [EP]

Less than a year ago, I had no idea who Levi Weaver was.  I joined a fantasy baseball league online (uncharacteristic of me) and met Levi via that.  I had no idea he was a travelling musician until he mentioned on twitter something about a documentary being shot about him (String Theory).  Then the cards fell in place for him to play a show at my house, and then I bought and fell in love with all of his records.  Such is my musical addiction.  Sometimes I luck into gems.  Levi put out the Tiny Noise EP in 2012, but I also strongly urge you to check out his earlier work.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

06 Emily WellsInstrumental (Lolo Remix)” from Mama Remixed

08 Emily WellsFire Song (Doctor Rosen Rosen Remix)” from Mama Remixed

Emily spans indie rock, chamber music, and hip-hop near flawlessly (check her cover of the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy“).  With her latest album, Mama, she has continued in that vein… and then also released a remix album for free on Soundcloud.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

 Kim Taylor - Love's A Dog07 Kim TaylorSave My Life (demo)” from the forthcoming album Love’s A Dog

Heartfelt Cincinnati singer-songwriter Kim Taylor successfully Kickstarted her forthcoming album.  I loved this song so much; so here’s a glimpse in what is to come.  Since the Kickstarter is officially done, keep in the loop via her webpage and Facebook for when it’ll hit regular retail outlets in 2013.  Also, take a listen to her back catalog… her music has a special place in my heart.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

09 Sufjan StevensAlphabet St.” from Silver & Gold: Christmas Infinity Voyage [EP]

Five EPs of Christmas music released this year, and I find a non-holiday-forward Prince cover to break things up on this mix.  This song is more indicative of things on The Age of Adz versus the rest of the Christmas EPs.  Enjoy!  Skip below for the other Sufjan track on my 2012 mix for something different…

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

10 Digital Noise AcademyMelting Inside” from the forthcoming album DNA

Way back in 2006, the Los Angeles Digital Noise Academy (LADNA) did a couple of shared tracks… passing around pieces via the internet as they’re all busy musicians in their own rights.  Back in those days, there was mention of releasing an album, but nothing ever materialized.  Well, in 2012, they changed things up to just DNA and finally had enough momentum to get a Kickstarter going – which succeeded on its 2nd try.  The album will come out in 2013.  DNA is the cooperative of Ken Andrews (Failure, On, producer/mixer of tons of rock bands), Charlotte Martin (pop singer-songwriter), Sharky Laguana (Creeper Lagoon), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck & NIN), Fernando Sanchez (popular hired gun), and Jordan Zadorozny (Blinker the Star).

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

11 Aimee MannLabrador” from Charmer

I don’t have much to say about this song outside of that I love Aimee Mann, and the video for it was a shot-for-shot remake of the “Voices Carry” video from her ‘Til Tuesday days.  Wacky and fun!

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

12 The Album LeafStretched Home” from Forward/Return [EP]

The Album Leaf is Jimmy LaValle, and he’s had some good success making some great keyboard-driven, organic post-rock.  This EP almost escaped me, though, as the word on the street was faint.  Jimmy has an upcoming project with Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon); so I guess I’ll have to keep my eyes & ears peeled better!

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

13 Damien JuradoMuseum of Flight” from Maraqopa

Damien Jurado is one of those pure songwriters that hits me hard with his lyrics.  This song has impacted me a lot this year, and I think I’ve listened to it more than 100 times, which knowing the amount of music I go through each year is saying something.  Maraqopa is a gorgeous record, and it will end up high on my list for 2012.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

14 Glen PhillipsStill Carrying You” from Coyote Sessions

Glen Phillips (the voice behind Toad the Wet Sprocket) can bend my ear no matter what he’s doing.  His latest self-release, Coyote Sessions (via bandcamp), is full of some old favorites that he’s done for a while in a live setting, but have never made their way onto formal releases.  A must purchase for the pop singer-songwriter in me.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

15 Charlie Hunter & Scott AmendolaNot Getting Behind Is The New Getting Ahead” from album of the same name

The ease at which Charlie Hunter plays both the guitar and bass parts on his 8-string guitar makes witnessing him in concert confounding. Fuck that guy! He’s too damn good to be an actual human being.  He’s been working with drummer Scott Amendola in several incarnations in the past (trios, quartets).  For this recent album and tour, it was just the two of them.  Stripped down, yet full of sound.  Highly recommended guitar jazz.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

16 Ben Folds FiveAway When You Were Here” from The Sound of the Life of the Mind

One of the saddest days was when I heard that Ben Folds Five broke up.  I kind of always hoped they’d get back together, but Ben Folds kept chugging away on his solo stuff… which was excellent, but not… you know, not “the same.”  There was a glint of hope a handful of years ago when Darren Jessee and Robert Sledge joined forces with their pianist brother for some live shows.  This year, they got back together for real in the studio!  They’ll hit the road in early Winter 2013.  I’ll be lucky to see them in Portland in February.  When I saw them back in the late 90s/early 2000s, they blew me away.  Truly a fun band to see live!

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

17 Bad VeinsIf Then” from The Mess We’ve Made

Cincinnati rock duo Bad Veins should own the world.  Their 2nd full length is lush, hooky, and a perfect follow-up to their 2009 debut.  With the lushness on this record, Ben & Sebastien are probably giving “Irene,” their reel-to-reel band member, a good workout.  Hopefully they buy her new cords and oil her joints in between gigs.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

18 John ZornPathway of Fire” from The Concealed

One of nine releases from John Zorn this year, this album is a jauntier, more accessible jazz compared to some of his other work.  I desperately wanted to put on some screeching, grating stuff from Music & Its Double, but I spared you all.  I was *that* close to doing it, too.  You’re welcome!  Anyway, The Concealed album features some excellent packaging – embossed white inks on white digipack with die-cut shapes in the front.  Kudos to Tzadik’s designer Chippy for her always stunning work.  The music was written by Zorn and performed by the usual suspects in his arsenal – the stellar cast of NYC jazz cats: Joey Baron on drums, Trevor Dunn on bass, Mark Feldman on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, John Medeski on piano, and Kenny Wollesen on vibes.

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

19 Fiona AppleWerewolf” from The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

It’s Fiona.  What can I say? Great standout track on her stupendous new album. There’s “nothing wrong when a song ends in a minor key.”

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

20 Sufjan StevensJustice Delivers Its Death” from Silver & Gold: Christmas Unicorn [EP]

Sparse acoustic guitar and Sufjan’s angelic voice thrust this song into my head and heart like no other.  I take its lyrics as disappointment in the temporary, which can also be a call to do more fruitful things while we’re here.  Which I think is good advice for everyone.  This song is also not too indicative of most of what you’ll find on the Christmas EPs. I don’t really like Christmas music, but I think Sufjan makes some wonderful art.  And, whoa, his concert tour this year was amazing (see review with photos of the Portland/Aladdin show)!!!

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

21 Au4So Just Hang On, Beautiful One” from the forthcoming album …And Down Goes the Sky

These Canadian soundscapers haven’t released music since 2006. I found them in the halcyon “MySpace days,” if that tells you anything.  Their first album (On: Audio) is amazing and textured.  Their 2nd album from which this song is from is out now (digitally) with an official release date in 2013.  It’s also textured and gorgeous, with a little mixing up on the vocal duties.  I’m still digesting it, but I can still very much recommend it!

«°¤°» ¤ ¤ «°¤°»

Let me know what you think… If you enjoyed what you heard, please support the music. Definitely feel free to pass the link the mix along:

http://tinyurl.com/MixyD2012

~Dan – np: Au4On: Audio

there are no torrents, free mp3 or other downloads available

REVIEW: Sufjan Stevens presents the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice @ Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR – 12/6/12)

7th Dec 12 (Fri) 5 comments

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

Sufjan's 2012 hristmas Sing-a-long Tour

I hate Christmas music.  There are a few rare instances where it doesn’t make me cringe.  Over the Rhine’s Darkest Night of the Year and Monk’s How Like A Winter are rare exceptions.  One of my favorite artists, Sufjan Stevens, has put out Christmas EPs each year for his closest group of friends, and then they eventually make their way out to the public via now two EP boxsets (Songs For Christmas & Silver and Gold).  While some of the more standard Christmasy songs from Sufjan make me cringe (it’s not his fault), he finds a way to have some experimentation and wild unique new songs that makes the boxsets fully enjoyable… even for a bah-humbug like me.  And the boxsets also include cool arts and crafts…

Sheila Saputo (aka Rosie Thomas)

Despite my dislike of Chrtistmas songs, when I found out that Sufjan was bringing his 2012 Christmas Sing-a-Long tour (the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant On Ice) through Portland’s Aladdin Theater, I knew I needed to go.

His opener / tour co-hort is Sheila Saputo… the quirky comedic alter ego of singer-songwriter Rosie Thomassee her trailer here.

Sheila put on a 20 minute set of fairly ridiculous, self-depricating humor.. partially eating a carrot throughout the set, making balloon “animals” (term used very loosely), and spelling out the important aspects of the acronym CAROLS: Carnal Treasures, Armageddon, etc (see photos at the bottom).

At 8:45pm, Sufjan and his band hit the stage (including the de-frocked Sheila Saputo/Rosie Thomas in a snowman suit).  They started things off in front of the stage curtain with a gentle acappella version of “Christmas Time Is Here,” then… curtains up and behold the majesty of the Wheel of Christmas!!!

The set was obviously going to be full of Christmas songs.  Some on their setlist and some chosen “randomly.”  For many of the Wheel of Christmas Sing-a-Long tunes, they brought up members of the audience to spin for the selection.  Near the end, some rigging of the wheel had to be done to fit in some we hadn’t done yet.  I think we hit everything on the Wheel except for “Silent Night.”

They also threw in a few non-Christmas tunes throughout the set and at the encore…

Setlist: 2 hrs 10 mins

  • Christmas Time Is Here (acappella) [Vince Guaraldi]
  • Christmas Woman
  • Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance!
  • Do You Hear What I Hear?
  • Justice Delivers Its Death*
  • Joy to the World (Wheel of Christmas Sing-A-Long)
  • Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Wheel)
  • A Holly Jolly Christmas (Wheel)
  • Jingle Bells (Wheel)
  • We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Wheel)
  • Vito’s Ordination Song*
  • Put the Lights on the Tree
  • How Shall I Fitly Greet Thee?
  • I Am Santa’s Helper
  • “Frosty” (improv rock, chant, Rosie cutting santa up with plastic chainsaw)
  • Sister Winter*
  • Ah Holy Jesus
  • The Child with the Star on His Head*
  • Sleigh Ride (Wheel, noted as “Slay Ride”)
  • O Holy Night (Wheel)
  • We Need a Little Christmas (Wheel)
  • Auld Lang Syne* (Wheel)
  • Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Wheel)
  • For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti*
  • Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
  • That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!*
  • Christmas Unicorn*
  • Encore: Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois*
  • Futile Devices*
  • Chicago*
  • Come On! Feel the Illinoise!*
    *
    personal favorites from the night

I truly hate most Christmas music, but this was a FUUUUUUUUUUUUUN show!  Sufjan and his band make the music fun, the original tunes (even if Christmasy) are spectacles of greatness or touching, gentler tunes, and the overall party factor of this tour is truly astounding.  I’d hate to have been on the clean-up crew… confetti, streamers, popped balloons, and random blow-up animals and santas…

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… Charlie Hunter @ Mississippi Studios (12/7) and Antibalas @ Hawthorne (12/8).

~Dan – np: John ZornRimbaud
John Zorn - Rimbaud

SUFJAN STEVENS CHRISTMAS SING-A-LONG PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Sufjan Stevens Fall 2012 Tour Dates

  • Fri Nov 23, 2012 – Philadelphia PA Union Transfer
  • Sat Nov 24, 2012 – Washington DC 9:30 Club
  • Sun Nov 25, 2012 – Saxapahaw NC The Haw River Ballroom
  • Mon Nov 26, 2012 – Athens GA The Georgia Theatre
  • Tue Nov 27, 2012 – Chattanooga TN Track 29
  • Wed Nov 28, 2012 – Oxford MS The Lyric Oxford
  • Fri Nov 30, 2012 – Dallas TX Granada Theater
  • Sat Dec 01, 2012 – Austin TX Emo’s East
  • Mon Dec 03, 2012 – Tucson AZ Rialto Theatre
  • Tue Dec 04, 2012 – Los Angeles CA The Fonda Theatre (formerly The Music Box)
  • Wed Dec 05, 2012 – San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
  • Thu Dec 06, 2012 – Portland OR Aladdin Theater
  • Sat Dec 08, 2012 – Seattle WA Neptune Theatre
  • Sun Dec 09, 2012 – Missoula MT Wilma Theatre
  • Wed Dec 12, 2012 – Minneapolis MN Mill City Nights (Formerly The Brick)
  • Thu Dec 13, 2012 – Milwaukee WI Turner Hall
  • Fri Dec 14, 2012 – Indianapolis IN Deluxe @ Old National Centre
  • Sat Dec 15, 2012 – Chicago IL Metro
  • Sun Dec 16, 2012 – Cleveland OH Beachland Ballroom
  • Tue Dec 18, 2012 – Buffalo NY Asbury Hall @ Babeville
  • Wed Dec 19, 2012 – Providence RI Fete
  • Thu Dec 20, 2012 – Boston MA Royale
  • Fri Dec 21, 2012 – New York NY Bowery Ballroom
  • Sat Dec 22, 2012 – New York NY Bowery Ballroom

REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ the Triple Door (Seattle, WA – 11/17/12)

21st Nov 12 (Wed) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

How many times can you see a band and finally get tired of them?  I honestly can’t answer that question. After 50+ times seeing Over the Rhine over more than a decade, in various venues and cities and states, I’ll still drive 10 hours over a 30 hour period to go see them because they’re not playing anywhere closer.

I had seen Jeffrey Foucault in September at the Triple Door in downtown Seattle.  At that time, I had never been there, and after seeing the set-up, tasting the menu, and witnessing their light-show, I viewed their calendar and noted that they had the sole Over the Rhine show in the PacNW this fall.  I bought my OTR tickets via my iPhone during the Jeffrey Foucault intermission.

This show was billed as “An Acoustic Evening with Over the Rhine,” and it featured the husband-wife duo of Linford Detweiler (piano, guitars, vocals) and Karin Bergquist (vocals, guitars) with drums/percussive support from Nick Radina.

The set was heavily from The Long Surrender (the album from late 2010/early 2011, depending on how you got it).  That record is a gem; so I didn’t mind its heavy presence on Saturday.  They also threw in some new songs that should make their way onto their upcoming album, The Farm (GO HERE for more on how to support that 2013 album)…

Setlist: ~1 hr 45 mins

  • Born
  • All My Favorite People
  • The Laugh Of Recognition
  • Undamned
  • Sacred Ground [new song]
  • Earthbound Love Song (aka Johnny & June)
  • Gonna Let My Soul Catch My Body [new song]
  • The King Knows How
  • Suitcase
  • Blue Jean Sky [new song]
  • Favorite Time of Light
  • Let It Fall [new song]
  • Little Did I Know
  • Trouble
  • All I Need Is Everything
  • Encore: Rave On
  • Watching the Wheels [John Lennon]
  • Drunkard’s Prayer
  • Latter Days

As far as the new songs, “Sacred Ground” seems like a classic favorite already.  They debuted it last fall, and I loved it immediately.  The chorus doesn’t seem like a “tradition OTR song,” but it really works well with both Karin & Linford singing.  “Blue Jean Sky” had some nice imagery, as well as a repeated line of “kick ass beauty.”  The main set and encore cappers from Good Dog Bad Dog made me happy as well… all in all, another gorgeous evening by two of my favorite musical friends.

more photos below
they’re a bit grainy when
you blow them up (sorry…
we were mid-crowd)

The Appropriate Linkage:

Next show for me… Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band at the Rose Garden (Portland 11/28).

~Dan – np: IsisTemporal

OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Ashley Peacock… help him make a new solo record in 2013!

16th Nov 12 (Fri) Leave a comment

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.

Ashley Peacock Kickstarter

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 RhineThe Long Surrender

October 2012 Oregon concert recap

12th Nov 12 (Mon) 1 comment

I feel so bad for not blogging as much this past month or so… busy at work and in real life.  I have still gone to quite a bit of shows, especially in October – Aimee Mann, Nellie McKay twice, Peter Mulvey & Kris Delmhorst three times, and Dan Deacon, I snapped a few iPhone shots (sorry for lower quality).  I tracked most of the setlists, too.  So, here’s a quick run-down.

Aimee Mann @ the Aladdin Theater, Portland, Oregon (Tu 10/2)

Aimee Mann put on a great show, a good mix of old tunes and ones from her brand new album, Charmer.  Here’s what she played – 10/2 setlist. This was my second time seeing her, and I was not disappointed.  She’s charming, smiles much more than her songs lead on, and is quite the jokester.

Nellie McKay @ the Shedd, Eugene, Oregon (Wed 10/10)
Nellie McKay @ the Alberta Rose Theatre, Portland, Oregon (Th 10/11)

Two shows, back-to-back seems to be a habit for me when Nellie McKay swings through Oregon. The shows were fairly similar (Eugene setlist / Portland setlist) save for a few changes in songs.  Both shows were great.  She seemed for relaxed and vocally on-point in Eugene. In Portland, she had a few lyrical miss-steps, but she was as charming as ever. Any time she comes through, I’m excited to see her.  No news on another album, yet (her last was 2010’s Home Sweet Mobile Home).

Peter Mulvey & Kris Delmhorst @ the Majestic Theatre, Corvallis, Oregon (Wed 10/17)
Peter Mulvey & Kris Delmhorst @ the Alberta Rose Theatre, Portland, Oregon (Th 10/18)
Peter Mulvey & Kris Delmhorst @ Tsunami Books, Eugene, Oregon (Fri 10/19)

Three shows, not one the same. Another artist I see every time he comes through, Peter Mulvey, brought his long-time musical friend Kris Delmhorst (wife of another singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault).  The three of them are in a band Redbird with guitarist David Goodrich.  Well, this Fall 2012 west coast jaunt was just Peter & Kris, doing a switch-off storyteller-type show.  All of the shows were two sets, split with a short intermission.  Peter changed up his set fairly well, and Kris mixed hers up some as well (Corvallis setlist / Portland setlist / Eugene setlist).  I only had a few of her albums before this tour, but at the final show, I had to rectify that and pick up the rest of the catalog.  It seemed based on their new material and various discussions that they were both working on new albums… for 2013?

Dan Deacon @ Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, Oregon (Th 10/25)

The openers were also odd (TEDtalk-styled humor from Alan Resnick), bombastic (two-piece rock powerhouse Chester Endersby), and truly enlightening (rock/rap from Height with Friends).  For Dan Deacon‘s set, he played a lot from his latest album, America.  This show was intense and amazing.  He has an amazing way of getting people to step out of their shells.  At one point, Dan was going to have us do a arm tunnel outside the venue (something he does at most of his shows).  The bouncer and club management wouldn’t let him… so he complied and said,” we’ll just do something far more dangerous.”  With a wide circle, he started with one guy running around, and with every revolution, he would bring one more person in to run around… 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, … after a very short time the entire audience was running in a circle… I had to pull myself out of it and grab some water… It was a very sweaty, dancey, fun-as-hell show. Truly inspiring how the seeming group of outcasts becomes a group of like-minded lovers of life.

I’ll try to do a better job of consistent concert reviews going forward, time permitting.  A couple shows for me this week: The Dead Kenny G’s (Skerik, Matt Dillon etc) on 11/15 @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene) and Over the Rhine on 11/17 @ the Triple Door (Seattle).

~Dan – np: Sufjan StevensSilver & Gold (Songs For Christmas) Vol. VI: Gloria!

REVIEW: Levi Weaver @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 7/16/12)

19th Jul 12 (Thu) 2 comments

How did I get into Nashville-based singer-songwriter Levi Weaver?

Well, um… is “Yahoo! fantasy baseball league via twitter” a valid explanation?  Well, it’s how it went down.  After following him, he had posted something about his documentary String Theory, then I sent him a “hey next time you’re in Oregon let me know” message, and then he sent me a “well actually” message… and the rest is history.

This was only my 3rd house show to host and/or coordinate (Susan Enan & Peter Mulvey being the other two), but it went smoothly.  Levi is a delight to work with, and he’s a true professional.  He’s still in the midst of shooting the String Theory doc; so he had a two-person crew with him.

A little sparser attendance than I was going for due to being the Monday right after Oregon Country Fair, we still had a decent turnout for Levi’s lovely set.  I’m still getting familiar with his music, but from his hour-long set he started with “String Theory” (on mandolin) then Radiohead’sIdioteque” (with plenty of loops, bowed guitar and effects).

After my post-show delving into his music, other tunes played were: You Are Home, Which Drink?, Good From Evil, We’re Tornadoes When We Dance, Spirit First (I think?) and a few more.  Here are some shots from the show… I had front row couch seats… (click for larger)

He has tons of fantastic music out there.  Check it out on bandcamp (links below), support indie music, check him out when he swings by your town, and enjoy!

Civil War Between My Heart and Mind cover art You Are Never Close To Home, You Are Never Far From Home cover art The Letters of Dr. Kurt Gödel cover art
Twenty Thousand Miles cover art I Am Only a Tiny Noise cover art

The Appropriate Linkage:

Next show for me… Bad Mitten Orchestre at WOW Hall on 7/21.

~Dan – np: Tin Hat & e.e. cummingsthe rain is a handsome animal

Double-REVIEW: Beck @ Les Schwab (Bend, OR – 5/27/12) and Jack White @ the Hult (Eugene, OR – 5/28/12)

30th May 12 (Wed) 7 comments

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:

Next show for me… Emily Wells @ WOW Hall on 6/3.

~Dan – np: Sigur RósValtari

REVIEW: Glen Phillips @ Alberta Rose (Portland, OR – 4/12/12)

16th Apr 12 (Mon) Leave a comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I got to the venue just in the nick of time as Jonathan Kingham was starting his opening set.  I had seen him about four years ago in Eugene with Glen Phillips.  I thought he was great last time, and he held up to that memory quite well on Thursday night.  I think he’s matured a little bit in his songwriting, and still quite the charmer on-stage.  Funny, witty, smooth voice, and slow jams.  He played some new tunes, some tunes about food, a tune called “Satisfied” (about a poodle?), a cover of Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Stepwith an impressive improv rap, and ended the 45 minute set with “Grace” with Glen on backing vocals.

After a short break, Glen Phillips came out and dug right in.  He played the first handful of tunes unaccompanied, then Jonathan joined him on guitar and backing vocals for the classic Toad song “Walk On the Ocean.”  Jonathan stayed with him for the rest of the set, switching to piano partway through.

The things that draws me in to Glen are his voice and his poetic lyricism.  Whether it be with his solo stuff, his side-projects, or with his first band Toad – his humor, wit and joy for life shines through.  He played a great mix of songs throughout his career and even treated us to a couple brand new songs.  No word on if these new songs will show up on an upcoming solo album, collaboration album, or the rumored upcoming Toad the Wet Sprocket album.

Setlist: ~90 mins

  • The Next Day
  • Crowing [Toad the Wet Sprocket]
  • Thankful
  • End This Now
  • Return to Me
  • Blood Pressurize [RemoteTreeChildren]
  • Walk on the Ocean* [Toad]
  • The One Who Got Away
  • Always Have My Love
  • Released
  • Whatever I Fear [Toad]
  • True
  • Finally Fading
  • Windmills [Toad]
  • Golden Age [new song]
  • Solar Flare
  • Fred Meyers
  • All I Want [Toad]
  • Rise Up
  • Encore: Rare Bird (new song)
  • Brothers on a Hotel Bed [Death Cab for Cutie]
    *J. Kingham guest on guitar for “Walk On the Ocean” through
    “Whatever I Fear” & on piano from “True” through “Rise Up.”

A great show from two fantastic, silken-voiced singer-songwriters.

GLEN PHILLIPS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

The Appropriate Linkage:

Next show for me… Dan Deacon at the University of Oregon on 4/17.

~Dan – np: Boards of CanadaTwoism

Peter Mulvey – new streams from ‘The Good Stuff’

10th Mar 12 (Sat) Leave a comment

Each day or so, until presumably they’ve all been streamed, Midwest singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey is releasing tracks from his upcoming album, The Good Stuff.

Here’s the first one – “But I Do” a standard written by Bobby Charles & Clarence Henry:

(notice: this is linked from PM’s site & may only be available for a short time)

For further streams, visit: http://www.petermulvey.com/

Pre-ordering of the album will be live the week of March 20th (and it comes out March 27th).  He’s in my “buy every time without question” club… a perpetual favorite.  Do yourself a solid and add him to your collection!

~Dan – np: John ZornIpsissimus

REVIEW: David Bazan @ House Show (Portland, OR – 2/15/12)

16th Feb 12 (Thu) 1 comment

David Bazan is a busy man… he just got done with a 40+ date band tour in Nov/Dec 2011, and now he’s off and running with another near-40 date living room tour in Feb/Mar 2012.  His proximity (Seattle) to me (Oregon I-5 corridor) means I get to take in a lot of his shows.  Even though I just saw him with his band at Sam Bond’s in December, the living room tours are so fun and intimate.  I had to hit the Portland show last night…

He arrived about an hour late… first night of tour, and got stuck in traffic coming out of Seattle.  The good thing: hanging out in someone’s living room and kitchen sippin’ a beer is waaaaay better than hanging out at a stinky club playing LMFAO on loop.

After setting up his small cube amp, he kicked into his set…

Setlist: about 70 minutes

  • Cold Beer and Cigarettes
  • Wolves at the Door
  • Hard to Be
  • Q&A #1
  • Priests and Paramedics [Pedro the Lion]
  • Transcontinental [Pedro the Lion]
  • Shit Talker [Headphones]
  • Q&A #2
  • Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box [Radiohead]
  • Options [Pedro the Lion]
  • Virginia
  • Bearing Witness
  • Q&A #3
  • Strange Negotiations
    No Encore

A little shorter set than in the past, but I think that may have been due to running late.  The original “everyone needs to be out time” was 10pm, but he didn’t get going until 9:15pm.  So, for the rest of the living room tour, don’t judge the set length on Portland.  Despite the shorter set, I think it was a pretty good show… David was in a great mood and quite chatty as usual.

The somber take on “Wolves at the Door” was excellent… slower and a bit haunting compared to the version the band was belting out last year.  Another favorite was the return of the Radiohead cover that he played last year.  First three notes and goosebumps.  Such a great song.

There weren’t any new tunes played, which was a bit striking – as David is working on a new album, and it might even be done and to the label (Barsuk) by the beginning of May.  He said it could come out in August/September, but a lot of that depends on delivery to the label.

The Appropriate Linkage:

This was his first date of this tour… check out more tour dates below.

Next show for me… MEDGE (bellydancing) at Cozmic Pizza (2/17) and then post-rockers Talkdemonic at Sam Bond’s Garage (2/24).

~Dan – np: John Zorn’s The DreamersO’o

David Bazan – Winter 2012 House Show Tour

2/15 – Portland, OR
2/16 – Sacramento, CA
2/17 – Oakland, CA
2/18 – Los Angeles, CA
2/19 – Long Beach, CA
2/20 – Orange, CA
2/21 – Carlsbad, CA
2/22 – Phoenix, AZ
2/24 – Clinton, OK
2/25 – Denton, TX
2/26 – Dallas, TX
2/27 – Austin, TX
2/28 – Houston, TX
2/29 – Baton Rouge, LA
3/02 – Orlando, FL
3/03 – Jacksonville, FL
3/04 – Altanta, GA
3/05 – Nashville, TN
3/06 – Asheville, NC
3/07 – Charlotte, NC
3/09 – Charlottesville, VA
3/10 – Baltimore, MD
3/11 – Philadelphia, PA
3/12 – Brooklyn, NY
3/13 – Brooklyn, NY
3/14 – Boston, MA
3/15 – Buffalo, NY
3/16 – Cleveland, OH
3/17 – Three Rivers, MI
3/18 – Chicago, IL
3/19 – Madison, WI
3/21 – Minneapolis, MN
3/22 – Lincoln, NE
3/23 – Lawrence, KS
3/24 – Denver, CO
3/25 – Salt Lake City, UT
3/26 – Boise, ID
3/27 – Spokane, WA

Jude… working on new music…

26th Jan 12 (Thu) Leave a comment

You/all/everybody… have been waiting for a follow-up to the last Jude studio album – technically 2006’s Redemption.  He has put out some music since then (the Low Stars album, the Cuba b-sides record, some music for TV’s LOST), but he’s still been in fairly silent mode.

Well on 1/24/2012, he posted…

New Album of Songs

I’ve decided to cobble together some unfinished records and make some new recordings as well. I’m past the point of pain from the writing, past the preciousness that keeps me from finishing songs, and past the point of thinking each track can change my life. So, with that remarkably confident build-up, in case anyone is still out there reading this, I love you for listening, and I hope to please you with this next work.

All I can do is try to be truthful in the songs. My instrument (vox) ain’t exactly what it used to be, but I’ll try to hide that from you with magical over-tracking, just like all the cool kids do now :)

Peace be with you. I expect to take a month, and then maybe get it out this Spring or something, no need to wait, right?

Now be patient and kind or I’ll crawl back into my hole! Oh, and Happy 2012. Peace be with us all.

Wow, no news and then hopefully a new album by Spring?  Yay!

~Dan – np: Damien JuradoMaraqopa

4 8 15 16 23 42 Lost numbers

Damien Jurado – Static To Be Sold @ Pickathon (7″ release)

3rd Jan 12 (Tue) Leave a comment

The first session posted and the last session recorded from Pickathon 2011, Seattle-based singer-songwriter Damien Jurado and his new band take us through “Static To Be Sold” recorded by Live & Breathing in the Pickathon Pumphouse:

 

Per Damien, the song won’t be on the record, but will be out on a 7″ vinyl…

https://twitter.com/damienjurado/status/154258706962456579
https://twitter.com/damienjurado/status/154257729492488192
https://twitter.com/damienjurado/status/154284366703493120

On February 21, Secretly Canadian will be releasing the upcoming Damien Jurado LP, Maraqopa, another collaboration with musician/producer and Cottage Grove-Oregon resident, Richard Swift.

Go HERE for more info on Maraqopa.  You can pre-order it HERE on CD or vinyl.  There’s also a free mp3 download of “Nothing is the News” here:

~Dan – np: WussyFuneral Dress

Glen Phillips “The Next Day” (free download)

16th Dec 11 (Fri) Leave a comment

On Wednesday, Glen Phillips (from Toad the Wet Sprocket) released a free download of a new song, “The Next Day.”  Go get it on his bandcamp site…

http://glenphillips.bandcamp.com/track/the-next-day-2

From the 12/13/11 show at Soho in Santa Barbara. Closest I will make it to a holiday song this year. More of an OWS support ditty with a seasonal reference in the chorus… Be happy, be well.

Also, rest in peace, Christopher Hitchens.  You were great.  God is Not Great.

~Dan – np: WussyStrawberry

REVIEW: David Bazan Band @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – 12/14/11)

15th Dec 11 (Thu) 4 comments

If anything is certain in life, the move from the Midwest to the West Coast has been good for my David Bazan tour in-take.  Being only a short hike from his homebase in Seattle, we get the treat of the former Pedro the Lion frontman in our neck of the woods several times a year.

Many times, he trots out on his own… which is usually more intimate.  But the chance to see Bazan with a backing band shouldn’t be passed up.  He’s really able to let the rock come forth in his songs.  His doubtful, questioning, reflective lyricism work just as well behind a dirty, loud guitar as it does with just him and a guitar in a living room.

Last night at Sam Bond’s, after delightful indie-rock quartet opener Shay Roselip’s short set, Bazan came on to do what I thought was just sound check.  Nope… boom goes the dynamite, his mighty three-piece kicked into a tune from Pedro the Lion’s Control… “Second Best.”

Setlist: ~85 mins

  • Second Best [Pedro the Lion]
  • Wolves at the Door
  • Bless This Mess
  • How I Remember
  • I Do [PTL]
  • Of Up and Coming Monarchs [PTL]
  • Q&A #1
  • Gas and Matches [Headphones]
  • Eating Paper
  • Magazine [PTL]
  • Climb That Hill [Tom Petty]
  • Bearing Witness
  • Q&A #2
  • Virginia
  • People
  • Cold Beer and Cigarettes
  • Big Trucks [PTL]
  • Criticism as Inspiration [PTL]
  • Q&A #3 with lifetime pass drawing
  • Strange Negotiations
    No encore

The setlist was similar to other shows on this tour… a great mix of Pedro the Lion tunes, a Headphones tune, a Tom Petty cover and a lot from his two solo albums & EP.  Strange Negotiations, this years effort, will definitely be somewhere on my Best of 2011 list (still formulating).

Being the last stop of the 40+ date tour across the country, his voice showed some wear – especially on the “right on” part of “Cold Beer and Cigarettes.”  He powered through it, dropping the notes to a more suitable weary-throat range.  His band, made up of Alex Westcoat on drums and Andy Fitts on bass, blistered away with David.  Despite the aforementioned vocal strain, their musical chops were evident last night.

They were driving through the night to make it home to Seattle by sun-up.  If you missed them on this tour, David hinted at a new album being done by March 1st, with it coming out sometime in 2012.  So the chance of more tours in 2012?  High possibility!

The Appropriate Linkage:

This was the last date of the tour… see other dates below.  I’m sure David will be out again in the Spring…

Next show for me… Cellophoria private house concert on 12/18.

~Dan – np: Marketa IrglovaAnar

David Bazan + Band Tour – Fall 2011

11/01 Tue – Spokane WA – A Club
11/02 Wed – Boise ID – Neurolux
11/04 Fri – Colorado Springs – The Black Sheep
11/05 Sat – Lawrence KS – Bottleneck
11/06 Sun – Omaha NE – The Waiting Room
11/07 Mon – Iowa City IA – Blue Moose Taphouse (upstairs)
11/09 Wed – Milwaukee WI – Cactus Club
11/10 Thu – Indianapolis IN – White Rabbit Cabaret
11/11 Fri – Newport KY – Southgate House
11/12 Sat – Grand Rapids MI – Ladies Literary Club
11/13 Sun – Pittsburgh PA – Brillobox
11/14 Mon – Hoboken NJ – Maxwell’s
11/15 Tue – Baltimore MD – Ottobar
11/17 Thu – Charlottesville VA – The Southern
11/18 Fri – Norfolk VA – Jewish Mother
11/19 Sat – Charlotte NC – Evening Muse
11/20 Sun – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
11/21 Mon – Knoxville TN – Pilot Light
11/26 Sat – Athens GA – Caledonia Lounge
11/27 Sun – Nashville TN – Mercy Lounge
11/29 Tue – St Augustine FL – The Original Cafe Eleven
11/30 Wed – Tampa FL – Crowbar
12/01 Thu – Tallahassee FL – Engine Room
12/02 Fri – Oxford MS – Proud Larry’s
12/03 Sat – Memphis TN – Hi Tone
12/04 Sun – Norman OK – Opolis
12/06 Tue – Albuquerque NM – Low Spirits
12/07 Wed – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
12/08 Thu – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
12/09 Fri – Costa Mesa CA – Constellation Room
12/10 Sat – Santa Cruz – Crepe Place
12/11 Sun – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
12/12 Mon – Arcata CA – Jambalaya
12/14 Wed – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage

Derek Webb – Democracy Vol 2 #9

13th Dec 11 (Tue) Leave a comment

One a month, from March to December 2011…

Derek Webb’s Democracy Vol 2… This month, it is “Falling Slowly” by The Swell Season. It starts out not as expected, a little more rough around the edges compared to the original.  I love this song, though – and I think Derek does it justice.

For those not in the know, Democracy Vol 2 is a continuation of the covers project Derek started last year. The fans get to nominate songs and then vote once the nominations are tallied. Here’s what he’s done in 2010 and 2011 to date (you can still go back and buy this volume):

  • January 2010: The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps
  • February: Coldplay – Fix You
  • March: Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’
  • April: Gnarls Barkley – Who’s Gonna Save My Soul
  • May: Sufjan Stevens – Chicago *a personal fave*
  • June: U2 – Where the Streets Have No Name
  • July: Huey Lewis & the News – Power of Love
  • August: The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby *a personal fave*
  • September: Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence
  • October: Radiohead – Karma Police *a personal fave*
  • November: Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah
  • December: Robert Robinson (traditional hymn) – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
  • January 2011: off
  • February: off
  • March: Cee-Lo Green – F**k You *a personal fave*
  • April: Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer
  • May: The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
  • June: U2 – One
  • July: Dallán Forgaill (traditional hymn) – Be Thou My Vision
  • August: Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water
  • September: The Beatles – Revolution *a personal fave*
  • October: Rich Mullins – Creed
  • November: The Swell Season – Falling Slowly

~Dan – np: Childish Gambino Camp

Democracy Vol. 2 is a series of subscription based albums of cover songs that Derek will be recording annually, starting January 2010. Those who participate will not only receive the exclusive album, but will democratically decide what songs Derek will record.

Ever wished you could hear Derek cover your favorite Beatles song? Or Backstreet Boys song? Or even re-record your favorite old Caedmon’s Call song? Here’s your chance. Songs will be nominated and voted down to 10. Derek will record them (demo quality) and deliver them digitally (320kbps MP3s), one song per month for 10 months (March to December). Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unique collaborative project with Derek Webb!

Damien Jurado – Maraqopa (Feb 2012)

16th Nov 11 (Wed) 1 comment

From Secretly Canadian’s blog…

We are so, so excited to tell you that a new Damien Jurado record is going to be released on February 21st! It’s called Maraqopa, and we are sharing the first song with you, “Nothing is the News,” today.

Welcome to Maraqopa population, 2. Damien Jurado’s newest collaboration with producer Richard Swift drops us into a brutal and benevolent landscape. The bold strokes and new turns the pair made with 2010′s Saint Bartlett are taken even further. He throws open the gate on his oft insular dirges and allows them do some real wilding out in the canyon. In Maraqopa, the vistas are miles-wide; the action is more dynamic; the close-ups sweaty and snarling. The strummed desert blues that begin “Nothing is the News” quickly bursts open into an Eddie Hazel-worthy supernova shred session, all of it swirling in tinny-psych and Echoplex’d howls. We’ve never heard anything like this from Jurado.

Read more at the SC blog.  You can pre-order it HERE on CD or vinyl.

Listen to (and download the mp3 for) the lead-off track “Nothing is the News” here:

Maraqopa Tracklisting:
1. Nothing is the News
2. Life Away from the Garden
3. Maraqopa
4. This Time Next Year
5. Reel to Reel
6. Working Titles
7. Everyone a Star
8. So On, Nevada
9. Museum of Flight
10. Mountains Still Asleep

Also announced was a “phone booth” that you can presumably call in and leave Damien a message:

Maraqopa phonebooth (425) 234-7859

This number has been set up for you to call anytime of the day. The distorted sound of a piano will play, and then you leave a message. This is a voice mail service, no human will answer.

I have no idea what the purpose of this phone booth may be… I dare you  to call in an order of take out.

~Dan – np: Causing A TigerHow We Held Our Post

REVIEW: A 3-day string of shows with Peter Mulvey (Eugene & Corvallis, OR – 11/10 to 11/12/11)

13th Nov 11 (Sun) 3 comments

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:

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 RhineThe Long Surrender

PETER MULVEY PHOTOS 11/10 to 11/12/2011

 

REVIEW: Jeffrey Foucault @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – 10/20/11)

21st Oct 11 (Fri) 1 comment

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I’ve been to many shows at Cozmic Pizza in downtown Eugene, but this was my first time in their newly remodeled place.  Great new ordering queue/system, same great beer & pizza, great new stage, great new sound system.  I can’t recommend the new digs enough!!  On to the show…

I got there right after sound check… chatted with some folks, ordered some grub, an settled in for the opener.  Jeffery Martin, from Eugene, played about a half hour set.  His sound fit well with Jeffrey Foucault’s… Jeff #1 had an earthy, folky, Americana storyteller vibe.  He didn’t necessarily “jump out” at me, but many singer-songwriters can bore.  Bottom line: I’d see Jeffery Martin again.  He was solid at his craft.  He’s local; so I’ll most likely get a chance to see him again soon.

Jeffrey Foucault hit the stage shortly after 9.  He had slide guitarist Jay Carter (?) with him for most of the set.  They had just met / played together for the first time at the Seattle show.  Despite their newness, they worked well together.  The set contained a lot of the material (8 songs) from Jeffrey’s latest album, Horse Latitudes (samples via image to the right).  Jeffrey showcased his gritty, superb storytelling in his lyrics and was in a good jokey spirit in between songs.

Foucault’s Setlist: about an hour

  • Last Night I Dreamed of Television
  • Goners Most
  • Starlight and Static
  • Pretty Girl in a Small Town
  • Passerines
  • Horse Latitudes
  • “Statesboro Blues” [Chris Dombrowski poem]
  • Twice I Left Her
  • Mesa, Arizona
  • Sixteen Tons [Merle Travis]
  • The Bluest Blade
  • Idaho
  • Everybody’s Famous
  • Encore: I Won’t Back Down [Tom Petty]

The encore was dedicated to Tom Petty – as his birthday is October 20th.  The only disappointment of the night (well, once the loud couple was told to shut up by a fellow audience member) was that Ryan Adams was playing down the street at the Shedd at the same time as Foucault’s gig.  I actually had a ticket to see Ryan Adams, but when I found out about Jeffery playing, I sold it (the heart wants what the heart wants).  Jeffrey’s audience was a little sparse due to that scheduling coincidence (I think there’s some good crossover between the two artists).

more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

Check Jeffrey’s remaining 2011 tour dates below.

Next show for me… a house show with Gonzalo Bergara Quartet on 10/23 Sunday in Eugene.

~Dan – np: Puscifer Conditions of My Parole

JEFFREY FOUCAULT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2011 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)

Jeffrey Foucault Fall 2011 Tour

  • 10.18.11 Seattle, WA Fremont Abbey With Danny Barnes
  • 10.19.11 Portland, OR The Woods Shelley Short opens
  • 10.20.11 Eugene, OR Cozmic Pizza Jeffery Martin opens
  • 10.21.11 Arcata, CA Arcata Playhouse Rorey Carroll opens
  • 10.24.11 Felton, CA Don Quixote’s International Music
  • 10.25.11 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord Kate Gaffney opens
  • 11.05.11 Fall River, MA Narrows Center for the Arts Support to Rosanne Cash
  • 12.01.11 Portland, ME One Longfellow Square Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
  • 12.02.11 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
  • 12.03.11 Pawtucket, RI Stone Soup Coffeehouse Seven Curses with Mark Erelli
  • 12.08.11 Evanston, IL SPACE
  • 12.13.11 Marshfield, WI Vox Concert Series Hayward Williams opens
%d bloggers like this: