Archive
Nellie McKay in the studio
Jazz-pop songstress Nellie McKay is in the studio working on her follow-up to Normal As Blueberry Pie (the wonderful Doris Day tribute from 2009). This news comes in via a twitter update on May 2nd from studio musician – David Raven (pictured at right).
“recorded today with nellie mckay for her new record… brilliant songwriter.”
As more concrete info about the forthcoming about comes out, I’ll be sure to post it…
REVIEW: Derek Webb & Jennifer Knapp @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 4/27/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

There’s something about songwriters that draw me in. With Derek Webb, I’ve been a long time fan since 1996… ever since first seeing him with his folksy-poppy band Caedmon’s Call. While I dug Caedmon’s a lot as a group, I really enjoyed Derek’s songwriting the most. He seemed to have the more “real life” songs – ones I could relate to the most. His initial departure from the band went OK with me, as he kept making solo music… starting out in the traditional acoustic and then morphing into more rock and even electronic-infused meets acoustic. His last album, 2009’s Stockholm Syndrome, was one of my favorites from last year (#3 to be exact).
Stockholm Syndrome fuses some great keys & beats from fellow Caedmon’s Call member Joshua Moore with Derek’s solid songwriting. Lyrically, Derek tackles many issues that I think are relevant and important to everyone (not just christians) – including, but not limited to, addressing Fred “God Hates F-gs” Phelps from the hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church (“Freddie Please”) to one-side of a superficial relationship with a club beat (“Jena & Jimmy”) to the conflict of a walk of faith and easier route living in the world at large (at least, that’s my take on “The Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum”) to the seemingly-singling out of homosexuality in the church as a major sin (“What Matters More“).
“What Matters More” is a song that resonates with me, as it is a big part of why I eventually left the church. The church’s singling out of one sin over another really hit me as hypocritical, legalistic, and not loving. If this was the god that the bible talked about, I didn’t want to be part of this disease. If this wasn’t god’s view, then I didn’t want to be part of this group of “believers.” Regardless of my personal road that led to a lack of faith and becoming an atheist, I still hold Derek’s music closely, as I think of any christian artist, he seems to “get it.”
Derek going out on tour with Jennifer Knapp ended up being a perfect match (she just “came out” as being in a long-term, committed same-sex relationship). This isn’t shocking to me, and I wish it didn’t even have to be mentioned. Why is someone’s sexuality any of our business? I suppose that in this day and age, especially coming from a christian musician, this “coming out” has to occur to set the record straight that there is nothing wrong with this. I’m happy that she was finally comfortable coming back into making music, touring and coming out to be true to herself. I didn’t know much of her music prior to this show (though she was on my radar back when I was a music buyer at a christian bookstore in the Midwest), but I was equally excited to see her play alongside Derek.

Amy Courts opened the show right at 8pm. She only played about 3 songs, but had a lot of banter (she was up there about 20 minutes). Her banter was quite adorable, and her songs were in a similar acoustic singer-songwriter vein to both Webb & Knapp. Amy had a gentler song in the middle, but her opener and closer showed off her powerful voice. Definitely a good warm up…

Derek Webb went on immediately after Amy. I guess with a bunch of acoustic guitars and no backing bands, it’s easy to stack the artists right after one another.
Prior to the show, I wasn’t sure how the Stockholm Syndrome songs would translate to solo acoustic, and according to Derek – he can only play about half of them on a solo tour. With that being said, he played a good mix of older tunes, newer tunes, and even a brand new Caedmon’s Call song…
Derek’s Setlist: about 50 mins
- Heaven
- A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fear
- New Law
- My Enemies Are Men Like Me
- Freddie, Please
- Nobody Loves Me
- God’s Home Town (new Caedmon’s Call song)
- Wedding Dress
- What Matters More
- American Flag Umbrella
My favorites from his set were the last three, but I enjoyed his set throughout. Derek was fighting some form of sickness, which contributed a little bit to his normal raspiness (which I love). Hopefully he’ll come by soon and be able to be more talkative, as that’s usually where things get interesting. :)

After a short 10-minute break, Jennifer Knapp hit the stage. As mentioned previously, I was not too familiar with her music, but I did recognize one of the tunes early on from my old christian bookstore days – “Whole Again.” I also recognized “Dive In” from her webpage. She definitely had a powerful voice and stage presence. I can totally see her draw… she’s a great performer and has some vocal and guitar chops.
Some of her songs were a bit too “christianeze” for my tastes. Though, she is decidedly less CCM-y than most, and I can definitely appreciate that. :) One funny moment (to me) was her describing how “such and such” song was written a while ago but never put on a record because it didn’t have the right mentioning of “Jesus” and wasn’t as religious, etc – but to me, it definitely seemed religious… I mean, why do christians many times think that songs aren’t religious if they don’t use “god” or Jesus’ name directly? This song’s mentioning being “in need of mercy” (among other things) definitely had a religious bent, if you ask me. Anyway, christians’ perceptions of christian songs gets a chuckle out of me. That’s all. She is enough of a cross-over lyricist where I think she’ll do fine on the Lilith Fair circuit… she’s a powerful woman musician warrior.
I enjoyed just under an hour of Jennifer’s set before heading out back home to Eugene. I did catch a few songs with Amy Court joining her, and I’m sure Derek joined her later in the set (as he has done in the past). All in all, I thought it was an A+ triple singer-songwriter bill. If you have any thoughts on Jennifer’s set or if you have her setlist, please post in the comments.

This was one of the last shows featuring both Derek & Jennifer. Derek Webb will likely be more involved in the Caedmon’s Call album wrap-up in the coming months (I’m hoping they tour with Derek). Jennifer Knapp will be on the Lilith Fair tour in 2010 alongside many other great artists. I’d highly (HIGHLY) recommend Derek’s latest album, Stockholm Syndrome. Also, check out Jennifer’s album, Letting Go, when it drops on May 11th…


many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Derek Webb’s Site
- Derek Webb on MySpace
- Caedmon’s Call’s Site
- Caedmon’s Call on MySpace
- Jennifer Knapp’s Site
- Jennifer Knapp on MySpace
- Amy Courts’ Site
- Amy Courts on MySpace
- Aladdin Theater
~Dan – np: Erin McKeown – Hundreds of Lions 

AMY COURTS, DEREK WEBB
& JENNIFER KNAPP PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: Erin McKeown & Emily Wells @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 4/21/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

(despite these pictures, this show was not a head-scratcher)
Last night, the Mississippi Studios in Portland had a triple-bill tour de force. Almost two and a half hours from three wonderful musicians – violinist indie-rapper Emily Wells, folk-pop songwriter Erin McKeown, and Portland-based singer Timmy Straw. All three were showered us with great music (both old and new)…

Timmy Straw hit the stage late and quickly went into the first number. Timmy’s vocals were gorgeous, in that gristly-yearning kind of way. Songs were mostly haunting piano numbers, but there was some electronic-infusion on a song or two. I picked up Timmy’s equally gorgeous debut CD, 2009’s State Parks. Timmy only had a little banter during the set, playing fairly straight from one to the next (playing about 6 or 7 songs in a half hour). Songs I did catch names for are “Rock of Ages,” “Scoops,” and “Herakles.” I highly recommend State Parks. I think you can only get it at shows at this point (if someone has other info, please pass it along).

Erin McKeown went on around 10 and his us with a lot of gems from her latest album, Hundreds of Lions, out on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. I’d seen her a couple times prior (in Cincinnati), and she was just as adorable and delightfully charming with her stories and music as she can be. My wife noted (and I agree) that Erin has such great stage presence and spark. She’s a ball of joy and it comes through in her songs…
Erin’s Setlist: ~45 mins
- “Manifestra” (new song)
- Cinematic
- Santa Cruz
- You, Sailor
- (Put the Fun Back in) the Funeral
- Queen of Quiet
- Didn’t They
- “Train of Steel” (new song)
- Lullaby in 3/4

Emily went on around 11 and started swinging with her crowd-pleasin’ hip-hop numbers. She employed Doug from the Portland Cello Project during half of her set. I saw her play with the PCP last summer, and it’s what had me sold on her music. She switched between violin and various other toys in her arsenal (toy pianos, drum loops, toy microphones, guitar, ukulele, etc). She relied a lot on looping – which is always fun, as far as I’m concerned. The hour-long Emily Wells “solo/live remix” included some of her Symphonies, her über-fun Notorious B.I.G. cover, as well as some newer songs… oh, and she was sportin’ some bling…
Emily’s Setlist: ~1 hour
- If You Love Me, Really Love Me
- Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun
- Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well & the Requiem Mix
- Juicy (Notorious B.I.G.)
- Mama’s Gonna Give You Love (new song)
- Give Ya Everything (new song)
- Let Your Guard Down (new song)
- The Fire Song (new song)
- Passenger
- Encore: Symphony 9 & the Sunshine
Emily has a new album coming out later this year, and also a project with Dan the Automator called Pillowfight. Check her out on the MySpaces to keep in the loop. We headed back home to Eugene around midnight… tired, but content.


many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Emily Wells on MySpace
- Erin McKeown’s Site
- Erin McKeown on MySpace
- Timmy Straw on MySpace
- Mississippi Studios
~Dan – np: Ozomatli – Fire Away
no download or free torrent mp3 flac available
support music by buying it
EMILY WELLS, ERIN McKEOWN
& TIMMY STRAW PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld and Margaret O’Brien,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Ellery :: This Isn’t Over Yet
Ellery‘s newest album, This Isn’t Over Yet, finally has a release date… June 15th.
1. Where It’s Going (streaming)
2. Happy
3. Oh No
4. What I Need
5. Pieces
6. Lay Your Head Down
7. Blame Me
8. Christopher
9. Someone To Say It To
10. All
11. Ways To Go
If you didn’t do the Ellery Stimulus Package last year, you can pre-order either the digital or the CD version over at Bandcamp.
REVIEW: David Bazan @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – 3/4/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
So, what is there to say about David Bazan that I haven’t already said? Well, not much; so I’ll just recap. In short, he’s a genuine song-writer, an honest thinker, a gentle soul, and a wonderful song-weaver. Since moving to Eugene, I’ve had the opportunity to see him three times… now a fourth. All in a shorter window of time compared to the rare opportunities when I saw him in Ohio.
The show last night was one of the first shows from his Winter/Spring Tour (and the first with opener Headlights). For more tour dates, check out the list at the bottom. At Sam Bond’s Garage, David Bazan isn’t on the same A-frame as a delicious quiche (click for picture from a recent gig), but he does share the venue with some mighty fine pizza and beer.

Headlights were really good. They played about 45 minutes and had some good indie rock / pop songs with nice melodies. They are a traditional four piece (guitar, keys, bass, drums) and swapped lead vocal duties around a bit. Their sound at Sam Bond’s Garage last night was a little too loud, but that’s definitely not the band’s fault. I think Sam Bond’s doesn’t seem to have the acoustics for rock bands (this issue spilled over into David’s set, too). Anyway, Headlights = good. Check ’em out! Here’s the video for their song “Secrets“:

David went on with his band a little after 10pm. His band this time around is Blake Wescott on guitar, Andy Fitts on bas, and Alex Wescoat on drums. The set was filled with songs from his most recent solo album, Curse Your Branches, as well as older material – including a nice collection of Pedro the Lion and Headphones songs. Outsider of the aforementioned curse that Sam Bond’s Garage has on rock bands’ sound, it was a highly enjoyable show. The mix of tunes and passion with which David sings is fun to take in.
Setlist: about 75 minutes
- I Do (Pedro the Lion)
- Transcontinental (Pedro the Lion)
- Man in Me
- Please, Baby, Please
- June 18, 1976 (Pedro the Lion)
- Q&A #1
- When We Fell
- Magazine (Pedro the Lion)
- How I Remember
- When They Really Get To Know You, They Will Run (Pedro the Lion)
- Q&A #2
- Shit Talker (Headphones)
- Harmless Sparks
- Fewer Broken Pieces
- Q&A #3
- Bands With Managers (Pedro the Lion)
- Bad Diary Days (Pedro the Lion)
- Cold Beer and Cigarettes
- I Never Wanted You (Headphones)
- Penetration (Pedro the Lion)
- In Stitches
- No Encore
Personally, ending the show with “In Stitches” is perfect. That song sunk in with me last fall, especially the last verse…
When Job asked you a question,
You responded, “Who are you
to challenge your creator?”
Well if that one part is true
It makes you sound defensive
Like you had not thought it through
Like you didn’t have an answer
Like you bit off more than you could chew
So, yeah, the well documented pivot from religious to questioner to agnostic suits Bazan’s songwriting especially well in my book.

more photos below
SO, if you haven’t gotten it already, go check out his new live in the studio recording from his Fall 2009 band tour. Bazan: Live at Electric Audio is a great recording, and it’s out on CD, vinyl, or digital only (for insane people):

The Appropriate Linkage:
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Bill Frisell – Rambler 

DAVID BAZAN & HEADLIGHTS PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Winter/Spring 2010 Tour Dates
- 03/03/10 Wed – Salem OR – Ike Box
- 03/04/10 Thu – Eugene OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
- 03/05/10 Fri – Sacramento CA – Blue Lamp
- 03/06/10 Sat – Visalia CA – Cellar Door
- 03/07/10 Sun – Santa Barbara CA – Soho
- 03/08/10 Mon – Long Beach CA – Alex’s Bar
- 03/09/10 Tue – Las Vegas NV – Beauty Bar
- 03/10/10 Wed – Phoenix AZ – Sail Inn
- 03/12/10 Fri – Norman OK – The Opolis
- 03/13/10 Sat – Springfield MO – Gallery Sounds
- 03/14/10 Sun – St Louis MO – Old Rock House
- 03/15/10 Mon – Newport KY – Southgate House
- 03/17/10 Wed – Nashville TN – Exit/In
- 03/18/10 Thu – Asheville NC – Grey Eagle
- 03/19/10 Fri – Columbia SC – New Brookland Tavern
- 03/20/10 Sat – Richmond VA – Alley Katz
- 03/21/10 Sun – Baltimore MD – The Ottobar
- 03/22/10 Mon – Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
- 03/23/10 Tue – Brooklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
- 03/27/10 Sat – Grantham PA – Messiah College
- 03/28/10 Sun – Columbus OH – The Summit
- 03/29/10 Mon – Bloomington IN – The Bishop
- 03/30/10 Tue – Grand Rapids MI – Calvin College
- 04/01/10 Thu – Iowa City IA – The Mill
- 04/02/10 Fri – Urbana IL – Canopy Club
- 04/03/10 Sat – DeKalb IL – House Cafe
- 04/04/10 Sun – Milwaukee WI – Pabst
- 04/05/10 Mon – St. Paul MN – Turf Club
- 04/06/10 Tue – Fargo ND – The Aquarium
- 04/08/10 Thu – Missoula MT – The Palace
- 04/09/10 Fri – Spokane WA – Empyrean
- 04/10/10 Sat – Bellingham WA – Western Washington University
REVIEW: Van Dyke Parks with Clare & the Reasons @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 2/10/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Van Dyke Parks is recognized around the world as a musical genius… he’s a brilliant session musician, composer, arranger, lyricist, and singer. He has contributed to many masterpieces (check out his rap sheet). He is most well known for his collaboration with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. While Brian is a prodigiously gifted composer, he was no lyricist, and needed one who could match the daring new music he was devising in his head. The result is their collaboration on the much vaunted SMiLE album.
I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of the Beach Boys. I just don’t care for their music. Well, I connected with Van Dyke Parks via a newer band… Silverchair (VDP did string arrangements for Diorama and Young Modern). Yeah, yeah… if you only knew them from 1995’s “Tomorrow” (from when they were 15 years old)… well, they’ve grown.
Anyway…
Van Dyke Parks rarely ever records or tours, putting at most one or two records per decade. When I heard about the shows via the Clare & the Reasons‘ email, I jumped at the chance of seeing both of these artists on the stage together. I had seen Clare & the Reasons open up for My Brightest Diamond back in Nov 2008, and I loved their French bohemian meets modern indie rock vibe.
There were only four shows slated for this rare double bill tour…
02.09.10 – Seattle, WA Triple Door
02.10.10 – Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
02.12.10 – San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall
02.14.10 – Santa Monica, CA McCabe’s
This was only my second time up to the Mississippi Studios. I really like the intimate setting, even the crazy hovering piano. The last time I was there was for David Bazan in November. For the VDP & Clare show, I’m glad they had chairs down… whew. :)

Opener Josh Mease went on around 9pm and played 6 songs. He had a very gentle singer-songwriter style. His guitarwork was good, but his voice was simply superb (nice lyrics, too). Josh is on Frogstand Records, the same record label as Clare & The Reasons. I dug his own tunes more than the Randy Newman cover. For his last song, Clare & The Reasons came up to play with him…

Josh Mease’s Setlist: about 20 mins
- missing song name
- missing song name
- Marie (Randy Newman cover)
- Days Like This
- Eleanor
- Start Over (with Clare & The Reasons)

Clare & The Reasons stayed up after Josh’s last song and moved some instruments around (and subsequently lost a percussion brush). Off to a great start! :) They joked lightly about it and then… viola, they found it! Their set was a sandwich of Arrow songs, The Movie songs, and more Arrow songs.
Arrow came out late last year, but I didn’t get a chance to pick it up until yesterday. I also picked up Olivier Manchon’s brand new instrumental CD, Orchestre de Chambre Miniature Volume 1, with saxophonist John Ellis, Gregoire Maret (from a Herbie Hancock band), and more string and woodwind players. Check their albums out (click pictures below)…
What I love about the band is not just limited to Clare Manchon’s vocals, but also the wonderful multi-instrumentation from Olivier and the well rounded guitarist and upright bassist. The set was full of great percussion, strings, garbage ukelele, french horn, pizzicato strings, a borrowed saw, acoustic & electric guitars, and sublime vocals. Van Dyke Parks & Josh Mease joined them on stage for their next to last song… (apparently Bill Frisell also joined them on stage up at the Seattle show).

Clare & the Reason’s Setlist: about an hour
- You Got Time
- All the Wine
- Perdue A Paris
- Ooh You Hurt Me So
- Wake Up (You Sleepy Head)
- You Getting Me
- This Is The Story
- Alphabet City
- Pluton
- Pluto
- Our Team Is Grand
- Love Can Be A Crime (with VDP & Josh)
- That’s All (Genesis cover)


Van Dyke Parks came on after a short break. He was seated at the piano and brought The Reasons (sans Clare) as his backing band. They started out with a great instrumental piece. The rest of the songs we heard were poppier tunes with some great instrumentation (as expected). VDP is an amazing pianist and composer. His voice wasn’t superb or sublime, but it fit the songs. I wasn’t familiar with his songs, but of the ones he announced while we were there… Opportunity for Two, Orange Crate Art, and Sail Away.
VDP was also a great banterer in between songs. Usually short, but funny… one of my faves was “my wife thinks that ‘cook’ is a noun.”
We only stayed for half of his scheduled hour-long set (as we had a 2 hour drive back home), but it was a great set of tunes. If anyone has the complete VDP setlist, let me know.

many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Van Dyke Park’s Site
- VDP on MySpace
- A VDP fan’s review of the show on Oregon Live
- Clare & The Reason’s Site
- Clare & The Reason on MySpace
- Josh Mease’s Site
- Josh Mease on MySpace
- Mississippi Studios
~Dan – np: Sade – Soldier of Love

VAN DYKE PARKS, CLARE & the REASONS and JOSH MEASE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Kim Taylor – Little Miracle
Cincinnati artist Kim Taylor just put out her latest full length, Little Miracle (and I mean “just”). It’s digital only at this time (but DRM free)… pick it up via her Nimbit store at http://kim-taylor.net/…
I’ll be picking it up tonight when I get home… and you know what this means? My Top 25 for 2009 is not done (crap – I just finished it yesterday). Eh, it just means my current #25 (U2‘s No Line on the Horizon) is very likely getting bumped.
Support indie music! With Kim Taylor, you can’t go wrong! Srsly.
Derek Webb – Democracy Vol 1
Before I get started… happy birthday, Frank Zappa! Ya hozna!
OK, now on to the music news…
Derek Webb, whose Stockholm Syndrome is seriously gonna rank well in my soon-coming “Best of / Favorite CDs of 2009” list, is doing something new for 2010. He’s going to have a subscription music deal where he digitally releases cover songs each month… and subscribers get to pick the songs. People who bought/buy a limited edition of Stockholm Syndrome over at the DW store got first crack at selections.
I already put in my votes a couple days ago… Chroma Key‘s “Colorblind” (longshot due to obscurity), Tori Amos‘ “Crucify” (that would pwn), and I think jokingly I put Opeth‘s “Blackwater Park” (even more of a longshot) – but I forget if I recanted and switched at the last minute to something else. I’m pulling for a “Crucify” cover by Derek – I think he’d do it justice.
The cover songs will likely be a more stripped down, singer-songwriter style when compared to his 2009 record… but those are his roots and how I first got into him; so I’m stoked. Plus… ya know, if he does Tori Amos’ “Crucify,” I’ll have his babies.
Derek Webb’s “What Matters More” video
{from Stockholm Syndrome}
http://www.derekwebb.com/
new Kim Taylor… soon…

Recently featured on The Ghost Whisperer (a “TV show,” or so say my sources)… Cincinnati singer-songwriter Kim Taylor popped the news on her website yesterday that her follow-up to 2006’s I Feel Like a Fading Light will be out in a few weeks. It’ll be called Little Miracle, produced by Jimi Zhivago, and the first 100 downloaders will get “an added bonus.”
I’m hoping there’s also a physical release (or a repeat of the vinyl / different edition like she did for Fading Light).
REVIEW: My Oregon Weekend with Peter Mulvey (11/7 & 11/8/2009)
FYI… PHOTOS of both SHOWS at the BOTTOM
I’ve been into Peter Mulvey for the past 10 years, right around when The Trouble With Poets came out. I used to be able to see him at least twice a year in Southwest Ohio (Canal Street Tavern, Southgate House, etc). Since moving to Eugene, Oregon, I’ve only had one opportunity. It was a great show, but I needed more… hence the need to drive up to Portland to see him before he hit my hometown the next day. :)
Alberta Street Pub (Saturday in Portland) was packed when I got there. I didn’t know it was an early show and I showed up right when Krista was going on. The venue was long and narrow… most of the seating was church pews (a la Dayton’s Canal Street Tavern). Given that fact, I gladly stood in back (church pews are horrid on my back). The acoustics in the room were good. The light wasn’t all that great… but I still got a few shots that ended up being decent (see below).
Sam Bond’s Garage (Sunday in Eugene) is a place I’ve been to many times. It is also dark; so I usually don’t bring my camera for shows. I was able to get a few shots, though. The plus of SBG for the Peter Mulvey weekend is that it seems more spread out compared to Alberta Street Pub… plus their beer selection is tops (Alberta seemed to have half of theirs socked up/out of stock). So, as far as venue winner… Sam Bond’s. But I’ll definitely hit Alberta again if a show suits me.
Krista Detor played about a 20-30minute set on both nights. She mainly played piano, but also pulled out the accordion for a song of her own (and one of Peter’s). Her songs that I caught in Portland… “Steal Me A Car”, “100 Years More,” “Mudshow,” “Early Grave,” and “Waterline.”
In Eugene, Krista played the same songs except she threw in “All to Do with the Moon” in between “Mudshow” and “Early Grave.”
Peter Mulvey was in a great mood in Portland. He had a shorter set due to a different show going on after him, but he was a graceful and funny as usual. Some of the best parts of the set were his banter in between songs… his bit on Sean Connery had me cracking up. How can someone with a speech impediment be so well known for his speaking roles? It was schplendid. Peter also went off on a riff about Sting that was also pretty funny, surrounding a “wet t-shirt” promo for a recent Saturday Night Live appearance. I think if Peter’s guitar and voice weren’t so grand, he could be a stand-up comedian. :)
He played a lot from his new album, but also a few older tunes and covers. He had some limited edition The Bicycle EPs for sale, and I snagged one for me and a couple friends. He also mentioned that next September (2010) he might bring his bike tour out to Oregon. Yippie! Anyway, here’s what he played on Saturday night…
Setlist (Portland 11/7): about 80 minutes
- If Love Is Not Enough
- Some People
- Kids In The Square
- Here In The Going Going Gone [Greg Brown cover]
- Letter From A Flying Machine
- “Sean Connery”
- Windshield
- The Knuckleball Suite (with Krista Detor)
- Shirt (with KD)
- “Sting SNL”
- Shoulderbirds (You Know Me) (with KD)
- Bears
- Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (And Far Away From Home)
- (I Don’t Know Why) But I Do [Bobby Charles cover]
- Mailman
- Vlad The Astrophysicist
- On A Wing And A Prayer
- Encore: Our Love Is Here To Stay [Nat King Cole cover]
One food-related add-on… close to the Alberta Street Pub was a place called Grilled Cheese Grill. Holy cow… excellent stuff. It does for grilled cheese what Eugene’s Off the Waffle does for waffles. Yummy!
~*~*~*~
Eugene’s set was similar – Peter seemed to be in a pretty great mood. The crowd was much smaller than Portland, but I figured smaller market to pull from and Sunday night were a factor in that. I will say that I’m disappointed in Eugene a lot for not coming out to some great shows (I made my best attempt for last night). We did conjure up a trio of friends to join us, and there were some other definitely Peter Mulvey fans in the crowd – including a couple of teddy bear loving peeps (that was interesting, to say the least). My friendJenny asked me if teddy bears were a theme with Peter’s fans, to which I blurted out, “noooooo.” And then Peter announced the spoken word piece “Bears.” :)
Setlist (Eugene 11/8): about 90 minutes
- I’m Beginning To See The Light [Duke Ellington cover]
- Kids In The Square
- “Time Machine”
- Some People
- Letter From A Flying Machine
- Abilene (The Eisenhower Waltz)
- The Knuckleball Suite (with Krista Detor)
- Shirt (with KD)
- Shoulderbirds (You Know Me) (with KD)
- …Plus The Many Inevitable Fragments / Dynamite Bill
- Bears
- Moonshiner [Uncle Tupelo cover]
- Vlad The Astrophysicist
- On A Wing And A Prayer
- Encore: Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad (And Far Away From Home)
(We also caught a snippet of “Brand New ’64 Dodge” and “A Better Way to Go” in soundcheck.)
All in all, I think the Alberta show was my fave of the two, but both were fantastic. I hope Peter ventures out this way more often. He promised again to head out this way next year – and possibly via bike. It’ll be earlier in the year (September vs November). If you want to check out some of his stuff… his latest record, Letters From a Flying Machine, is excellent. I think it’s his strongest since 2000’s The Trouble with Poets. You can listen to some samples at Petermulvey.com (one free download) or Amazon (samples of all songs):
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Peter Mulvey’s Site
- Peter Mulvey on MySpace
- Krista Detor’s Site
- Krista Detor on MySpace
- Alberta Street Pub
- Shining City Music (promoter for the PDX show, she’s rad!)
- Sam Bond’s Garage
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Galactic Cowboys – Space In Your Face

PETER MULVEY & KRISTA DETOR PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Fall 2009 U.S. Tour Dates
- 11/7 PORTLAND, OR The Alberta Pub
- 11/8 EUGENE, OR Sam Bond’s Garage
- 11/10 ARCATA, CA Arcata Playhouse
- 11/11 BERKELEY, CA Freight & Salvage
- 11/12 FELTON, CA Don Quixote’s
- 11/13 SANTA MONICA, CA McCabe’s
- 11/14 SAN DIEGO, CA AcousticMusicSanDiego
- 11/20 BURLINGTON, VT UVM Recital Hall
- 11/21 FRAMINGHAM, MA Amazing Things Arts Center
- 12/1-2 FAIRBANKS, AK College Coffeehouse
- 12/3 TOK, AK Fast Eddy’s
- 12/4 TALKEEKTNA, AK Whole Wheat Radio
- 12/5 ANCHORAGE, AK Snow Goose Theatre
- 12/6 PALMER, AK Vagabond Blues
- 12/8 KODIAK, AK The Golden Anchor
- 12/10 CARBONDALE, CO Steve’s Guitars
- 12/11 DENVER, CO Swallow Hill
- 12/12 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO Friends House Concert
- 12/13 FORT COLLINS, CO Avogadro’s Number
- 12/15-19 FORT ATKINSON, WI Cafe Carpe
REVIEW: David Bazan Band @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 11/6/09)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

So, last night’s show could have been presented by “Keep Portland Beard.” Every member of both bands sported beards (which, to be fair, had some dual members). I think beards and indie rock are like eye shadow and goth. Except at least the women of indie rock don’t have beards (not that I know of at least).
I drove by the venue around “doors” time… and the line was part way down the block. Yikes. As I parked my car and walked to the venue, I spotted David Bazan and some of his posse hanging out by the nearby burrito cart. He was on his mobile; so I opted not to bug him.
After a delicious hummus plate washed down by a McTarnahan’s Amber, SAY HI started… I found my seat at the awesomely cozy Mississippi Studios.
Say Hi is a trio, and they played what I’d call “power pop indie rock.” I mean, that’s my best explanation… very catchy, hooky – yet retaining that gristle and DIY charm of a touring group of guys. While Say Hi didn’t have the one-two writing & vocal punch of Neil Gust & Elliott Smith’s Heatmiser, I think Heatmiser is my closest comparison to Say Hi. Great pop songs in a rock setting, definitely enjoyable. They played about 40 minutes and, unfortunately, it flew by. But… they’re from Seattle; so they’re totally on my “auto notify” Pollstar radar now.
After a very short set break (5 minutes, maybe)… David Bazan (plus band) hit the stage…
The first time I saw David Bazan (December 2003 with Over the Rhine) was the only time I’ve seen him with a “band.” Even that time, it was a stripped down Pedro the Lion set with just David and T.W. Walsh (drummer). The singer of Say Hi joined David on guitar, the Say Hi bassist traded bass duties for guitar / keyboards / percussion. Blake Wescott joined on guitar, there was a new drummer, and David took care of bass (and guitar during the encore).
The set was a heavy David Bazan “solo albums” set, as expected. I’ve really been digging his latest album, Curse Your Branches; so I picked it up on vinyl last night. Most of the set was CYB stuff and Fewer Moving Parts material. He did throw in a few expected Pedro the Lions and Headphones songs as well…
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- Hard To Be
- Please, Baby, Please
- I Do (Pedro the Lion tune)
- Bless This Mess
- Q&A #1
- I Never Wanted You (Headphones tune)
- Magazine (Pedro the Lion tune)
- Heavy Breath
- Q&A #2
- Cold Beer And Cigarettes
- When We Fell
- Lost My Shape
- Curse Your Branches
- Q&A #3
- Fewer Broken Pieces (aka Fewer Moving Parts)
- Bearing Witness
- Q&A #4
- Keep Swinging (Pedro the Lion tune)
- How I Remember
- In Stitches
- Encore (David solo): Priests and Paramedics (Pedro the Lion tune)
- Will You Still Love Me In December (Julie Doiran cover)
- Q&A #5
- Harmless Sparks
Best David Bazan line of the night… “Infants are necessary, but they’re kinda bullshit.”
I loved David with a band. I think the highlight of the night for me, though, was Say Hi. I usually don’t expect to like an opener, and I like being pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have enough coin to get some Say Hi music last night, but I plan to in the near future.
Another highlight… David’s Q&A sessions are also usually a fun aspect of his shows – it really makes a Bazan show more personal and intimate. Most of the questions surrounded his recent “coming out” as an atheist-leaning agnostic after many years in the Christian indie rock scene. I always loved his candor and questioning of things in religion, even when he considered himself to be a Christian and I had moved out of that camp. I, honestly, don’t think his lyrical themes changed all that much. His Q&A answers last night were more along the lines around around tolerance, regardless of religious beliefs or non-beliefs. Personally, I’m glad to have him in the more doubtful camp. However, above that, I’m glad that he’s not trying to be divisive with things like faith and his “falling from faith.” We should move towards being different than the prior generations who don’t know tolerance.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- David Bazan’s Site
- David Bazan on MySpace
- Pedro the Lion on MySpace
- Say Hi’s Site
- Say Hi on MySpace
- BrooklynVegan’s NYC 10/18 Review
- Fan videos from the Chicago show: video #1 – video #2
- Mississippi Studios
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Lowell Brams, Sufjan Stevens & Bryce Dessner – Library Catalog Music Series: Music for Insomnia

DAVID BAZAN & SAY HI PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Recent/Upcoming Tour Dates
- 10/01 – San Francisco CA – Independent
- 10/02 – Costa Mesa CA – Detroit Bar
- 10/03 – San Diego CA – Casbah
- 10/04 – Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
- 10/05 – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
- 10/07 – Austin TX – Mohawk
- 10/08 – Denton TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
- 10/09 – Memphis TN – Hi-Tone Café
- 10/10 – Murray KY – Lovett Auditorium / Murray State
- 10/11 – Birmingham AL – Bottletree
- 10/13 – Orlando FL – The Social
- 10/14 – Atlanta GA – Drunken Unicorn
- 10/15 – Chapel Hill NC – Cat’s Cradle
- 10/16 – Washington DC – Black Cat
- 10/17 – Philadelphia PA – Kung Fu Necktie
- 10/18 – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom
- 10/20 – Cambridge MA – TT the Bear’s +
- 10/21 – Montreal QC – Il Motore
- 10/22 – Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
- 10/23 – Pontiac MI – Pike Room
- 10/24 – Chicago IL – TBA
- 10/25 – Champaign IL – Highdive
- 10/27 – Madison WI High – Noon Saloon
- 10/28 – Minneapolis MN – Turf Club
- 10/29 – Iowa City IA – The Picador
- 10/30 – Lawrence KS – Jackpot Saloon
- 10/31 – Omaha NE – Slowdown
- 11/01 – Denver CO – Hi Dive
- 11/02 – Salt Lake City UT – Kilby Court
- 11/05 – Vancouver BC – Media Club
- 11/06 – Portland OR – Mississippi Studios
- 11/07 – Seattle WA – Neumos
House Shows - 12/9 – Detroit, MI – 8pm – tickets available on db.com
- 12/10 – Cleveland, OH – 8pm – tickets available
- 12/11 – Columbus, OH – 8pm – SOLD OUT
- 12/12 – Indianapolis, IN – 5pm – tickets available
- 12/12 – Indianapolis, IN – 8pm – SOLD OUT
- 12/13 – New Haven, IN – 5pm – tickets available
- 12/13 – Ft. Wayne, IN – 8pm – SOLD OUT
- 12/14 – Goshen, IN – 8pm – SOLD OUT
- 12/15 – Lansing, MI – 8pm – tickets available
REVIEW: Aimee Mann @ Aladdin (Portland, OR – 10/6/09)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

I got into Aimee Mann after several promptings by my friend Bruce, and then eventually via her quite powerful role in the P.T. Anderson movie, Magnolia (1999). Her spot in that movie and her pervasiveness on that soundtrack made me pay attention. I’ve stuck with her through some great albums, including a doozy of holiday album (but I don’t blame her, I blame the general holiday music content). Her albums are always pretty damn consistent… consistently good. I just never got the chance to see her until now. I happened to be up in Portland for work; so I naturally found my way to the venue. :)
I really like the Aladdin Theater… it’s a classy theater, and every show I’ve seen here has been great (Jude and Yael Naim), and I plan on hitting the Aladdin at least 2 or three more times this year (Múm, the Swell Season, and maybe Stryper… but mainly for the humor aspect of that show).
The opener was Nick Lowe, who I didn’t know. Apparently I knew some of his songs, specifically “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding” (he wrote for Elvis Costello, and I’ve heard the A Perfect Circle version). Nick played about 50 minutes, and probably 15 songs. He had some very good, short pop songs. I can see why people like him. I mean, he kinda blended into the background to me, but he had a charm and lyricism that I can admire.
Aimee Mann came on around 9:20pm with two keyboardists. Throughout the set, they both swapped around many instruments… mainly keys, but also guitar, shakers, drums, recorder. She played a short 40 minute pre-determined set before breaking out into the audience request portion of the show…
Setlist: 2 hours
- The Moth
- Nightmare Girl
- Momentum *a fave of the night*
- Build That Wall
- Par For The Course
- Amateur *a fave of the night*
- This Is How It Goes
- Wise Up *a fave of the night*
- Save Me [false start – see comments below]
——————— - Real Bad News [start to the audience requests]
- Long Shot
- Looking For Nothing
- Freeway *a fave of the night*
- Jacob Marley’s Chain
- 4th Of July
- Mr. Harris
- Video *a fave of the night*
- Ghost World
- You Could Make A Killing *a fave of the night*
- Red Vines
- Invisible Ink
- Susan
- One (Harry Nilsson cover)
- Encore: Save Me *a fave of the night*
- Voices Carry
So, the first attempt at “Save Me” got an odd response from a few ladies… almost like the cheering as you’re going up a rollercoaster. Aimee pointed that out and countered it with how depressing and co-dependent-y the song was. Then she went into some really depressing (but funny) new lyrics for the song… which led into the giggles; so she couldn’t even finish the real version of the song. She came back to it later for the encore.
Aimee was really fun… much more fun than I thought she’d be. I mean, her songs really meander on the line of depressed, melancholic disappointment; however, she was quite bubbly, and giddy in spots. Her three-piece band really worked well together in a pinch. Great, long show… check her out if she swings by!!! She’s only a short West Coast tour this fall; see the remaining handful of dates below…
The Appropriate Linkage:
~Dan – np: Finger Eleven – Finger Eleven
Aimee Mann West Coast Tour 2009
- 10/2/09 UC Santa Barbara CA
- 10/3/09 Santa Cruz, CA Rio Theatre
- 10/4/09 San Francisco, CA Hardly Strictly Bluegrass FREE
- 10/6/09 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater …with Nick Lowe
- 10/7/09 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre with Nick Lowe
- 10/8/09 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
- 10/10/09 Coeur D’Alene, ID The Kroc Center
- 10/11/09 Boise, ID EgyptianTheatre with Fountains of Wayne
- 10/12/09 Salt Lake City, UT The State Room with Fountains of Wayne
- 10/14/09 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater with Fountains of Wayne
- 10/16/09 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern with Fountains of Wayne
AIMEE MANN & NICK LOWE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Higher Resolution (7 pics)
Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (24 Aimee pics, 6 Nick pics)











































































































































































































































































































