j'ai un question pour toi

Really fun show from Rhett Miller tonight at the High Noon, as always. I took along a couple of friends, but they ended up sitting at a table in back. If you're reading this, guys, what's the point? Oh well; I stood up front and met some new people. Close enough to see some girls pelting the stage with pennies during "Rollerskate Skinny" and Rhett's collosal eye roll in response. Haha.

One surprise was the fact that the first verse and chorus of "Question" were sung ... in French. Apparently Rhett has signed to Universal, and Universal is largely owned by the French, so he recorded an alternate French version of the song. He also joked that it was his way of sticking it to the current administration.

You know, a lot of musicians kiss the ass of whatever city they happen to be in. But Rhett is either sincere in his affection, or he does more ass-kissing research than anyone I've ever known. He was busting at the seams with Madison anecdotes tonight. How he loves coming back to Madtown ... how he was sorry he couldn't stick around for the infamous Halloween here ... how playing a certain song reminds him of playing at the Rathskellar in the mid-90s ... how he was born in Austin but he always thinks of the UW whenever he plays "19" ... how playing "Stoned" (which was great, by the way) reminds him of Club De Wash, and then apologizing for burning it down ... how the scrambler at Mickey's Dairy Bar "will fuck you up" ... how the first time he ever heard the term "sausage party" was at a post-show party here in the early 90s, when the Onion was just starting up and some of the staff members lived in a church near campus (which, by the way, was right by our place on Pinckney) ... how Rhett would sleep on the pool table there, because he was reasonably sure nobody had puked on it or had sex on it ... recently.

He played some new songs, including his duet with Rachael Yamagata, "Fireflies". It sounds quite promising. He sang both parts, informing us that "when I'm a guy, I'll face this way" and "when I'm a girl, I'll face that way". I was thinking, "Heh, cut your hair and that will seem less real." I considered requesting his Jon Brion cover, "I Believe She's Lying," but then I realized ... I'd much rather hear more of Rhett's actual songs anyway. So I didn't. He played two encores, and I got home right at midnight.

And then I discovered that the White Sox failed to comply with my wish for them to lose at least one game of this World Series. Oh well. I'm very sorry I missed it, but yay!