And when you believed, they call it rock and roll

On Saturday we slept in as long as we could. We took advantage of Evonne's hospitality to loiter over fresh fruit and showers, eventually mobilizing for an excellent late brunch at Millie's. From there it was on to Intelligentsia for a coffee boost before hitting the road for north San Diego.

Why were we headed to Solana Beach? Well, Britt Daniel had announced an early show at the Belly Up Tavern just days before. So why wouldn't we be headed to Solana Beach? (I so love that I have an entire group of friends who share this attitude.)

I saw Britt Daniel sit in for a few songs with Jon Brion on New Years Eve in Chicago. Aside from that, I hadn't seen him since my first and only Spoon show: at the tiny Annex in Madison back in 2003. We made good time down Interstate 5, reaching Solana Beach in time for some pre-show gelato in the late afternoon sun. Upon entering the Belly Up Tavern, I was immediately struck by how much I liked the space. It reminded me a bit of the High Noon Saloon; the type of place you'd be glad to have in your city. Anya Marina (yes, there was even an opener for the early show) was just beginning, and we caught most of her set. Britt followed in short order, playing many of the songs I know best from the three latest albums, I was happy to note, as well as some new songs. He was good natured and friendly onstage throughout, and dealt well with some rather obnoxious and intoxicated fans. I got the impression he was used to it. Last time I saw Spoon, their most recent album was Kill the Moonlight, so there were many songs I'd never heard live. Of those, the one that really blew me away was "The Beast and Dragon Adored." I'm a fan of the song to begin with, but I absolutely loved the version Britt played on Saturday.

Britt finished up right at 8:00. Time for dinner and drinks and hanging out at the beach while the last of the daylight faded? Perhaps you know us too well by now to be fooled by that idea. No. Time to get in the car and motor back up to Los Angeles for the last Saturday night show at Largo on Fairfax: Paul F. Tompkins!

Traffic was not a problem, and we were parking at Melrose and Fairfax by 10:00. The show had begun, and we could see from the sign on the door that it was sold out. A quick look around when we stepped inside confirmed that Largo was packed to the gills. By the grace of God, Mike, and Flanny, however, we were admitted and seated in one of the only free areas: the floor directly in front of the stage. That was something.

The show itself was something, too. Paul F. Tompkins was hilarious, and brought up a number of special guests in traditional Largo style. Among them were many familiar faces from the night before: Fiona Apple, Sara and Sean Watkins, Benmont Tench, and Jon Brion to name a few. There was music, including a song Fiona had written about Largo. (My favorite line: "When Mr. Tench is on the bench, I want to be the piano.") Paul F. Tompkins talked a lot about Largo on Fairfax again, but he also talked about how great Largo at the Coronet will be. (Summer gelato in the courtyard has been promised by Flanny.) The mood was decidedly more upbeat on Saturday than it had been on Friday. As PFT said, "Last night was the wake. Tonight is like the baby shower!" The musical collective also played a rousing cover of "Nightclub" by the Old 97's. I enjoyed that very much.

And so, my true last night at Largo on Fairfax came to a close. Paul has mentioned a similar sentiment, but I feel blessed to have had the chance to become even a tiny part of that universe; as a repeat spectator, if nothing else. Such a wonderful community has grown up around Flanagan's place, and I hope - and believe - that the same spirit will carry over to Largo at the Coronet.



Also check out:
A review of Friday night's show from Variety
Fiona's Largo song on Youtube

It's all around you

Nine days in California went by far too quickly. For the most part they were a blur of activity. I did far too many things to do them justice in a single entry, in fact. I'll break this up, then, into two parts. This one is Saturday through Friday; the next one will be the following Saturday. We had a very busy Saturday. Uyen does detailed and reader-friendly show accounts way better than I could ever hope to, so I don't need to worry about the chronicling aspect. That frees me up, then, to ramble at my leisure.

The night I arrived, 4/26, was Jon Brion's last official show at Largo on Fairfax. I joined Paul, Evonne, U, and Heidi - the latter of whom had seen Jon the night before as well. A special show had been announced for the following Friday, which would be the true final JB date, but Saturday was the last show done in Jon's usual manner. I was thrilled as always to hear "Knock Yourself Out" - probably my favorite Jon song. "This is Where I Belong" seemed to have particular significance that night, too. In fact, everything took on a special significance. My last Largo salad! The last time I'd see Mike tease U by calling her over to her table from across the room! The last time the music would be turned up in small increments to almost painfully high levels before the show began! Come to think of it, they could do that at the Coronet too.

Sunday it was back to San Francisco with Uyen, and then Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks on Sunday night. Seeing Malkmus and the Jicks at the Fillmore was an unexpected treat. I guess I technically saw them open for Radiohead once, but that experience was marred by distraction and late arrival, so I barely remember it. I found them thoroughly entertaining this time. Stephen seemed relaxed and engaging, the songs were excellent, and it was nice to see Janet Weiss on drums. I can also understand why Live Nation wanted to brand the Fillmore and deploy it in multiple markets, but having now visited the original I just hate them for it all the more.

Then, work. Palo Alto is very pretty - what I saw of it, anyway. I still swoon a little when I see lots of palm trees, no matter how many times I visit California. I was originally supposed to fly home on Thursday morning. The last-minute confirmation of Jon Brion's final final show on Fairfax for Friday, however, wouldn't stop gnawing at the back of my mind. Far from satisfying me, being back in the Largo world just made me more eager to go again while I still could. I was already in California, after all! Luckily the planning worked out, I took an extra work shift, and found myself at Largo once more for its final weekend on Fairfax with Uyen, Paul, and Evonne.

This is the part where I talk about the show, but there's no way I can do it justice. Mike's variation of his usual speech before the doors opened was an indication of things to come: "No cameras, no cell phones, no crying." Two of those rules would be broken before the night was through. And from the time the first person hit the stage, we could tell it would be a hell of a night. Bobb Bruno, in full costume, played a Jon montage. Dave "Gruber" Allen related the hundred-year history of Largo on Fairfax, involving Jon's great uncle Jelly Roll Brion, and the great immigration of the Finnigan family from Ireland. A "supergroup" consisting of Dave, Griffy, "JB" on bass, and Flanny himself on brass entertained us with music and haikus about red Miatas. The camera ban was lifted just long enough to snap some pictures of the aftermath. Flight of the Conchords took the stage and played two hilarious songs. And all that was just the opener.

The rest of the night was a whirlwind of music, comedy, "magic," roast-style Largo stories, and special guests. Through it all, the significance of this particular Friday was never far from the surface. Jon played right through his usual break between sets. Around 1:30, when Sean and Sara Watkins were onstage with Gabe Wicher, Jon instructed them to play a song while he went to the back and watched. They played "Say Darling Say" and were then joined by Benmont and Paul Bryan for two of Jon's songs, "Trouble" and "Same Mistakes," while Jon remained a spectator near the kitchen doors.

When he returned to the stage as the others left, he remarked that in twelve years he'd never gotten a chance to watch one of the Friday night shows. "And it's pretty fucking great!" As he took up his guitar, Jon introduced the next song. "Flanny just suggested I do this one alone, and I had been thinking of doing it too ... so that shows it signifies something." He proceeded to play "Waterloo Sunset;" just Jon and the guitar on the old Largo stage, in the familiar room, dark with its islands of candle light on each little table, silent except for the clinking of glasses and bottles from the staff at the bar. And as I idly glanced down at my watch, I saw with a jolt that it was a little past 2:00 a.m. And I realized, oh fuck, this was really it.

But it wasn't; not quite. As the final note of "Waterloo Sunset" faded away, the applause began. People stood up, the din swelled, and Jon put down his guitar and attempted to collect himself for some final words. I wish I could remember more of what he said, but what I really remember is how he said it. It was a short speech; choked and emotional and sometimes hard to understand through the tears. It was about how much this place meant to everyone. Jon left the stage and headed back through the kitchen doors, and the audience kept up the standing ovation as "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House played over the house speakers. Soon Jon emerged, dragging a stilll-weeping Flanny out from the back, and pushing him toward the stage. They embraced, Flanny picked up a guitar, and Jon sat at the piano, remarking that we would be so pissed at Flanagan after this for never having played it before. A spare, gorgeous "All is Full of Love" followed, with Flanny on vocals. And that was really it.

But it wasn't the last time I'd set foot in Largo on Fairfax. As I said, we had a very busy Saturday.

I feel fine

Happy New Year! I spent Monday night with Jon Brion and friends (mine and his) at the Harris Theater in Chicago. The show was fun, although the lines at the open bar were such that some of us only managed to get through for drinks once. Apparently other people in the crowd were more successful, judging from the general drunken chatter and embarrassing behavior from many of those around us. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the show. Jon was engaging, and requested multiple crowd singalongs. We were happy to give it our best - "Bohemian Rhapsody" was belted out with gusto, but I think we were most successful with the closer of "God Only Knows." Britt Daniel showing up to play a few songs at the start of the evening was a very nice surprise - unexpected because Spoon was headlining a New Years show of their own at Metro. The Autumn Defense was also on board to play a short opening set, and John and Pat played with Jon on a few songs - including "I Feel Fine" with Britt and a drummer Jon had just met. My favorite portion of the night came later on, when Jon, the Autumn Defense, and yet another drummer from the crowd settled in to play "Cortez the Killer" and a Springsteen song of Jon's devising, both based on crowd requests. We were also treated to some of Jon's own material, of course. Add in festivities at Hotel SnS beforehand (good job stirring the risotto, Paul) and some snow angels afterward, and it was a worthy start to 2008.

Hardly Strictly San Francisco

Last weekend I took Friday off and headed to San Francisco for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. With an impressive lineup, a pricetag of $0, and a beautiful setting in Golden Gate Park, it was hard to pass up. The fact that I have superbly hospitable friends living on both sides of the park sealed the deal.

Friday was a lovely day at the festival, though it started and ended a bit chilly. Our brigade arrived early to camp out in front of the Banjo Stage and took in acts that included plenty of the "hardly" in Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Augie March started things off, playing a relatively short (but enjoyable) set. They were followed by Buddy Miller and his band. I was pleased to see Buddy's cover of "Rock Salt and Nails" in person. T-Bone Burnett and friends came next, with an eclectic mix of friends indeed - Doyle Bramhall II, with whom I was not familiar; Neko Case, with whom I am quite familiar; and John Mellencamp, who is ... John Mellencamp. They ended the set with an all-star jam version of "Pink Houses" - a song I certainly never thought I'd see performed live by its original artist, let alone with backing vocals by Neko Case.

Friday's final act on the Banjo Stage was a fellow by the name of Jeff Tweedy. He played a very nice set of songs, and we were pleasantly surprised that the set went half an hour past the scheduled stopping time of 7:00. ("We" included the charming SF locals plus the welcome additions of Judy and family - yay babies! - and British import Andrew.) We were more than happy to get up and dance for the last couple songs of Jeff's set, and not just because we were freezing. The finger picking at the end of "Acuff-Rose" sounded right at home in that setting. We rounded out the evening with Best Burrito Night Ever, a trip down Lombard Street, and an illicit late-night visit to the Yoda fountain.

Saturday found U and I taking a break from the festival to fly a bit further south, meeting up with Heidi to check out that one guy we like to see at Largo. Due to bluegrass commitments Heidi was the only one to do the the Friday/Saturday Jon Brion double-header, but I'm glad we were able to make it for Saturday night. U and I also had enough time to hit up Farmer's Market and indulge our Pinkberry cravings once again. So much sooner than I expected to get my next Pinkberry fix! Jon's show that night probably won't go down as one of my all-time favorites, but it was a solid, enjoyable night of music. Ben Gibbard joining in for a few songs was a nice surprise, and we saw a lot of piano material from Jon. My favorite part of the night had to be the set-closing "Nowhere Man" in the style of Les Paul. A rather evil way of granting that request, indeed.

Sunday we were back in San Francisco in time to eat dim sum and arrive at Golden Gate Park before Earl Scruggs began his set. Andrew had become a HSBG crowd celebrity in our absence, staking out the best spot that day and earning an infinite number of hardcore fan points. We were only too happy to join him and bask in reflected glory. Earl Scruggs played a very enjoyable set - I kept feeling like I should be seeing him and his band at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa or somewhere similar. And again, who ever thought I'd see the theme from The Beverly Hillbillies performed live by its original artists? Earl was followed by Doc Watson - who, though it's really impossible to compare him with Emmylou, may have been my favorite act. I loved his stories and his songs, and feel very fortunate to have seen him perform.

The finale of the night - and the festival - was Emmylou Harris. I'd never seen Emmylou before, but this may have been the perfect setting for my introduction. She looked beautiful, of course, and she has such an amazing voice. Her choice of material was inspired, and the crowd - stretching as far back as I could see - ate up the performance. A lovely ending for a lovely weekend. Overall, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival impressed me immensely. The atmosphere was unlike any other festival I've attended - much more relaxed and, well, just good-natured. If all festivals could be like this, I would attend a lot more of them. As it is, I hope to make my way back to San Francisco for another HSBG in the not-too-distant future.

More photos here.

All possibilities

One of my favorite things about a Jon Brion show is the fact that I never know what I'm going to get. I've yet to find one anything less than captivating, but the details of any given evening are impossible to predict. This weekend I had two opportunities to watch Jon's show unfold ... plus all the extra laughter and fun we could squeeze in between.

Friday night was Jon Brion at Steppenwolf. Sooz and I sat in the center of the second row, which was, um, pretty okay. The show was perhaps a bit more formal than those to which I am accustomed from Jon - but then again, I'm used to sitting at a dim table in a tiny club in West Hollywood for these performances, so the theater atmosphere was bound to be a little different. It was an excellent set, and it's evident that Jon has a genuine fondness for Chicago. I'm incredibly grateful for that fondness, and his continued involvement with the Intonation Festival, because how many other cities outside of L.A. have seen three Jon Brion performances in the past nine months? At Steppenwolf there were some minor equipment issues, chiefly with the guitar amp, but as is almost always the case (for me) it only made things more entertaining. We were treated to some staples, like my beloved "Knock Yourself Out," and Jon responded to many audience requests as usual - including "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" and "Waterloo Sunset." It felt like a mini Intonation Fest reprise. Of course, last June Jon didn't combine Dylan with Nirvana - his weaving of "Lithium" into "Don't Think Twice" was a major highlight of the night for me. The Prince medley was certainly up there as well - and so was Jon's reaction to Sooz's audible gasp when he requested audience volunteers for keyboard duty. We had many friends in the crowd on Friday, some seeing Jon for the first time. I think Steppenwolf was probably a very good introduction.

After late-night merriment, a lovely walk to brunch, and a few hours of quality dining room table time, Uyen and Heidi and Paul and I headed out Saturday evening to meet Kris for the Badly Drawn Boy show at Metro. The show was sold out, much to our surprise - but due to a combination of luck and more luck we were able to come up with exactly five tickets to the show. I am not terribly familiar with Badly Drawn Boy, but I was impressed with what I saw. Gwen had cautioned us that Damon's shows could be a mixed bag, but he seemed to be in an excellent mood on Saturday - full of appreciation for the crowd, interesting tidbits about the songs, and amusing asides. All that, and the closer: a rousing singalong version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." I am officially inspired to check out a full Badly Drawn Boy album. Saturday night wound up at the Raw Bar with a late dinner, Bossa Nova band, and complimentary vodka shots. We started Sunday with even more booze and fun, meeting up with Laura and Kristina for a wonderfully delicious brunch (including raspberry mimosas) at Sweets and Savories, largely thanks to Sooz's Paul, who is awesome. The fuel would come in handy for that night's main event: Jon Brion at the freakin' Hideout.

I can only imagine this is even more true for the longtime Chicago residents, but I find it hard to express how utterly perfect it was to see Jon play in that room, surrounded by so many of my friends. (Well, I meant I was surrounded by so many of my friends, but I guess Jon was too.) The booths, stools, and scattering of tables up front made the cozy atmosphere even better, giving us space to mingle and chat while still maintaining some breathing room (and no fear of losing our spots). But to see Jon there, playing along with Thax, introduced by Tim, on a stage where I have actually performed (I'd rather not discuss it further) ... crazy. Jon made himself right at home, and gave a near three-hour performance that was everything I could have hoped for. It was the informal, intimate compliment to Friday's show, complete with audience participation, singalongs, guitar shredding, vocoder action, and the entire second half of Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets. Jon played one of the most blistering versions of "I Believe She's Lying" that I've had the pleasure of witnessing, slayed Gwen with some Roxy Music, gave us all the chance to holler along with the Bee Gees, and ended with a fantastic ukulele rendition of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" ... and a promise to come back soon. I can only hope.

How many amazingly great weekends can a girl have in Chicago within the space of a few weeks? At least two, and I'm willing to continue research on the subject.

(Check out a few more photos here)

Let's have a ball

I had a great birthday weekend. Friday U joined me, piloting The Boat. We both managed to get some work done (her way more than me) and also Ate-a-Pita. Then Maudie and Trish arrived (yay!) and eventually we headed to Largo for my Jon Brion birthday show. We had enough people to fill both of our tables for four. I looked over the new menu items, but I'm still all about the Largo salad. Ditching an old standard dinner choice at Largo can be fraught with peril.

Jill Sobule opened for Jon, accompanied on most of her songs by Greg Leisz on pedal steel. It was my first time seeing either of them, and I wouldn't mind doing so again. Jon came on around the usual time - freshly back from England, according to Flanagan - and proceeded to play for about three hours without a break between sets. Happy birthday to me, indeed. U is, of course, the JB setlist queen, but I can mention some random highlights. Very early in the set, Jon gave us a little crash course and demonstration of all of his pedals and what they do, which I loved. I'm astoundingly clueless when it comes to gear, and Jon's nice, succinct summations of each pedal's function ("This one takes a sound this big and adds something this big down here") were very informative.

The first half of the set was, I believe, pretty much Jon's own stuff. I particularly adored the harmonica and toy piano (celeste?) version of "Knock Yourself Out". Then for the second half, Greg Leisz came back out on pedal steel, and Benmont Tench was called out to play piano. I was so happy to see Benmont. Favorite Benmont moments of the night: his solo during "I Don't Hurt Anymore"? Maybe? I can't remember now for sure, but I do know that I had a stupid grin on my face the whole time. Also, the part during another song (damn, I'm bad at this) when he started throwing some little celeste accents in along with his standard piano work. In the covers department, there was a lovely rendition of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", and a healthy dose of Beatles covers, including a sort of guitar riff medley by Jon. I also thoroughly enjoyed "Gigantic".

After the show, as we were leaving the club, we noticed a commotion a few doors down that was preventing us from walking to our car. "Hey, that ho-bag in pink. That's Paris Hilton," U said with a touch of horror. The ho-bag in pink stalked into a club, and we were able to pass.

Saturday's weather was absolutely gorgeous. We brunched at Hugo's, and then headed to the Getty Center. I thought the Getty was great: awesome views, impressive architecture, beautiful gardens, interesting water features, and of course, art. For free. I had no idea what special exhibitions were going on until we arrived, but one turned out to be paintings of Caspar David Friedrich and Gerhard Richter. Gerhard Richter is one of my favorite painters, so I was extremely pleased. There were also some excellent photography exhibitions. After an hour or two of art, we grabbed some drinks and spent a long time soaking up the perfect weather on a grassy slope overlooking the gardens. Children tossed paper airplanes and had rolling contests down the hill. I chose not to dwell on the fact that I'd be back in the Wisconsin winter the next day.

Saturday night, after some Persian/Irish ice cream, we saw ASSSSCAT at the UCB Theatre. Jello Biafra was the guest monologist, and he was fairly entertaining, if also fairly self-important. The improv was very funny. (I'm limbering up for the Second City marathon next month.) We finished up the night at an excellent cafe in Los Feliz, on Evonne's recommendation. Trish's friends joined us, and we hung around until closing time.

And then on Sunday I came back here and it was 40 degrees. The end!

As long as I gaze on Union Park sunset

Sunday was Day 2 of Intonation Festival at Chicago's Union Park. I had one goal for the day - to see Jon Brion. It's so rare that he performs anywhere outside of L.A. anyway, let alone Chicago. But since his tendinitis, even his Largo appearances have dried up. This was definitely not to be missed.

I started the morning checking out Gina's new digs on the North side, and we really had the best of intentions to keep Heidi and Uyen company on their Jon vigil. But by 11:30 it was raining and our resolve failed. We instead lunched at the Golden Nugget, watched an Eddie Izzard DVD, and got to Intonation around 4:00 p.m. In time to catch the end of Annie's set, and (more importantly) dryness, spotty sunshine, and mellow temperatures. Perfect weather for air guitar, headbanging, and hair flinging during the Sword. For the guys around us, I mean.

By the time Jon came on, we had quite a solid presence up front. Even Sooz, balancing delicately on her crutches, was in the fray. Jon's set was obviously way shorter than his Largo nights (although he was the first non-headlining performer I saw to get called back for an encore) and he was mindful of that, keeping his customary long-burning song builds somewhat limited. Though he didn't show it while playing, it also seemed pretty clear that his wrist was bothering him. He brought along some piano assistance in Benmont Tench, who is on tour with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Even though Jon can't be that used to the outdoor festival crowd, he did a great job of combining his usual improvisation, witty comments, cover songs, and originals in the slightly more structured atmosphere.

Somewhere along the line there was a request for "Glenn" to come up. I thought, "Nah..." But sure enough, Glenn Kotche came up and slid behind the drum kit to help out on a few songs - including the encore of "Waterloo Sunset". The very first time I ever saw Jon at Largo, Benmont Tench and Glenn Kotche were among the surprise guests. So this was like very pleasant déjà vu. The interaction between the three guys onstage was great. Near the end of the main set Jon made Glenn play a crazy drum solo, which is something you don't get to see too often. And Jon even kicked his piano over at the end of a fabulous version of "I Believe She's Lying". Rock. And. Roll.

We stayed a little while after Jon's set, and listened to some Robert Pollard from the other stage. (In retrospect, telling Glenn that due to outdoor festival acoustics nobody would have been able to tell if he sucked anyway was probably not the most reassuring statement.) Then we went out for Thai food, and wound up at the Hideout on Sam's suggestion for the second half of Ed Burch and friends' performance of the Louvin Brothers' "Satan is Real". It was pretty awesome. After a brief foray down North Ave. I dropped Gina at her place and headed back home. And then the thunderstorms and pouring decided to arrive. Yay! Oh well. Still better than during the festival.

My pictures are taken from Chicagoist, by the way. Visit Chicagoist!

"Next outro!"

Having a wonderful time in California; wish you were here.

Really. It's been great. Can't beat the company (Heidi, Judy, Paul, Uyen, and sometimes Evonne and/or various McCormicks) especially when Uyen has been chauffeuring us around L.A. hotspots in our soccer mom minivan. Hell yeah. I don't have time to do a full rundown at the moment, since we're soon to head off for the farmer's market, but Friday night's Jon Brion show was awesome. You really haven't heard "Ring of Fire" until you've heard it done in the style of Les Paul. (I might also add that I'm not sure if it's just the bands I tend to go see, or if the song is THAT popular, but Jon marks the fourth or fifth time I've seen someone - who is not Johnny Cash - play that song live.) He also did a fantastic set of song outros.

Saturday was a day of fine eateries (including Randy's Donuts), Manhattan Beach, and San Diego. And a lovely-sounding concert at the Spreckles Theatre which actually included a really silent audience, contrary to some people's beliefs. At least from our area's perspective. In fact, almost too silent - virtually no singalongs. Sunday we were back in Hollywood, and ate at the original Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. I officially can't come to LA without eating at one now. I got a tote bag from Amoeba, too. The concert last night was more fun than San Diego, I think, and I will never get tired of the singer/drummer banter onstage. Nonstop entertainment. Then on to the Standard from there. Awesome chairs in the lobby.

Then there will be today, and then home again tomorrow. Horribly early tomorrow.

Nice pants, Robyn Hitchcock

On Friday evening, Gina and Uyen and I had dinner reservations at Largo for a night of Jon Brion goodness. As usual, we got even more than we'd bargained for. Our table was in a good spot - straight back from the stage, but near the bar area ... nice view of the performance, and prime people-watching. Jon played a great first set, with Grant Lee Phillips (dressed like a retired guy vacationing in Florida, if you can picture that) sneaking up on stage to help out a couple of times. One of the most amusing moments came when Jon segued from a toy piano cover of "Norwegian Wood" (part of the "ice cream truck music" portion of the set) into a groovy piano-based version of "Let's Get it On." I also really enjoyed "Ruin My Day" and "Walking Through Walls." I do love it when Jon lays down a drum track. You don't necessarily know what's coming right away, but you know it'll be good. (He also gets major points for having 'Max Headroom' request some Van Halen to close out the set.)

During the second set, Jon rotated even more friends onto the stage. Grant Lee Phillips returned to sing and play a few songs with him, and Robyn Hitchcock was summoned in all his lime-green pants glory to play a few as well. Fiona Apple came up and sang one of her new songs with Jon on guitar, which I enjoyed very much. She is an extremely tiny person. (She is also very into her new boyfriend, whom she joined at the booth next to ours after she was finished.) Sean and Sara Watkins from Nickel Creek rounded out the evening. Mmmmm, Jon Brion shows. I'd include more detail about what was played, but that's Uyen's forte.

In addition to the night at Largo, we had a great time in L.A. Earlier on Friday Gina and I went to Santa Monica. We spent a few hours on the beach, where I reacquainted myself with the waves of the Pacific for about an hour and a half, and then proceeded to get sunburned in some weird stripey pattern on my upper arms while soaking up the sun. Hmmm. We had lunch on the pier. Saturday Uyen showed off her skills as a tour guide, and we saw all the neighborhoods we could have hoped to see. We also had lunch at Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles (I was a veteran this time) and hit our second Amoeba Records of the trip. My cashier was a very cute-in-a-rocker-boy-sort-of-way transplant from Chicago, with relatives in Wisconsin. He slipped some free Amoeba swag into my bag. (Which isn't a euphemism.) Nice! Now I'm at home, and should have a few more photos to share soon.