Baby's got a new friend

Between overnight hospital shifts and a string of evenings out that promises to continue through Friday, I've been keeping some odd hours lately. Luckily this schedule fits right in with weeknight concerts, so on Thursday I caught Kraig Johnson at the High Noon Saloon. I mean, Joseph Arthur! I saw Joseph Arthur at the High Noon, with his band the Lonely Astronauts.

I was tipped to the show last week by Uyen, who alerted me that Kraig was touring with Joseph Arthur, and they would be playing Madison. I am mostly unfamiliar with Joseph Arthur (I have one of his songs from a few years back, but that's it) - however, I'm a longtime fan of Kraig and his various bands, so that was impetus enough for me to check out a show in town.

Once again, I'm glad I did. The crowd was kind of sparse for a Thursday night, but I didn't mind the breathing room, and the Lonely Astronauts definitely know how to rock. I was somewhat surprised by that, though I shouldn't have been. But in my extremely limited Joseph Arthur knowledge I'd always had a vague notion of him as a singer/songwriter/acoustic guitar kind of performer. One look at his Flying V and giant sunglasses altered my show expectations pretty quickly, though.

I can't give a very coherent review of the set, since I knew none of the songs beforehand. But I got the impression it was pretty heavy on songs from the band's most recent album, and they also played a few new songs that aren't on any album yet. "Sunrise Doll" was one of those, I believe. I really enjoyed the energy of the songs, and the band sounded great. Before the encore, Joseph did come out and play a few songs by himself. One was a crowd request for "Even Tho," which he claimed at first not to remember - but he did. One of the last songs the band played was actually a song of Kraig's, with Kraig taking the lead on vocals. It's on the setlist (I swiped Kraig's after the show) as "I Will Carry." Very pretty.

This marks the second time in the past month or two that I've really enjoyed a show I hadn't planned on seeing until a friend suggested it. Keep the recommendations coming, guys!

And granted for their pleasure...

Friday night at the Orpheum, the Decemberists played "The Tain" and Chris Funk brought up the Bristol Renaissance Faire. That's my headline version of the evening - if my imaginary newspaper only had room for one sentence about the show, that would be it. Because really, what other ingredients do you need for awesomeness?

Okay, some other stuff happened too. My Brightest Diamond opened the show. I was completely unfamiliar with Shara Worden and her band, but came away impressed with what I heard. The songs managed to be pretty while rocking at the same time. I thought some of the material reminded me a bit of early U2 - that is, if Bono were a breathy-voiced woman and could actually play guitar.

The Decemberists came out shortly after 9:00 and started things off with "The Crane Wife 1." I'm used to Decemberists shows being pretty short, and I honestly don't think they played a ton of songs this time either - but the show managed to clock in at nearly two hours, which in my Decemberists memory is unusual. Then again, they played all three parts of the "The Island," "The Mariner's Revenge Song" (I always forget how much more fun that is live than on the record - John Moen doing the whole thing blindfolded was a nice touch) and oh yeah, THE TAIN. Did I mention they played "The Tain?" I seem to recall seeing them do it live once before, but to be honest, I could just be making that up because I know I've wanted to see it. Anyway, it was a treat. Colin is a lot of fun to watch on the drums.

The last time the band played the Orpheum, Colin invited a bunch of fans onstage. He mentioned that incident, joking that the crowd actually "bum rushed" the stage and he definitely had no part in it. More comments were made about the height of the stage, too - I think joking about the stage height might be in the contract bands sign to play the Orpheum. Unlike the show I saw late last year in Chicago, no theatrical scenes were acted out in the audience. Colin did once again pit sections of the crowd against each other for duelling "la di da's" at the end of "16 Military Wives," though, and he organized a brief dance competition at the front of the crowd. I can understand why some people think Decemberists shows can be too gimmicky or theatrical, but I enjoy that aspect. They are performers, and the majority of the audience - especially the kids in front - eat it up. That's part of what a Decemberists show is, and everyone should really know it by now.

And yes, I did just refer to the "kids" up front. Good Lord, Decemberists shows make me feel old.

I interview ... Gina

So, I've decided that as a recurring blog thing I will put up "interviews" with various random people. I have also randomly decided that I will ask each person as many questions as they have letters in their first name, and that I'll try to keep at least one question the same for everyone. I have further decided that any of these decisions may change at any moment. I'm not promising anything deep or probing or wildly informative. Quite the contrary, probably. (If anyone has good future question ideas, feel free to suggest them.)

First up ...

Name: Gina
Location: Chicago
Age: 25
Interview date: 4/3/07

1. What is the most satisfying thing you've done today?

Eat a vanilla cupcake with a crapload of frosting.

2. What's a song that you associate with your childhood, and why?

"Leavin' on a Jet Plane" as sung by Peter, Paul and Mary, because my mom used to sing it to me when I was little.

3. You spent half of last year in Dublin. What's one thing you didn't get a chance to do, that you wish you had?

Stay and/or have tea at the Clarence Hotel.

4. Would you please compose a haiku about penguins and type it here?

Cutely you waddle
Sleek creature of the arctic
It's fun to watch you

Mice in heaven

Last Thursday was the opening night of the Wisconsin Film Festival. I saw Chalk with some friends, and really enjoyed it. It's a mostly-improvised mockumentary centering around high school teachers. A Q&A with the filmmakers followed - apparently the film has been making the festival rounds for the past year or so, but it's opening in eight cities in May. If it comes to a city near you, it's worth checking out.

I saw three of my nephews for Sunday dinner today. An actual conversation I had with one of the recently-four-year-old twins:

"I climbed on the side of the chair, and Grandma saw me! She won't let me climb behind the TV, either. But if she's in the kitchen, she can't see me!"

(I tell him there are too many wires behind the TV.)

"Yeah, but I could go back there anyway! You know what? There's a mouse trap under our TV at home. I touched it."

(I ask what would happen if it snapped shut on his finger. Note - I don't actually think it's that kind of mouse trap.)

"But I wouldn't get hurt, because I saw Tom and Jerry and a mouse trap snapped shut on Tom's tail and he didn't get hurt!"

(I point out that he is a cartoon and not a kid.)

"Yes, but I still touched it. I would hide behind the TV here, and I might get stuck in the wires, and then Grandma would get mad and she wouldn't pull me out. I would have to stay there forever, and I wouldn't get to eat lunch here ever again. I wouldn't get to eat any pickles, and I wanted a lot of pickles."

(I suggest they might toss him some food behind the TV.)

"But Grandma wouldn't be able to see me! Except for my foot. My foot would be sticking out, and she would see it. And I would find a mouse trap, and it would shut on my hand, and then the mice would run up my finger like this. A mouse would run into my ear! I would have mice in my ears and in my head. And then the mice would be everywhere. Mice eat everything. They would eat all the walls of the house and we would have to sleep outside in a tent. And then they would eat us and we would all die, and Great Grandpa would meet us and take us up to heaven."

(I inquire as to whether there would be mice in heaven.)

"No! I mean, yes, and we would eat the mice in heaven! We would eat them up and that would make us come back to life. And then we would go back to our house. And then the bad dragon from Shrek would throw bombs at our house and blow us up! Shrek the Third is a funny movie, and we're going to see it this summer. We will see it at the movie theater, on a giant screen! We will be big too!"

(He picks up a framed photo he brought from home, of himself and his brothers as babies in front of the Christmas tree.)

"I'm making a story. I'm making a story, and here's how it's going to end. All of us babies were in a movie, on the giant screen like Shrek, and then we fell out of the screen and here we are in the frame, and that's the end! No, and then at the top of this Christmas tree are words that say THE END and they will light up like a star, and that's the end! And then the names come on the screen."

Kids are awesome.

Holding out for that teenage feeling

On Monday night it was time to put my concert shoes back on (okay, that's a lie; I don't have concert shoes) for Neko Case at the Barrymore. The first and only time I saw her was also at the Barrymore, two years ago, so I was excited.

The night began with Jon Rauhouse and his band, bringing in Kelly Hogan on vocals for a few of the songs. I love Kelly, and somehow it hadn't penetrated my consciousness that she was on tour with Neko, so it was a very nice surprise. The opening set was great - Jon and the band were obviously enjoying themselves. The Perry Mason theme was a highlight, as were the Johnny Mercer tunes. (Well, one was "half" Johnny Mercer.)

After some fun girl-centric cartoon and projector work, Neko took the stage. The band started things off with "A Widow's Toast," which sounded lovely as Neko and Kelly's voices intertwined. The majority of the set was taken from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, which was fine by me. Some older favorites were also played, including the lovely "I Wish I Was the Moon Tonight," and Dylan's "Buckets of Rain." Kelly and Neko also had a running joke about how they're trying to conceive puppies, and Neko is going to carry them. (Kelly's dog Augie was chilling backstage.)

Each individual song was a strong performance, but the problem, for me, was that each song felt like a separate performance. The show just didn't seem to flow very well - between every song there was a break and near-silence while instruments were switched and tuned. Kelly, Jon, and Neko sometimes filled in with banter, but though it was very funny, it felt a little forced. My favorite song of the night was "Dirty Knife" - it was mesmerizing live. "Star Witness" was also lovely. I couldn't shake the feeling, though, that for some of the set I could have just been listening to my albums at home. Neko's voice soared flawlessly, but I found myself wishing for a flaw.

Last time I saw Neko, I was very impressed. Monday night, I was still impressed - it's hard not to be blown away by that voice - but I wasn't quite feeling it in the same way. Which is a shame, because I adore Neko's music. It was a good show, but it lacked that indefinable quality a great live show should have - a connection that wasn't fully made. Maybe it was an off night, or maybe I'm the only one who thought so. Either way, I look forward to seeing Neko again and having her change my mind.

If you feel like singing a song

Thanks to Good Friday I was sprung from work at noon. What better way to commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus than heading down to Chicago to see Jeff Tweedy play a benefit for Youth Scholarships at the Vic?

Despite Susan saying it would be like seeing a show in “a very large living room,” I didn’t have any particular expectations for the evening. Aside from the probability that I would freeze my face off in line outside, given the frigid wind chill. With the front and center sections reserved for folks who purchased tickets through the school, and the comparatively unusual crowd makeup, it promised to be interesting.

Early indications pointed to that being the case. Susan emerged from the Vic before the show to take song requests from people in line, an unorthodox and very cool move. I’m pretty good at drawing a blank in these situations, but lately I’ve had “Less Than You Think” on the brain. After seeing our first Jeff Tweedy show more than four years ago (also at the Vic) and being blown away, Gina and I sought advice on what albums or songs to acquire next. One friend told us there were some amazing new songs we should hear – specifically one called “Less Than You Think.” He told us where to download a spare version from a radio show, and I fell in love with it. The song had evolved by the time it appeared on A Ghost Is Born the following year, but I can remember how that very first exposure to the song made me feel – and realized I’d love to hear another simple rendition. So I put in that request (not knowing whether it was something Jeff was likely to play by himself) – and he did in fact play it that night, along with almost all of the other fan requests. I’m very glad he did.

The show, as it turned out, was largely based on those requests. Requests and voices. Between impressions of German journalists, Spanish talk show hosts, and a few others more difficult to categorize, Paul and I kept wondering if Jeff was channeling Mike Myers. Whatever inspired the night’s material, it was hilarious. The fact that many teachers from his kids’ school were in the crowd also led to some amusing moments.

Jeff ended up playing about thirty songs. Among them were “The Auld Triangle” and “Love and Mercy,” both of which fall under my “never expected to hear” heading. “Pot Kettle Black” is something I (and countless others) had been wanting to hear again for years. When Jeff caved and played it at his last living room show this year, I hoped it was just a matter of time – and sure enough, he honored a request for it on Friday. At last! The show also marked the first time “You Are My Face” was performed in public, and it sounded terrific. For a musician who plays so many shows for charity, Jeff continues to impress by going the extra mile (or ten) for all of them, making every one a memorable experience - more than worthwhile even if the proceeds weren’t going to a good cause. He and Susan are pretty amazing people.

Butter Lamb

I was going to start something else tonight, but then I remembered that a year ago I made a promise to you people. Never let it be said that I don't follow through on my promises. Though sometimes, as in this case, it would probably be better for all concerned if I didn't.

As a special holiday treat, I present to you a new Easter song to be sung alongside such classics as "Easter Parade" and "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." Based on Pearl Jam's "Better Man" ...

BUTTER LAMB

Racin', watchin' the clock
It’s one o’clock
She’s in the shop
Easter, guests await
The meal is incomplete
As she runs up the aisles, fears they’re sold out
May need to go home and get the mold out

She sees the baskets with purple trim
But can’t find a butter lamb
Big chocolate bunnies, small chocolate eggs
Can’t find a butter lamb
Can’t find a butter lamb
Can’t find a butter lamb

Ohh...
Walking back and forth
The other shoppers move so slow
She tells herself, oh

Memories of past years she can recall
The jaunty butter lamb that
Pleased them all
She should’ve just given the store a call

She finds the Peeps in the candy bin
Can’t find a butter lamb
Some hot cross buns and some loaves of bread
Can’t find a butter lamb
Can’t find a butter lamb (2x)

Yeah…

They’re all gone, yeah
She don’t want to leave this way
‘Til next year, yeah
That’s when she’ll be back again
Cant find a butter lamb
Can't find a butter lamb
Can't find a butter lamb
Can't find a butter lamb


Personally, I think this woman has some serious issues. Happy Easter!


Also see last summer's Ramones-inspired hit, "Freezy Pops"