You always end up in the city

Given all of my travels lately, I’ve been neglecting local shows. I did my best to remedy that situation early this week: hitting three shows in three nights; Monday through Wednesday.



First up was the New Pornographers with Okkervil River. Though Okkervil River opening was a great bonus, I bought the ticket because I love the New Pornographers. It was a little surprising to me, then, that I wound up enjoying Okkervil’s set more than the NP’s on Monday. Not that the New Pornographers played a bad show. I enjoyed it, and “Myriad Harbour” with Will Sheff performing Dan’s parts was completely awesome. It's just that aside from the Okkervil River guest appearances, nothing distinguished this performance for me from any other. The high stage at the Orpheum – about which I’ve never seen a performer fail to comment – isn’t the most conducive to audience interaction. That didn’t seem to bother Okkervil River, though. They played a terrific set, and Will made a definite effort to connect with the crowd.



Tuesday was my first of two Colin Meloy shows, at the Pabst in Milwaukee. The presale treated me well, and I found myself seated in the first row of the pit. Unfortunately, at the Pabst, the front row is a bit too close. Not too close in an “oh, poor me so close to the performer in the front row!” kind of way, but too close in a “my knees are in danger of bumping the stage, and half an hour into the show my neck will start to hurt” kind of way. Nevertheless, it was a fun perspective for a nice night of acoustic songs from Colin. The crowd at the Pabst was a bit more subdued than I was expecting given the usual tone of a Decemberists show, but the Pabst does have a way of hushing people. Discovering Colin’s tour EP of Sam Cooke covers was a nice surprise for me. He’s done a cover EP for each of his solo tours, but for some reason this one totally escaped my notice until I saw it at the merch table. Seeing him duet with opener Laura Gibson on “Cupid” was a lot of fun. Speaking of Laura Gibson, her voice was a great fit with the quiet theatre.



Wednesday was Colin Meloy and Laura Gibson, again, at the Barrymore. It occurred to me before the show that it was the first time I’d ever attended multiple Decemberists or Colin Meloy shows on the same tour, let alone on back to back nights. I was pleasantly surprised by the setlists: Colin only repeated six songs over the two shows. One of those, “Red Right Ankle,” was a request on Wednesday night – so it’s possible a different song was planned in its place. “Red Right Ankle” is always welcome, but I would have loved to hear “Grace Cathedral Hill.” Something tells me the Bay Area may get that next week, when I’m working night shifts mere miles away. Other highlights for me included “Engine Driver” at the Barrymore, and various amusing psychedelic song intros in Milwaukee. I also enjoyed previewing three new songs, which the Decemberists may or may not record. Presumably Colin will learn all the words before that happens.

All the old showstoppers

When I heard that the New Pornographers would be coming to Milwaukee in support of their most recent album, Challengers, I knew I'd have to make the trip. Unlike the first two times I saw them, this tour would include Neko Case. I had previously determined that Neko's presence wasn't necessary for a great New Pornographers show, but it was still a goal of mine to see her perform with the band.

Wednesday night at the Pabst I attained that goal. The show included two openers, a concert paradigm I think I may be too old to appreciate. Especially for a GA show. I enjoyed both bands, though - Benjy Ferree was entertaining for half an hour, if a little goofy; and listening to Emma Pollack (and her Scottish accent) was quite a treat. The main act finally took the stage around 10:00 p.m. I resisted the temptation to look at the setlist beforehand, though everyone around me was peering at it. They were excited, which I took as a good sign.

The band opened with "Heaven and Earth" from Challengers, and followed that up with an energetic "Use It." They played almost all of Challengers over the course of the show, and included a very nice peppering of songs from their other releases. The first set's finale was "Bleeding Heart Show," which was as superb as I remember it from Madison.


Finally seeing Neko with the NP's was great, as expected. She sings backup vocals on nearly every song, not to mention the songs where she takes the lead. Kathryn Calder still provides excellent vocals in her turn, but Neko was a big part of this show. There wasn't a whole lot of banter between the band members onstage, which I missed a little bit - but I got the sense they were concentrating on providing the maximum amount of pop awesomeness in their allotted time. Carl did take some time to say that on their last go-round, Milwaukee was the best crowd of the tour - while the worst crowd was in Minneapolis. This prompted both cheers and boos from the crowd, though I think both were in the anti-Minneapolis spirit. Ah, rivalry between proximate Midwestern cities.

The real revelation for me on Wednesday, however, was Dan Bejar. Dan is another member of the New Pornographers who doesn't always tour with the band. I knew he was on board for this leg, and was pleased about it, but most of my anticipation was focused on Neko's presence. As it turned out, though, Dan's songs made the show for me. I've always been a fan of his unique songs and vocals, and was glad that Carl took over vocal duties so that band could perform a couple of them at the shows I saw last year. But actually having Dan (or, as Neko misheard from the crowd and joked about keeping as a nickname, "Dangelina") up there singing his own songs was really great. He certainly didn't say much, wandering on and off stage with a glass of wine in hand, but somehow that added to the charm. "Myriad Harbor" is one of my favorite songs on Challengers, and was a highlight of the show for me.


During the show it was pouring spectacularly outside. One might think it wouldn't be obvious that this was happening inside the theater, but between Emma Pollack and the New Pornographers we noticed something interesting. Either the lights were dripping a light mist of water onto the stage ... or the roof was leaking. This was somewhat alarming, and inspired Blaine to scoot his keyboard and laptop further forward to escape the shower, but didn't really seem to affect the show. At some point it must have stopped, and I was able to get from Milwaukee to my Madison exit before the downpour began again. Thanks, weather.

Setlist: (I think maybe they didn't play "From Blown Speakers" though? And maybe they played "Failsafe?" Wow, my memory is horrible.)

More photos here.

My, my, my, my slow descent...

I think the New Pornographers may have been contractually obligated to play "The Slow Descent into Alcoholism" Sunday night, since the entire event was sponsored by Jack Daniels. Not that they wouldn't have anyway. There was an awful lot of drinking going on, as you might expect - Carl passed around his bottle of whiskey early in the show, and then made Kathryn go backstage to get the other one. The audience was already well lubricated by that point, believe me.

The private event itself was better than I expected in terms of free stuff. We got vouchers for a free iTunes download when we arrived at the High Noon, and our ticket stubs entered us in a drawing to win a $100 iTunes gift card or a signed guitar. (We didn't win.) There was also a buffet of free food, two free drink coupons per person, free taxi vouchers for the ride home, waitresses handing out free drink samples, and a pool table full of free Jack Daniels merch. I noticed various band members grazing along with everyone else. There were an awful lot of sloppily drunk twenty-somethings in the house by the end of the night, which was kind of icky, but if I flash back to my days at college bars/parties on weekends it suddenly doesn't seem so bad.

The show itself wasn't perfect, but it was a lot of fun. After Archer Prewitt's opening set, the New Pornos took the stage. I had been hoping that maybe Neko would show up, since she played with the band Saturday night in Evanston, but it was not to be. There was a lot of joking and audience interaction, and of course plenty of great music. The vocals were very muddy up front, but that's just par for the High Noon course. About halfway through the first set, Carl broke a string and requested the signed Jack Daniels guitar ... which he proceeded to play for the rest of the night. The guy who won it now has a 50% cooler tale to tell. They were taking requests, and I desperately wanted to hear "Breakin' the Law" ... the only problem being that I couldn't remember the title. I wasn't about to yell, "THE LAST SONG ON MASS ROMANTIC!" so I kept my mouth shut. Next time, New Pornos. Next time.

Best as I can recall, they played:

Twin Cinema
The Laws Have Changed
Use It
July Jones
Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
The Bleeding Heart Show
Testament to Youth in Verse
From Blown Speakers
The Jessica Numbers
It's Only Divine Right (I think?)
The Slow Descent into Alcoholism ("there are a lot of songs out there that talk about how sad it is to be an alcoholic, but there aren't too many songs that talk about why people become alcoholics ... because it's kind of fun")
Mass Romantic
Star Bodies
The Bones of an Idol
Sing Me Spanish Techno
The Fake Headlines
Letter from an Occupant

Things!

On Sunday night, I finally purchased my laptop. I chose the MacBook Pro, and its estimated delivery date is tomorrow! I'm so excited! I've been tracking it like a fiend for the past two days. It started out in Shanghai (so much for "made by Apple in California") and at last update had left the FedEx facility in Indianapolis. Wee! I decided to celebrate this evening by ordering five custom poster frames from a wholesale store. Even wholesale custom frames are expensive, and the shipping is ridiculous. But since I've been pining for some of these frames for the past three years, I've learned that custom framing stores around here are 500% more ridiculously priced. So, at long last, I'll be able to frame some more stuff.

Speaking of receiving things in the mail, today a hand-addressed envelope from "Entercom Madison" arrived for me. I opened it, and guess what? It turns out that the song I suggested for Triple M's "Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time" got played on their lunch program, the Radio Deli. Which means that I won ... two tickets to see the New Pornographers' private show this Sunday! Hahahaa. Oh man. If only my attempts to get Conan Chicago tickets would end up yielding such bounty.

Buds on the bushes

Now is the time of year when I proceed to geek out about the weather and outdoorsy stuff. Although I have to admit that what my brain wants to do after the phrase "buds on the bushes" is continue singing, in a sultry R. Kelly voice, "...over by the stove, put you on the counter, by the buttered rolls..." Which reminds me, I'm finally finishing Haroun and the Sea of Stories, in which there is a character named Butt the Hoopoe. Naturally, I think of Mott the Hoople.

Okay, brief foray into my brain: over. Back to the weather. It's been warm and alternately rainy and sunny for the past few days, and I love it to death. T-shirt and pants weather. All around my house the bushes have buds or tiny leaves, the trees are starting to bud, the grass isn't that ugly brown anymore ... man. I love early spring. It'll be 90 degrees before I know it, so I want to savor this.

Finally, I forgot to mention one final thing that was awesome about my weekend. On Sunday I got back to Madison to find mail waiting for me. In the stack was a large packet from The Onion. I was puzzled for a few seconds, and then I realized what it must be, and tore open the envelope. Free tickets for the New Pornographers' private show at the High Noon in two weeks! Eeee! When Spoon did a similar show here I know they ended up releasing tickets to the general public a few days before the show, but I didn't want to have to hope that would be the case in this instance. And now I don't have to! Yay! I'm excited. I have to buy Electric Version before then. That's the day after Rhett Miller plays at the Barrymore, too.

Thank you, Kevflynn (for the B-Side Records gift card that you gave me)

Last year in early March, Kevin bestowed upon me a lovely gift certificate for B-Side Records. This year in early March, I realized that the gift certificate was about to expire. I hurried down to State Street and came away with three CD's - in addition to the one I'd purchased the previous week, and the two more I would purchase later the same week. Altogether, I acquired six new albums. Here is a quick rundown:

The Minus 5, Gun Album: It's a solid album. A Minus 5 album. A handful of the tracks stand out for me. One contains my favorite line from the recent buying spree: "I'll kick your sister's ass." This sung by a man, mind you. But I've finally come to terms with the fact that I'm not a big fan of Scott McCaughey's voice. I like Scott. I just don't love his voice.

Neil Young, On the Beach: The first Neil Young album I have ever purchased myself. I know, I know. Despite that, I was pleased to discover that I already knew half of the songs. I probably don't need to tell you that it's good.

The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic: Since seeing their show recently, it's only a matter of time before I own all of the albums. I enjoy listening to the whole thing, although I currently think the first half is stronger than the second. That's a common reaction to a new album, though, so we'll see.

Rhett Miller, The Believer: Contrary to predictions, some of the songs have grown on me since I first listened to the leak. There are a couple of tracks I think are legitimately good, and a few more I enjoy that are remakes of older songs. The good songs just make me kind of sad, though, because I still think it's a solidly mediocre record. The arrangements could be excused if more of the lyrics were good, and the lyrics could be excused if more of the music had a spark. But without either...

Glenn Kotche, Mobile: I mostly love this one, although after hearing them live so many times, a couple of the tracks will take some getting used to in canned form. And how often are you lucky enough to say that about a percussion record, really? I specifically enjoyed "Projections of (What) Might" much more in its live incarnation, as opposed to the muted drum beats on the record. But the record as a whole is excellent, and I love the liner notes.

Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood: Speaking of liner notes, I love, love, love this CD booklet. The CD is also top-notch. Once again I feel like it's front-heavy, with stronger songs on the first half, but that may just be because I love a few of the early songs disproportionately. Or maybe I just have a really short attention span? Time will tell.

There! I'm sure you can rest easy now that you have my opinions.

Catholic girls know how to party

Somehow, last night during the New Pornographers' set, the subject of Catholic schoolgirls (and Catholic girls in general) came up. I believe it can be traced to Carl Newman's question, "What do people do here in Madison?" and the inevitable college crowd reply of "DRIIIINKIIIING!!!" Someone else yelled, "Capitol Brewery!" and Carl repeated, "Catholic school?" Sure, an easy mistake to make. The funny thing was, the front row was apparently chock full of Catholic schoolgirls. (I suppose I would have been another if CCD counted.) I don't think they were faking, because they all went absolutely apeshit when he said the magic words. This prompted crazy drummer Kurt Dahle to declare his intention to move to Madison.

Ah, but let me back up. What a great night of music at the Barrymore - a one-time-only bill of dios (malos), Matt Pond PA, and the New Pornographers. The New Pornos were finally making up their canceled Madison show from back in October, before which "John's appendix burst in anticipation." The Barrymore combined their show with the MPPA/dios (malos) bill to create a long, memorable evening under the twinkling ceiling stars.

Up first was dios (malos), a band I'd never experienced for myself, but always heard good things about from various music friends. I wasn't disappointed. The songs were energetic and catchy, and Anya and I found ourselves dancing along. They included some deliberately cheesy song transitions that probably translate better during a longer show, but still made me laugh. My enthusiasm was flagging slightly by the end of their set, but only slightly. I would not be averse to picking up an album.

Second on the bill was Matt Pond PA. Same deal - heard of them, but never heard them before. There were some hardcore MPPA fans standing next to me who knew all the words to every song, which was fun to watch. I had mixed feelings about the set. I really liked Matt's voice, but most of the songs were mid-tempo, and not knowing any of them beforehand made the majority of the set sound samey to me. I could definitely see the appeal though, and I'm willing to bet that if I knew the songs I would have appreciated them more. I liked the Canadian vibe - Matt mentioned that a couple years ago they toured with the New Pornos, and Carl Newman gave them shit for "all the Canada songs."

Speaking of Carl Newman, after MPPA it was finally his turn to play. (And taunt us about our healthcare system.) One of the things I noticed right away was how spare the New Pornographers setup was on the stage - few monitors and amps, few pedals. Just the six-piece band, come to rock. No Dan Bejar or Neko Case last night, but it didn't stop them from doing songs like "Jackie Dressed in Cobras," and "Bones of an Idol." Thank goodness. Kathryn Calder did an admirable and unassuming job filling in the female vocals, although Neko is such a strong personality and stage presence that I'd bet a show with her is a bit of a different animal. Nevertheless, I think the New Pornos are really Carl's band, and Carl was awesome. I'm a relatively novice New Pornographers fan, but Twin Cinema was one of my favorite albums of 2005. Between Anya (who only knows Electric Version) and me, we had nearly all the songs covered! Even the songs I didn't know were great, but I adored "Twin Cinema" and "Sing Me Spanish Techno" ... and if there was a particular transcendental song, I think it was "The Bleeding Heart Show." The last part of that song gave me one of those coveted concert moments when you just feel the magic all around. The triggers are different for everyone, but I think all lovers of live music know what I'm talking about. This was my first time seeing a New Pornographers show, but I don't think it will be my last.

Props

I've been meaning to mention this for awhile now, but I just have to say that my prize for the most surprisingly awesome lyrical reference of 2005 goes to Carl Newman of the New Pornos for "heads down / thumbs up" in the song "Use It." Love it. Oh, the memories of indoor recess.

While I'm at it, I also have to say that Jim O'Rourke's entire album "Bad Timing" is great, and probably my favorite Jim work. Of course, heaven knows there's plenty I have not heard.

I finished Come Back to Afghanistan last night. I liked it very much. I certainly feel like I know a ton more about Afghanistan, and American foreign policy in general, than I did before. The story is told by Said Hyder Akbar, whose father was Hamid Karzai's press spokesman in the new government that formed after 9/11 and then later became the governor of Kunar province ... but Hyder was raised in California. His is such a unique perspective, and very illuminating. This reminds me a bit of how I felt about Nicaragua after finishing Rushdie's The Jaguar Smile a few years ago - the characters in the book are real people, the settings are real places, the stories really happened, and you can go Google and see what's going on with them all right now. Last night I read a news article I might previously only have skimmed for the headline, about U.S. soldiers killing a bunch of people with a missile attack in Pakistan. I saw the dateline of Peshawar, and I was all, "hey, I know where that is!" and found myself cynically reading the comments by officials and thinking stuff like, "hmmm, unlikely; it's really easy to cross the border there" and "well, maybe it would be better for the situation in Afghanistan if we didn't have such friendly relations with Pakistan anyway..." I'm sure that will wear off soon, but in the meantime, it's kind of fun. Especially because clearly I don't really have any sort of expertise about the situation. Wee!

Now reading: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Weird fact: within the first hundred pages or so, both Kenosha and Racine were mentioned.