krewechief's Live Music Blog

Corin Raymond and the Sundowners Live Album Recording Night 2TRANZAC Club 2012-01-25with special guest Raghu Lokanathan

2012-01-29T13:23:00.000-05:00

Back at it.

The Canadian Tire Money fundraiser has passed $1,500.00.
That's pretty impressive and it's not over.

Last night was great but there was a certain nervous anticipatory anxiety, a feeling that we'd reached a goal, were about to get the payoff; yet there was an underlying exhaustion, the road had been long. The first time out was a cautious set, with a couple slip ups, the pressure of nailing a live performance can be intense. Before this evenings show the band did a run-through of most the songs going on the record, with the tape rolling. It eases some of the pressure and that was evident from the outset. I suspect the bulk of the record will come from this evenings set, for small reasons, the distance between the quality of the performances was not that great but the little things add up.

From Prince George BC we have Raghu Lokanathan warming up an already exhuberant crowd. Smart-assed music for smart people. Every cheeky couplet comes with tongue firmly in place.

What Does It All Mean
Watch Beauty Get Older
These Are The Gates
The Wildest Room
Caledonia
What is Ruined, What Is Real
Two Miles of Train (Hobo Jungle Fever Dream)

Corin's mixed-up the set list tonight, which is to say he's not playhing them in the same order as last night, or even in the same order they are listed on tonight's sheet. It seems that list is only a recommendation, someone's vision of how things could be, but no on is contractually committed.

The crowd's a little louder, more energetic this evening. All the jitters are gone and it's time to let the songs shine.

Set 1

Sugar Candy Mountain
100 Candles
Cruel Cruel Town
Time To Leave
Nine Inch Nails
Blues Mama
I'm A Fuckin' Genius
It's Too Late
Veronica
Do You Dream
Old Fort Mac

Set 2

Change
Coming Home To You
If I Were You Instead of Me
Buckets of Time
The Lord Giveth (and The Landlord Taketh Away)
Slip Away
Little Byrd
Anastasia
Big Truck Brought It
Don't Spend It Honey
Rivertown
Lord Loves A Wino
Postcard From A Friend

Corin Raymond and the Sundowners Live Album Recording Night 1TRANZAC Club 2012-01-24with special guest Jonathan Byrd

2012-01-27T20:04:00.001-05:00

It's finally here! SOLD OUT! Corin Raymond has been workin' and practicin', practicin' and workin' towards this night for about a year now. It's been a long and winding road, starting with Thursday night after Thursday night at The Cameron House trying the songs out on live audiences. Corin is compiling an homage to the great North American indie songwriters who keep the small time thriving. Some are knocking on the door to the big time but all are advancing the craft. More recently the excitement level has skyrocketed as the Canadian Tire Fundraiser has hit the local and national news, spreading the story across the nation and going viral...on a Canadian level.

All that attention is great and I really hope the Canadian Tire money spotlight attracts some listeners and critics to the show and the record, 'cause when they get there they will find so much more than that (soon to be iconic) underground anthem.

The first of two nights sees North Carolinian Jonathan Byrd coming in to support his good friend and (sometime)touring mate. Jonathan's roots album, Cackalack, recorded in Toronto a couple years ago, had some major successes Stateside this year. (It's the short-form of Cackalacky.) He's been won over by the hysteria surrounding the album and the fundraiser. This dream all started when he and Corin were sharing miles between Whitehorse and Dawson City last February. Back then the dream was to get drunk at the Dunright Inn. It's changed a little. He had some things to tell us too, a little of the Corin rubbing off on him. The Corin stories ranged from his sleeping through the 10 am sessions for Cackalack to the difficulty of getting Corin across a border. Jonathan was a gracious support act, paying proper respect to Corin's love for the music of other musicians while not hiding his love of the force that is Corin Raymond. He tells a great story, the highlight being a great piece on the difference between our 20 dollar bill and the American version. Comparing the Green Queen with the altruistic quote vs. the author of the Trail of Tears, Andrew Jackson.

And the songs. A cross between Henry Timrod and Bob Dylan. (Say what?!?! That's been done?) We were able to get Jonathan out of the country but you can't get the country out of Jonathan. Here's a southerner who understands his lands history, doesn't excuse it, even refutes a good deal of it, but still finds beauty in the people and the land that drives his unmistakable love for it.

You want something that's just a lot of fun? You're talkin' Chicken Wire.
I Was An Oak is an American masterpiece. It would be at home on a Lomax compilation or The Basement Tapes. It comes in under 3 minutes but it lasts much longer.
Corin and Jonathan share a co-write on the Texas flatlands ballad The Law and the Lonesome.
May the River Run Dry is the story of ??????? , well, I don't know but it evokes Dylan's Watchtower.
Following an interesting talk about the difference between our 20 and the USD 20 we get the tale of Diana Jones, the American Dream not quite working out.
The too-short set closes with next years hit - You Can't Outrun the Radio.

The Sundowners are:

Corin Raymond vocals, guitar
David Baxter guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
Treasa Levasseur accordion, piano, backing vocals, vocals
Brian Kobayakowa bass

I spent three years in Grade 11 math but I understood Aristotle when he said the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Individually these artists are headliners. Together they are a hidden Canadian treasure.

We have no sound samples for Corin's set because this material is being used for a live recording that should be ready for your Christmas stocking. Now that might seem a ways off but Corin cares. When this is done we will all be proud on his behalf.

If you've whiled away the hours any early Thursday evenings at The Cameron House you will be familiar with these tunes. If you haven't then get on it, it's the best bang for your buck you'll find on Queen St West. I've talked about this set on other posts, if you care to look around the blog, so I'll keep this brief and hit on the newer stuff...well, new to me.

I'm guessing I've never heard Veronica before...'cause if I had I would have told you about it. It's not the Elvis Costello song; you can pick your girlfriend, but you can't pick your girlfriends name. The song is an open wound.

A new Doug Norquay song in the set, more darkness from the West, Cruel Cruel Town laments the fate of the artiste trying to make it in the real world.
Ridley Bent's Nine Inch Nails brought a lot of smiles. My son, who was one of the videographers this evening, is a big fan of NIN. His girlfriend is missing tomorrow's show because she's going to see Tool. They had to endure a little good natured ribbing in this story of misplaced records and love.

Tender moment in the middle of the show that was a testament to how tightly wound Corin is this evening. He's feeling the pressure of a showcase live performance that he's been promoting for a year. He's not succumbing, he's workin' it hard, but during the intro to Blues Mama he was telling a story about visiting his mother's grave. She passed away a long time ago and didn't get to see her grown son. He thought he'd play her a tune or two to let her know he's going OK and he drops 3000 Miles and Blues Mama on her. For a moment he choked up tonight, swallowed hard and poured his heart into the John Borra song.

Surprise song of the evening was a combination spoken-word piece and answer-song. Back in February of '11 Corin received a most peculiar invitation to perform at an open mic. While the organizer purported to love his songs, and thought his clientelle would as well, he wasn't too keen on the pre-song banter. Not necessary for his cerebral concert attendees. If only he could change then perhaps he could get a feature slot for the $50.00 compensation. It was all the rage on Corin's Facebook page. Within a few hours Taylor Ashton had written this reply and he was on the stage tonight duetting with Corin on Change (You're So Strange). Corin started the piece by reading the letter, tossing in the odd comment, then was joined by Taylor for the tale. Now while I don't have any mp3's I do have an audiographic memory, so I've transcribed the piece if you have the patience to read. This whole tale is punctuated with laughter from the audience.

Corin:
This is something I want to share with you. You need to know about this. This is an email I received early in the year, in February from an open mic host. It's an invitation to play. He tells me he runs an open mic, I'm just sharing this with you because this is gold. You could not create this. he tells me,
"We're an open mic, of course, but we also have a feature in every show. I saw you about a year or two ago and thought you and your buddy would be a good feat'ch."

He's talking about The Undesirables.

"Our features do a half flhour."

I might as well read you what he wrote.

"Our features do a half flhour, we only pay 50 bucks but if you were stuck in town here on any 1st, 3rd or 5th Sunday night any month of the year this would beat sitting in a motel watching Simpsons reruns."

Which you realise, as the email goes on, that it would not beat watching Simpsons reruns.

"We'd have to know a few months in advance of course, but to be honest there was one problem. Your tendency to flood he audience with patter prior to each song would mean they would get one, or at best, two songs out of you guys during a half hour feath'ch. I mean, if we were to book you as a music act that would be a poor payoff for the crowd. And if we booked you as a word act, well then the music portion would seem superfluous."

This is my favourite.

"What to do?"

It sure is a puzzler.

"I know it's been a few years, maybe that need for extended talk prior to each song has passed. It wouldn' go down well with my audince as they are a well-read and well-educated bunch and do not appreciate long intro's or history. They'll "get" "

He put that in quotations.

"They'll "get" any song you throw at them, trust them. We really enjoy the music part of your portion of the show. ANyway I hope you're well and good and not wallowing in any of this flu shit that seems to be kililng everyone out here. Damn it, I had it for two weeks, got over it, to celebrate I went to a restaurant and got food poisoning."

I received that email in February. That thing's like a diamond, it's got facets. There are so many dimensions to that. So many levels to enjoy. I never responded to it. I didn't know how. I was touring with Jonathan Byrd, we'd be driving, he'd say, "Read that email to me again."

I put it on my music page on Facebook and asked, "What would you say?"
There were a hundred responses. Some people wrote a response to every line, they broke it down. I had trouble with it...what do I do?

Taylor Ashton, who's the front-man for an amazing band called Fishin Bird, Taylor was one of the first one's to respond and he said "You gotta write a song about this."
The thread went on and on and a couple of hours later he wrote, "Never mind, here it is" and he gave me the song. It was posted within hours.

I was never able to formulate a response to that email and I am very happy that he did.

Taylor's here now and we're going to sing it for you.

Taylor Ashton, playing the part of the open mic guy.

"Hey there Corin I like your sound
You're doing something that I like
and if you ever pass through town
well, you should feature at my open mic
i'll give you 50 bucks and drinks,
what do you think?

Oh the crowd is gonna love your songs
but there was just one little thing
you're introductions are kindo long
and they just want to hear you sing.
well if you change your style for us
i can give you 50 bucks
i'll throw in a couple of drinks,
what do you think?

Taylor/Corin chorus

oh just change, change, change, change,
you'd fit right in if you'd just change
you'd be so normal if you weren't so strange,
change

Corins response:

"I received your note today
thank you for your offer man
i'm a little concerned about the pay
could we make it 20 grand?
maybe change the venue
hold it in my living room
forget about the open mic
i'll talk and sing the whole damn night
we'll serve only milk to drink,
what do you think?

On second thought I'll have to decline
I just don't think it would make a good fit
you don't want my story time
and i don't want your...shenanigans.
next time you ask someone to sell out
you better have more to sell out
than 50 bucks and a couple of drinks
you wanna know just what I think?
Well I ain't gonna play for you
or anyone who wants me to....change

repeat chorus

That was precious and may not be repeated too many times.

More about the fundraiser on tomorrow's blog.

Set 1

JB Intro
Old Fort Mac (Rob Vaarmeyer)
Anastasia (Max Metro)
If I Were You Instead of Me (Bob Hannon)
Slip Away (Jonathan Byrd)
Rivertown (Hayes Carll/Guy Clark)
Little Byrd (Jonathan Byrd) Treassa Levasseur vocals
Lord Loves A Wino (Adam Olmstead)
Blues Mama (John Borra)
Mama It's Too Late(Scott Nolan)
Veronica (Corin Raymond)
Sugar Candy Mountain (Raghu Lokanathan)

Set 2

Change (Taylor Ashton)
100 Candles (The Swifties)
Cruel Cruel Town (Doug Norquay)
Bucket of Time (Evelyn Perry)
Time To Leave (David Ross McDonald)
Nine Inch Nails (Ridley Bent)
Do You Dream(Matt Fockler)
Coming Home To You (Andrew Neville)
I'm A Fucking Genius (Raghu Lokanathan)
The Lord Giveth (The Landlord Taketh Away)
Big Truck Brought It (Rob Vaarmeyer)
Don't Spend It Honey (Raymond/Vaarmeyer)
Italy (Michelle Rumball)
3000 Miles (Corin Raymond)
Postcard From A Friend (Corin Raymond)

Eric Burdon & The Animals Adiamo Showroom Warren MI2011-11-11 er, make that2012-01-20

2012-01-22T06:08:00.000-05:00

A day to remember. I bought tickets to this show in December of 2010 as artists were making early plans for this unique synchonization of dates and times. Show should end at 11:11:11pm if anyone's paying attention to the numbers.

First saw Eric Burdon a few of years ago when I was given free passes to HippieFest. The other acts on the bill, Terry Sylvester of The Hollies, some guy from Badfiner, Jack Bruce and Flo and Eddie, The Turtles were enjoyable in a nostalgic kind of way but didn't really have an arena set, perhaps they'd have been better suited to a lounge. Eric closed and his set, except for the songs, did not rely on a warm attachment to the '60's. It was enjoyable as a post-millenial rock show.

So we've kept tabs on him since and find him a mere 5 hours away from home. An easy jaunt.

For all the things that didn't go quite right, the evening was well worth the trip. Got to visit with our friend from Livonia. Always a pleasure to share music with Jacki. Off the top of my head I remember a half-dozen Dylan shows, one with Jack White, Jack White with both The Raconteurs and Dead Weather, Junior Brown and then Billy Bragg at the Ark. Am I missing anything? Oh ya, a trip to Iggy Pop's trailer park.

Dinner at Adiamo's was OK. No beer at all on tap, not a good sign, but the food was excellent. The venue itself was waaaaay to crowded. They could have used about 20 % less tables to give us a little wiggle room. Once you were strapped into your seat there was no getting up without disturbing a large number of people. Fortunately our table didn't move around at all.

Our seats were very close to the stage, actually under the speakers, so a touch too close. We had a great sight-line though. 'Course, I had a 'woo-bird' right beside me so anything remotely good or interesting on stage was followed by a loud 'WOOOOOOOOOO'. Actually I had two woo-birds; one who squeeled like a girl and his date, a girl. Not to mention Sir Clap-A-Lot. People, get out to more concerts, work it out of your system, it's not 1974 anymore...we're respecting the art of the show nowadays.

Opening band was...well, a waste of stage time. Didn't catch their name, though they told us. Did mostly classic rock covers. Lead singer (ummmm, didn't get his name, though he told us) was enamored with his guitar playing buddy (didn't get his name, though they told us) and seemed to be happy to be playing to a full house. The rhythm section wasn't even introduced...which is a shame, because I knew who they were. On bass, Greasy Carlise and on drums Todd Glass. This section often backs up Robert Gordon and Chris Spedding when they play the Detroit to Toronto corridor. Let me tell you, they are slumming it with this outfit. If the lead singer had had the courtesy to introduce them I would have given you his name.

Turns out the headliners were a cover band too. They were doing covers of blues masters though, and singing songs that came from The Brill Building before we knew what that was. A Tier 2 classic rock band; below The Kinks but above The Dave Clark Five in the tower of song.

Eric's still bringing it at 70 years of age. He's no Leonard Cohen but he's miles above the barking Dylan of 2011 or the remnants of Dr Hook I caught a few years ago.

Gotta love these songs. Eric's not sticking with the program on all them, he's changed the arrangements, added some funky variations and even made John Lee Hooker a little more salacious than he was on record. The audience was loving it. I know it dates me more than a bit but there's something life affirming about these kinds of shows. I've got nothing but indie artists and Coachella on my schedule this year so it was fun starting with something in my comfort zone. And who was the chick in the painted leather pants that put out the set list?

When I Was Young
Don't Bring Me Down
Don't Let Me Be Understood (reggae dub)
San Franciscan Nights
Before You Accuse Me (Bo Diddley)
I Believe To My Soul (Ray Charles)
River Deep Mountain High (Tina Turner)(dedicated to Etta James)
Boom Boom (John Lee Hooker) (bj dub)
Trying To Get To You ( C. Singleton - R.M. McCoy) (Elvis cover)
It's My Life (woo-bird intro)
Encore Break/Band Solo's/Crowd Talk
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
Why Can't We Live Together (T.Thomas)/Rivers Are Rising(?)
Crawlin' King Snake (John Lee Hooker)
House of the Risin' Sun (trad. arr Dave Van Ronk)
???

Corin Raymond's Canadian Tire Money Album Fundraiser Goes Viral!

2012-01-18T08:14:00.000-05:00

If you are living in Canada and own a TV you've likely come across this story. With a little searching around in the glove box you can become a part of it.

Independent artist, Corin Raymond, is endeavouring to fund his next two albums with Canadian Tire Money. The journey there is going to be fun.

Visit Don't Spend It Honey for updates.

See the 'kitchen video' that started the media onslaught at MrMikelProductions youtube page.

CR Avery Last Show of Tour The Neat Coffee Shop Burnstown, ON 2011-12-10

2011-12-12T11:40:00.003-05:00

In the words of Jim Morrison; this is the end.

On a lighter note, it's only the end for this year.

Special treat tonight, two sets. Always worth the white lines you gotta pass to get to the evenings musical shrine. We find ourselves an hour or so west of the nation's capitol, in Burnstown, ON, The Village, at The Neat Coffee Shop. A quaint artists town on the banks of the Madawaska River in the Ottawa Valley. Kind of like Woodstock North.

The most wonderful ride along the backroads, heading north, through the land of lakes, trees dressed in snow, water freezing, water rushing, roads that are long and winding taking us to...well, we know where, but no one gets here by mistake. Everything's right about this trip. The Calabogie Motor Inn is a roomy, clean and quiet resting spot a short distance from the cafe. The venue, inside The Neat Coffee Shop, is a mini-Ramble like facility; beautiful sound and everyone is within talkin' distance of the artist.

Adam and Kim McKinty, who are organizing the music at this busy and virtually sold out venue, treat their artists well. First, the ambiance and sound are perfect. Second, the food and accommodations are all you could ask for if your career is still at the pre-rider stage. It's good treatment even if you're past that as the likes of Michelle Wright and Hawksley Workman already have SOLD OUT dates in Burnstown. And the front of house staff were just as friendly, the food terrific, from the Wood Oven Pizza to the Pork medallions in a pear chutney. On the tables, a menu/souvenir, with a picture of CR Averyon the front and today's specials and wine list on the back. Nice touch.

And there was some music. What kind of music? Well, that's the question isn't it. CR is not easier to describe now than he was 3 years ago. When you first see him you hear and see it and it happens fast. Now, you're not going to get it all, and you might hear the wrong words but you`re going to know you were there. Some describe him as a hip-hop-beat-poet-blues-harmonica-rock n roll-balladeer. But that misses the waltzes. I prefer to break his songs down into three categories; the sonically challenging, the captivating and the soothing. It`s the combination of all these elements in one show that never fails to win over the crowd. There`s many doors into CR. Every one may not suit your tastes but when you find one, the others become less intimidating.

So here`s how they broke down tonight; in no particular order. You can see the balance...three outside the box challengers, three soothing breaks and a ton of stuff that just reels you in from the onset.

Sonically Challenging;

Maggies Farm Much like Dylan's current show you can't tell it's a Dylan song when it starts. Unlike the Masters current show...this one gets better as it goes along. This year we're getting the "PJ Storm" dub. Now I don't know who PJ Storm is but they seem to like an electronic organ that sounds like a calliope. I had to Google to find that link...had a choice between some guy who has no friends on Facebook, someone else who writes porn for the 18-19 year old market and this eastern European DJ. I took the safe route. Even though this song was considered bombastic for Dylan when it was released (remember Newport '65?) this version makes the early one sound like a folk song.

57 Channels (And Nothing On) From the old Dylan to the new Dylan. Showcase song for CR's impressive harp skills. It almost delves into performance art; a sword-dance between breathe and sound, but not too choreographed. The audience buys itself an extra special version by breaking in no less than three times to applaud the spectacle.

Love Song The recently coke-free and rehabilitated keytar makes it's debut in the droning portrayal of people who ensure that negativity will stop them from pulling through. A love song to teen-angst and adult ennui. A cry in the wilderness for an end to 'shoe gazing' as an art form. To the L, to the O, to the V, to the E.

Captivating;

The Boxer Who Just Returned From London An autobiographical spoken-word piece; an homage to Charles Bukowski. A tour-de-force that displays CR's notable beat-boxing skills. Instant crowd pleaser.

My Bad This one appeared last year in a different configuration, as spoken-word. Now it's part of the banjo set done acuostically amongst the audience. The three vignettes never fail to elicit laughs.

The Grey Area Armpit of Rock N Roll Now we're getting into crossing-over, which may be the easiest way to describe CR; he's a cross-over artist. He's visited this theme in another song (Ballad of Charlie Parker and Patsy Cline), a nostalgic late-night song. This one is a little more late-afternoon libertarian/confrontational. Music finds it's lovers in the most unlikely places and guises.

PET In Ontario, this poem goes over very well. Different in Calgary and Montreal.

Jelly Roll Morton More banjo music about the salacious inventer of American Jazz.

Postcard From New York Now the captivating songs often come with some nice melodies. Which is not to say they can't be challenging topically, as this one proves. Postcard From New York is a mirror, literally and figuratively. It takes a well-known issue many young people have to deal with at that moment their bodies and lives are changing and makes it a 'what if' story. The keytar is present here, but it's the mellow keytar, set to 01, not 21.

The Wind Is A Speed Reader Just added to the set list this year, more spoken word, with a word-hook worthy of the best pop songs. The title alone conjures up images.

Dinner For One A rollicking good time is had by all and no one leaves unsatiated.

Hollywood Movie Blues Banjo #3, sardonic look at the plastic people on celluloid.

Doll House and Pocketknife Lovely piece about training your daughter to take care of herself when you're not around to help.

Soothing;

Blame It On My Troubled Youth I love the piano ballads, the funny ones, like this.

The Kind Man of Alexander Street I love the piano ballads, the sad ones, like this.

Israel's Saviour and Queen I love the piano ballads, the homages, like this one, to Amy Winehouse et al.

CR Avery's DVD Subtitles For A Foreign Film is available for purchase or download at Film Baby

CR Avery's CD Magic Hour Sailor Songs can be found for purchase or download at CD Baby

More CR Avery available a I-Tunes

C R Avery Subtitles For A Foreign Film The Making of...

2011-12-12T06:14:00.000-05:00

Now available online at filmbaby

CR Avery Subtitles For A Foreign Film

It was a cold and windy June day in 2008 and when Cece and I settled into our seats at the Sirius Soundstage located on the Harbourfront grounds. We were there to see Billy Bragg. Didn't know there was going to be an opening act when a young man approached the center stage mic and tore into a harmonica-laden version of Leadbelly's Sylvie. OK, that warmed me up a bit. The tapes are rolling, so to speak, it's actually a digital thing beyond my comprehension. The artist settles into a position behind his piano and introduces the next song as a tune by Blind Boy Grunt. I'm thinking to myself, awright, we're getting some blues music...even as my brain was trying to tell me that was an early '60's Dylan alter-ego...almost simultaneously, we get a beat-box version of the Oscar winning song Things Have Changed. He followed with an excellent spoken word piece, an homage to pugalistic poet Charles Bukowski, called The Boxer Who Just Returned From London, and I was hooked.

Putting my limited interweb skills to work I found his website, Facebook page, mySpace page, twitter hash tag, medical history, porn preferences and Family Tree at ClicktheLeaf.com. Turns out he's an active road warrior who traverses the big country a few times a year. When I saw the Rivoli hosting a February show I dropped him a line to see if my son, a fledgling indie film producer, could bring a camera to his show...mostly so I'd have a record beyond my normal audio. He responded that he had a few boxes full of single camera samples and it's really difficult to get enough good material without a few cameras.

So we brought 4.

The shoot was virtually gonzo. No control over the lights, the audience or the stage blocking. No real idea of what CR was going to do. No plans whatsoever except to push REC and see what happens. Add to that the limitations of not being Martin Scorcese; we had two high-end cameras and a couple not so high end. Michael (my son), directed his camera assistants, set up a remote long shot camera and captured a SBD and audience audio feed. The result is pretty impressive...about 4 hours of raw tape to turn into a movie.

The editing was the time consuming part. Michael is meticulous and hard to please. A few late night sessions with CR, when he was in town, resulted in the final play list and an artistic agreement on how the show would look and feel. It also coincided with another Rivoli date, more filming and more material, on September 6,2009. The result is a look into a couple of CR Avery's varied persona; solo artist and band leader.

The first act opens with a staple of CR's set; a little something to make you claw your face off. It's always interesting watching a crowd adjust to the sonic assault from the stage. The songs are at once vaguely familiar yet drastically altered. Whether it's Leadbelly's Sylvie, (as it is tonight), Dylan's Maggies Farm, Tom Waits' Big in Japan, or Springsteen's 57 Channels, it gets a beat-box, harmonica make over. The audience reaction progresses from "WTF!?!?!?", to "Hey, I think I know this song," to "Man, he's doing a good job."

We get the superior slow version of Door By The River, a better piano-ballad than a rock song. One of the best opening couplets of the decade... "I take my orders/from a seagull perched at a busy intersection..." This usually comes near the end of the set, but CR is looking to get the patrons involved early with the sing-a-long chorus and wading into the crowd schtick. He's aided by local songstress Coco Love Alcorn who finds her way to the front of the stage to lend her soulful voice to the piece. An exercise in working the audience.

Birdcage is a powerful, hypnotic spoken-word tome. The stand-up bass licks provided by Michael Liston evoke a post-modern Beat feel. The poem is packed with strong visuals and surreal imagery. It's like you're sitting in a living room with this young couple as they dance the dance of the developing relationship; establishing the parameters, learning about each other, surrounded by their animated furnishings. Yup, you got it, I have no idea what it's about except it's an aural treat. Superbly captured, passionately delivered, a tour-de-force.

CR was headlining what had been a multi-artist evening and he is joined onstage by the other singers who had performed earlier for a hootenany-type sing-a-long on the aptly titled ballad, When I'm Gone. An impromptu, unrehearsed performance enhanced by the subtle guitar work of The Undesireables Sean Cotton.

The second act of the night features the Legal Tender String Quartet. Two violins,(Serena Eades, Meredith Bates) a bass,(Evan Bates) drums (Matthew Rogers), guitar (Noah Walker)and CR's piano-harmonica. A little high-end music for the streets. The arrangements for the songs in this show were done by the talented Matthew Rogers...and that had to be mentioned because this stuff is the bomb.

Letter From A Foot Soldier is another spoken-word epic, faster paced, a bit of the F-bomb potty mouth on this one. "I need a shrink or a drink or a quiet place to think..." CR takes us through the process of the indie artist. Clubs in the red light district, the search for a muse, walking a tightrope in the spotlight. It's bombastic but not narcissitic. Machine gun rhymes and a couple hints of the Zimmy.

The Boxer Who Just Returned From London,is a long-time regular in CR's set. Another spoken word piece, well paced,humourous, highlighted by some great beat-box/boxing interludes...and it never fails to captivate the audience. "I had to kill, stab, the myth, that beauty is only skin deep..."

The most orchestrally lush arrangement of the night is saved for a song about two monster stars. The Ballad of Charlie Parker and Patsy Cline, takes us to a far-away speak-easy, perhaps in the smokey, needle-strewn stairwell, hours after the music has died, where a god of jazz finds respite in the voice of a country queen. Another visually beautiful capture and stunning performance. I'm seen it 50 times and it still gives me goosebumps.

The night closes with a song that should have been in The Wrestler. Tragic Figure, done country style. I'm glad this song made the cut, it's such a life-affirming way to end a show. CR wades deep into the crowd for this one, far from the SBD mic. The day was saved by sound engineer Dwight Ivany who kept this from the dustbin with some deft sound editing of the camera audio tracks.

The Rivoli is a great place to see a show but it has a tendency to have a chatty backroom, near the entrance and the bar. CR had come into the audience a couple times already, trying to shift the center of balance so the whole hall was paying attention. He met with some fleeting success. To close the night he just figured, not tragically though, that he might as well bring the show to the talkers rather than try to shout them down from the stage. It all results in a special moment as CR croons out his tale of self-redemption, surrounded by the band and the audience.

This isn't all CR Avery has to offer but it's an intimate look at his talents and respect for the art of the show. Michael Levesque has done a wonderful job of capturing the passion of the performance and the subtle interplay of the artists. Whether it's the head shot of CR, sweat pouring down his cheeks, pushing the envelope, or the sweet crying fills of Meredith Bates' violin dancing around the lyrics; fades and cuts that add another dimension to the listening/viewing experience.

Here is the original, pre-release trailer.

The DVD also comes with a load of extras, a retrospective look at CR over the past decade and the irreverant "Olympic" video of the fast version of Folk Singer.

CR Avery The Bookshelf Guelph ON 2011-12-08

2011-12-09T18:27:00.001-05:00

5 1/2 hours of meetings downtown, a ride along the Don Valley Parkinglot during rush-hour, quick dinner then on the road for Guelph. Sounds like a Friday, but it's not.

Hook up with friends at The Bookshelf and we're early. Real early. Sometimes these cafe shows are slated to end by 10:30. The venue had a different plan...and they weren't wrong. The real start time was posted as 9:30pm, so we had some time to spare. Luckily, the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce was holding their annual Christmas party so there was food available.

A mere few minutes after 10pm the opening act, local favourites, Your Neck of the Woods takes the stage. A 6 piece band delivering roots music, reminiscent in sound and spirit to Great Big Sea. The kids are dancing early. Well, not early, but dancing. And they know all the words.

Just back from a whirlwind tour of North America, and still packing lots of swag from t-shirts to cd's to actual vinyl records, The Coppertones are a mirror of The White Stripes; girl on guitar, guy on drums. Lots of energy, they tore it up.

So as the day turns into night, turns into the next day, our hero CR Avery takes to the stage shortly after midnight. The kid is hot tonight. Right off the start, with the new calliope sound on the piano/organ, he's doing a Dylan to a Dylan tune, Maggies Farm. The night starts at full tilt as he plays with the phrasing to allow the cheers from the audience into the song.

He bounces up off his stool in the corner and strides to the center of the ring, pounding the pugilist pavement with The Boxer Who Just Returned from London.

Now CR doesn't ever want to be accused of not knowing his Canadiana. I mean, he's not a roots musician in the mold of Corin Raymond, but he respects the broad history of Canadian music. He's back at the piano to deliver the tune Anne Murray will cover in February of 2012 so it can appear in a Pepsi commercial on the Canadian broadcast of the Super Bowl, Dinner For One.

Back at the mic for a cover of a song by The Next Bob Dylan (Ver. 2.12), Bruce Springsteen, the even-more-relevant-now-than-it-was-then, 57 Channels (And Nothing On). Besides giving the audience something that may be vaguely familiar this song allows CR to stretch out that harp-blowing talent that got him the respect of Charlie Musselwhite and some stage time with Tom Waits in days gone by.

By request, and well loved by the left of center gathering, CR's song about Mirabel, PET, is received to raucous applause. Speaking of the 'left of center' crowd, the bar is filled with this generations version of the counter-culture; a mix of KEDS, skaters and wool caps. Whoever sells wool caps in Guelph is wintering in the Bahama's 'cause he's had a good year.

Feeling nostalgic tonight CR brings out his friend from another decade, the recently rehabilitated, keytar. It's a biblical instrument; only Jews and Herbie Hancock are allowed to play it. Tonight it's showcased in the sonic attack that is Love Song (Don't You Hate).

Now it's getting early, so we have a shortened set. CR comes into the center of the audience for the last two unplugged numbers. Hollywood Movie Blues, with banjo, closes the set and the lengthy, machine-gun paced, spoken-word piece, Commercial and First, brings the evening to a bombastic close.

Maggies Farm

The Boxer Who Just Returned From London

Dinner For One

57 Channels (And Nothing On)

PET

Love Song

Hollywood Movie Blues

Commercial and First

Corin Raymond & CR Avery McNamara Family Xmas Get-together A secret room in Toronto 2011-12-04

2011-12-06T07:18:00.003-05:00

I guess this is the natural conclusion to discovering these great Canadian performers and spending the better part of your entertainment dollar tracking down their live outings. You can search this blog to find plenty on both these wonderful artists.

CR Avery had some downtime between Southern Ontario shows and I put out an invite for him to come meet the wife's family. As fortune would have it, he convinced Corin Raymond to accompany him. Talk about 'bonus fries'. Big thanks to both you guys for a real treat.

Each year my sister-in-law, Theresa, hosts a family gathering, basically an all-day open-house, and it's become a tradition that kicks off the holiday season. This year the honours of hosting are being done by her niece, Andrea, and her husband David. They were kind enough to be open to the possibilities of incorporating live music into the mix. That's a precarious thing to do, this isn't an audience that chose to be exposed. In fact, it wasn't even an audience that KNEW it was going to be exposed.

All went well 'cause talent prevails. A big thank you to the attentive and appreciative crowd. I see live music so my blood keeps flowing; not everyone feels the same connection.

CR is in the midst of a quick-hit tour before the snow socks us in for the winter. He'll be returning home to East Van when he's done wowing crowds in rural Ontario. Corin is preparing for the 2 night live recording of indie North American artist songs (and a few of his own gems) due to take place at the Tranzac in January.

After the Artist-Trans brought the boys to the party we took some time to imbibe and eat and meet and greet before Corin starts off the festivities with a loose version of Sam Cooke's Cupid. CR is content to conserve his energy and play harp-blowin' wing-man to Corin's troubadour so we're treated to a preview of some tunes that will be on that upcoming live album and DVD as well as some originals and a nice rendition of John Prine's Please Don't Bury Me. All the while CR was dancing around the chorus dropping harp licks and adding some harmonies.

After a short break we entice CR to tune his banjo and deliver a couple tunes. It's a little too early in the night for those manic spoken-word, harp songs. They are best heard under a booming PA in a darkened bar, when the night is just starting to get dangerous. We get some slide-banjo on the humurous My Bad, followed by the just as funny Hollywood Movie Blues before he closed the evening with and appropriate song (perhaps soon to be in Corin's songlist) When I'm Gone.

Here are some sound samples:

Corin

Canadian Tire Money

Please Don't Bury Me

Blue Mermaid Dress

That's Life

There Will Always Be A Small Time

Hard on Things

Big Truck Brought It

CR Avery

My Bad

Hollywood Movie Blues

When I'm Gone

CR Avery The Rivoli Toronto ON 2011-12-03 Bidini BOOM! or It's Not A House, It's A Home

2011-12-04T09:05:00.002-05:00

Some places and artists are just made for each other; Gordon Lightfoot at Massey Hall, John Lee Hooker at Le Coq D'or, Ronnie Hawkins at The Nickelodeon, Corin Raymond at The Cameron, and we can add to that list, CR Avery at The Rivoli. While we can't revisit all those events we should be careful not to miss those that are still happening.

Special guests today, Bidini Band, fronted by former Rheostatic, Dave Bidini. You should be able to find these guys headlining in January upon the release of their new album. Tonight they warmed the room up and set the stage for another stellar performance from CR.

The crowd was the added ingredient that sent this set over the top.

Today we'll highlight a couple beat-box, harmonica blow outs;

Maggies Farm

57 Channels and Nothing On

A spoken word piece;

The Wind Is A Speed Reader (Playboy Dub)

(Note: The tunes above are SBD, the ones below, AUD. Something happened when the band came back onstage to join CR. I think it was the pick up on the guitar that caused some static and a drone sound.)

Two raucous blues tunes with the Bidini Band backing and a rock n roll celebration;

Dog Bark Blues

Motel: 50 Miles Out Of Town

Door By The River (Small Time version)

And to close the show a new piano ballad;

Hope To See You

CR Avery The Pearl Company Hamilton ON December 2, 2011

2011-12-03T08:14:00.008-05:00

CR's back in Southern Ontario for a handful of shows before the winter socks us in. First up a night at the wonderful Pearl Company Building in Hamilton. Cozy couches and beat attitude; a room well suited to CR's talents.

So I'm not going to go on about it all. Search through the blog for past reviews with more detail if it strikes your fancy. As Corin Raymond says, if you haven't seen CR live yet, I envy you...that first time is mind-blowing. If you have, well I'll likely see you soon at one venue or another.

Some highlights from the soundboard;

Israel's Saviour and Queen

One of Those Faces

Just A Hobo

Folk-Singer

Small Town

A couple off-mic banjo tunes from the audience capture;

My Bad

Hollywood Movie Blues

Reprise tonight at The Rivoli on Queen West.

My First Dylan Show 1975-12-01 Rolling Thunder at MLG a krewechief flashback

2011-11-30T17:57:00.000-05:00

December 1, 1975 Maple Leaf Gardens Toronto ON

Guam opens the show. this is the name given to the supporting players collectively. usually the equivalent of a full set was put in by these guys, consisting of, but not limited to, the likes of Rob Stoner, Dave Mansfield, Mick Ronson, T. Bone Burnett, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and a gaggle of other goons. there are added guests so we get a monster show tonight.

Guam’s 16 song opening set is extended to 20 by Joni Mitchell’s 4 songs, notable for the inclusion of Coyote which was to be featured next year at the Last Waltz and her refusal to play anything else remotely commercial. the opening set also included Rob Stoner covering Dylan’s Catfish and Neurwirth taking a swing at Mercedes Benz.

this set was followed by 7 songs with Bob and the band, a solo Times, then a 4 song set with Joan.
Joan’s solo set of 6 songs is extended to 7 when she duets with Roger (don’t call me Jim) McGuinn on The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. her whole set was terrific, including Long Black Veil, Please Come To Boston and the wonderfully bittersweet Diamonds and Rust.
McGuinn then does his two signature songs, Eight Miles High and Chestnut Mare before he gives way to the night’s second special guest, Gordon Lightfoot.
Lightfoot’s set runs three songs: Race Among the Ruins, The Watchman’s Gone and Sundown, all from his recently released album.
back to Bob for 10 more songs. quite the night. that’s 53 songs by my count.

but it all started with these words:“…the streets of Rome, are filled with rubble…” as did every concert on the first leg of the RT review, save one. sources have it missing from the Nov. 2, 1975 Lowell MA show. but that show’s not in circulation so I can’t tell you one way or the other. seems a little incongruous that he would not play it at one of the few shows that are missing from the catalogue…but with Bob you never can tell.

interesting choice for an opener and more than a little cheekiness as Bob may well be unveiling his masterpiece, in the guise of the Rolling Thunder, even as he sings about doing it ‘someday’. works like a party-song, in the vein of RDW#12&35 …which is good because most of the time, Neuwirth’s with him and we can’t be depending on him to hit his cues. it’s not a big hit, having appeared only on the Greatest Hits series (and the Japanese Masterpieces) but not on any official album. tonight everyone is in control. remember, Momma Zimmerman is here, we’re in a foreign country trying not to cross the line, so we’re probably going easy on the partying. Bob misses the ‘oh’, or isn’t close enough to the mic so it starts curtly after a brief electric guitar intro. even with Neuwirth’s late entries on each harmony the song keeps its shape, eventually incorporating a couple nicely timed and placed interjections from both Bobs. first a nice run on the “land of Coca-coooola.....ah ha....(pause)....(pause)...I left Rome...” a deft little dance around the lyrics. then after “newspaper men eating candy...that’s what they do!....” everything’s loose onstage but in focus. tonight we get the ‘Botticelli’s niece’, instead of ‘pretty little girl from Greece” version. I had no way of knowing I wouldn’t hear this song live again for 22 years, not until I landed in Brussels in the spring of 2002.
no time lost between songs as the band swings into It Ain’t Me Babe. if you’re paying attention, you know things are moving well onstage, Bob is riding the crest of the wave. he dances lightly all around the song, in full control of every syllable, just waiting to drop it in a spot where it’ll have the most effect. if you’re not paying attention then the second verse should shake you from your doldrums as Bob incorporates a plethora of tricks, filling the verse with many layers, adding shadows and texture with the least effort, almost willing the song to a new life…first the extended ‘s-s-s-s-step back’…..this carry’s on to the first line of the next verse… ‘s-s-s-… not as pronounced but the points already been made. this song has never been better. much more intense than the folk delivery we’ve been used too.
next up, still with the slow songs, Hattie Carroll passes without making much of an impact. in my still-novice mind, I’ve relegated this song to the heap of ‘topical’ songs that didn’t have any meaning in today’s world. my bad.

in the fourth slot we get the new version, the powerful version, of Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You that opens with the exaltation....’throw my ticket in the wiiiiiiinnnnnnd ...throw my mattress out there too.....’ altered lyrics throughout and a heartfelt commitment to the joys of staying here with you. only played eleven times in total on the two legs of RT. a true gem that will get its due when it leads off the Live ’75 release in 2003.
Phantom Engineer is next, familiar due to its prominent placing at Bangladesh and the oft-played Highway 61 album. not to mention the alternate title supplied from the studio sessions. any memories of it get swept away by the audio assault that is Romance in Durango followed by Isis. could they play any faster? the whistling of Scarlet Rivera’s violin is still resounding in my ears as the band breaks down and we get the acoustic set.

starts with a crowd pleasing The Times They Are A-Changin’, with Joan Baez dueting. this was a magical segment of the show. got no idea what was going through their minds but for us it was like the universe was unfolding as it should. a little confusion in my seat as the second song opens just like the first, but it’s Dark As A Dungeon, unknown to me, most likely I took a mental break or started chattering throughout the song to friends.
back from that revelry as Bob and Joan wrap us up in one of the greatest love-song-duets ever written, the late, great, Johnny Ace’s Never Let Me Go. both are totally in the moment with this song, the passion is palpable.
just in time we get a sexually neutral rendition of Joe Hill...er, no, that’s later, right now it’s I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine, a favorite of mine and a nice respite from the intensity, though it’s a song steeped with dire warnings about co-dependence.
not for long though. I Shall Be Released gets livened up by a well-timed interjection by Joan who, off of Bob’s ‘I remember every faaaaace’...she tosses in a little tremolo...’ including yours...’ ... smile inducing. Bob’s hitting his stride as Joan’s wailing harmony slides all around his words. she joins him on an extended ‘faaaaaaallllll’ and ‘waaaaallllll’ rhyme, their timing is perfect. nobody sings with Bob like Joan does...nobody.

long break in the show, the Bob-part anyway, where Joan, Roger and Gord get their sets. Joan’s got a lot of nerve playing that Diamonds & Rust song but Bob deserves it for putting her through the Don’t Look Back embarrassment. her whole set is strong with an a cappella Swing Low, a reprise of St. Augustine, er, wait, that was Joe Hill, a composition of her own, then Long Black Veil followed by a sweet, if a little syrupy, Please Come To Boston.

Roger’s set is a little more electric, a couple old war horses, among them a Chestnut Mare and Mercedes Benz.
then we get a little added extra, three songs from Lightfoot, Race Among the Ruins, the best of the three, though Sundown, a vicious break-up song about that chick that was with Belushi when he died, got the loudest response as it was the single from the new album.
back to Bob.

another treat, one of only 4 versions of It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue, done on the Rolling Thunder tour, both legs included, and the tour debut. quick on its heels, a lovely Love Minus Zero Over No Limit and another crowd pleaser...the first song from BOTT, Simple Twist of Fate. the only song from BOTT tonight. I mean, what is up with that?

by this stage, the band is pretty well warmed up and it’s time for some real music.
an absolutely powerful Oh Sister, with the longest, most excruciatingly aching, pause following a lung draining “mysteriously SAAAAAAAAAAAVED...pause...pause...pause... pause... Oh Sister...” the energy and passion in that one transition was played as well as any instrument.
hard on the heels of this, the reason for our gathering, the single: Hurricane. and no amount of calling for it since has made a difference. a crowd pleaser and a rollicking song, happy I got to see it once, glad it’s not a staple.

as great as it’s been to this point, it’s about to get better. the next three songs are spectacularly beautiful. first a moody, mysterious story about a girl, her sister, her father and an unbridled caffeine addiction...man, it got crowded in this song. One More Cup of Coffee (valley below) starts almost stunted, a quirky rhythm, some bongos then the silky smooth sounds of Scarlet’s violin wrapping around the narrative. just a hint of the gospel voice, as he pours out the story. an almost hypnotic allure as you strain to follow the tale.
then a simple beauty...Sara. with altered lyrics...not that we knew it since the album wasn’t out yet. the “fought for my soul” verse didn’t make it to the album. a singular song in his vast repertoire. if all songs are biographical, on some level, this one is an MRI of the soul. and a ‘name check’ for the ages with the mention of Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. a real gift.

but he’s not spent yet. my personal BEST EVER Just Like A Woman is next. Bob at his most transcendent. instantly recognizable on the opening word....’nobody’......’feels any pain’. still got Scarlet’s violin, got the back up vocals, got Bob just diving into the song with a long extended.... ‘breaaaaaaaaaks, just like a little girl’. the guess/blessed/rest rhymes are delivered with a slight quaver, almost tremolo. but the bridge is where this song takes off...in total control...’whatsa worse, is this-a pain in here’. a pregnant pause after an exasperated ‘ain’t it clear?????’ leads into a soft, resigned but not defeated, just accepting.... ‘I just don’t fit’....” game.set.match.

a sing-along with McGuinn on Knockin’, which I probably enjoyed more at the time than I let myself remember and a group grope through This Land and we’re back out on the streets.
I’m thinking I might catch this guy next time he comes through town. I didn’t know I could just follow him.

leaving the venerable confines of Maple Leaf Gardens, trough urinals notwithstanding, there were so many things about this show that I wouldn’t come to know for years. first off, that I’d never hear Hurricane, Sara, Isis, Romance in Durango or Oh Sister live again. after the second Night of the Hurricane in January 1976, not many people would hear any of those songs again. I wouldn’t hear When I Paint My Masterpiece until 2002. would only get one more outing of One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below). you can’t repeat the past...or can you?

it might seem I’ve got a very good memory or I took copious notes. neither really. I’m able to relive these far-distant moments due to the work of many in the Dylan community who have kept the spirit alive and the tapes and cdr’s flowing.

some strong memories linger from this show; the stage being set up like a living room, Joni and Gord’s presence, they being Canadians, is another. recognized all the big hits, and there were more than enough. the BOTT song was among the highlights…along with Sara. other than that though, it was all a blur. you gotta remember that Desire wasn’t even released yet so songs like Romance in Durango and Isis would have just blown by as a series of images and a half-baked story. Hurricane was on the radio and the highlight of the show, raison d’etre, at this point, of the tour.

Ronnie Hawkins Talkin' 35th Anniversary of The Last Waltz 2011-11-24

2011-11-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

The Hard Rock Cafe in Toronto hosted an intimate 1 hour interview with Ronnie Hawkins this past Thursday. MC and Interviewer was the iconic radio legend,David "Mars Bar" Marsden , who didn't seem to have his little green bag with him this evening. While it was ostensibly a celebration of The Band's last show (the complete Band)the topics of conversation covered much more.

The story of The Hawk is well known up and down the Yonge St. strip. He may be the most astute evaluator of talent that's ever lead a bar-band...or he's as lucky as all get out. He's introduced us to, well, The Band of course, but also John Till of Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, Ken Kalmusky, bassist in Ian and Sylvia's band The Great Speckled Bird,Robbie Lane and the Disciples, on to Pat Travers, '70's guitar virtuoso. His own career, now spanning over 50 years, has garnered him a place in rock n roll history as an influencer of many, and an innovator of sorts as he exploded onto the scene with a live act that got him the nickname 'Mr Dynamo'.

I'd imagine it would take a few consecutive weeks of non-stop talking to cover half the mileposts in this guys life. While 1 hour won't do it, it goes a long way to hitting some of the highlights.

The evening started with a Thanksgiving Dinner, just like Bill Graham served up at Winterland in 1976. As dessert was being cleared from the tables the familiar chords of the Last Waltz Suite streamed over the PA system while a young couple waltzed around the tables. That was our signal that the upstairs facility was open for business. Ronnie was holding court at a side-stage table, signing autographs, posing for pics, and glad-handing with the fans and the dignitaries. He was in terrific spirits, giving as much attention to the album-toting fans as the name-dropping in-people, maybe more. In keeping with the spirit of the evening I brought along the artwork from the bootleg Lost Waltz DVD to get signed.

The format of the Q&A was a little, well, informal. Dave Marsden broke the ice, laid the groundwork, then deferred to whatever insanity Ronnie wanted to add to the story. Political correctness took the evening off. While it was terrific watching Ronnie laugh and cackle about his mispent youth I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected twist Dave brought to the party. And it had nothing to do with his standing as Toronto's Best DJ Ever; from the time he took over at CFNY until Brad McNally left, that radio station was the BEST EVER! As a youth managed a Stratford based band, The Revols, who where fronted by Richard Manuel and were so good that Ronnie decided not to compete with them, but to hire them to play in his establishment in Arkansas and tour other southern bars. This releationship was the source of most of the stories told tonight. But we get a lot more than that, we get personal insights into moments with; John Lennon and Yoko, Bob Dylan, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, oh, and The Band, of course. But that ain't all either. Let's revisit.

Ronnie on Robbie

Ronnie on Bill Clinton's 65th birthday party

Ronnie on Richard Manuel, this one is bittersweet

Ronnie on Eric Clapton

Ronnie on Van Morrison

A little tip of the hat to Canada

Ronnie on the first time he met Dylan

Ronnie on John and Yoko

The White Stripes a krewechief flashback Patriot Centre, Fairfax VA 2007-07-28 This May Be The Last Time

2011-10-25T13:20:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: Actually it was the last time, just didn't know it then. I thought I'd be seeing The White Stripes well into my 80's. Just not to be as Jack and Meg recently announced the roller coaster ride has come to an end.

In my original blog I didn't go into detail about what a horrific fast-break trip this turned out to be. Always the food troubles on a long trip one-way, Fairfax VA is about 13 hours away from home. Decided I could drive after the show, cut off some hours from the next days travel while coming down from the buzz. Would have been a good plan...except for the torrential downpour that had visibility at zero on the highways and no vacancies in any hotel you stopped at. We pulled off the road to sleep in our car for 4 hours before waking, still in the middle of a downpour, and driving off towards home.

In retrospect, I'm really glad I went.

"Okay, you hear and see it and it's going to happen fast. Now, you're not going to get it all, and you might hear the wrong words, and then afterwards, see I can't...I won't be able to talk to you afterwards..."
Bob Dylan in Don't Look Back.

He could have been looking ahead.

An above average show from an artist that never fails to amaze. I'm on about my 18th show with Jack and there's always something new.

Overall the show was a little shorter than some this year but filled with more than enough special moments to warrant a "BEST EVER" or two in the immediate afterglow.

Standard opener in Dead Leaves And the Dirty Ground from the breakthrough third album, White Blood Cells. Usually the first two slots are fast-paced warm-ups. Tonight it was done at about 3/4's speed. Not quite the 'rip your face off' pace it usually has. I think it was better for the care he took with the song.

What You Might Have Missed:
"I didn't feel so bad till the sun went down (plaintive moan)
then I come home
no one to wrap my arms around."
He did a 'timrod' on this one and just stole those words from Son House.

Always like it when he steps over to talk to Meg in a spot where you expect the second 'candy cane' song. Jack opts to do a verse of Icky Thump (normally the third song) and create a medley with When I Hear My Name, the song likely slated for the #2 slot. The extended center of this song explores the melody of WIHMN before
Jack closes with the remainder of an energetic Icky Thump. A two-fer.

What You Might Have Missed: WIHMN...not much to this one besides a monster beat. Icky Thump; "White Americans, what?/ Nothing better to do?/Why don't you kick yourself out?/You're an immigrant too?"

The long musical interlude had the effect of slowing the tempo, making this opening trio of songs a little less driven than normal. Later in the show Jack questions the audiences enthusiasm, saying he can't tell if they're excited or bored. He might have laid the seeds for a reticent audience in the opening segment. Icky Thump closes with some intensity but that momentum is lost during the rather long break for a guitar switch before Death Letter Blues. This made no difference in the quality of the opening, it just made it slightly different than your average show.

Death Letter Blues has moved up the set list a few slots. It's traditionally the blow-out guitar extravaganza of the night...or one of a few, in any case. In slot #4 it's shorter by a few minutes but no less intense. This song is the best modern-rock
interpretation of a Mississippi Delta Blues song I've ever heard. Jack's love of the blues is evident in most of what this band does but this song shows his unconscious talent. He has tapped into the soul of this music and it's passion explodes where it may have merely simmered in the original version. We got a very good version tonight.

What You Might Have Missed: The ghost of Son House slapping his knee.

A show without Cannon is no show at all. When it's paired with Little Room, instead of it's normal mate, John the Revelator, it becomes a rare moment to savour. I'm not sure why we didn't get JtR but if you listen at the point the song switches and Meg starts her beat, Jack is laughing, saying "oh, oh, oH, OH, OH", as if he is reading her lead and gives her what she's playing. Maybe he's not the control freak some make him out to be.

What You Might Have Missed: "Lord above, how could man, be evil?"

Hotel Yorba is fun filler at the best of times. And fun filler at the worst of times. Mostly it's just fun filler.

What You Might Have Missed: It's country night in Virginia.

Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman is another treat. Love the songs where Jack switches from piano to guitar.

What You Might Have Missed: "every single girl needs help/ climbing up a tree/ you know it don't take much/to satisfy me"

And now for the NIN-moment, complete with disco ball and crowd grunts. Slowly Turning Into You is the center piece of the whole set. Jack pulls out all the audience-participation tricks and light-show he has at his disposal.
Lovely moody piece that kind of noodles along until we get the hook and Jack implores the crowd to chant on queue. Great lyrics, the song is broken into two segments...the primary verses and the chant...which is where he really channels Trent. A little exploration of love-hate, coming down sqaurely in favour of love.

What You Might Have Missed: "I even love it when you're faking it/And it might sound a little strange for me to say to you/But I'm proud to be you/ And I'm slowly turning into you"

Next up another rarity...an instrumental. Instinct Blues tease with Rat tease, basically the primary riffs from both those songs repeated alternately three times. Sometimes, most times in fact, when you get these musical teases you get a song
with lyrics attached to them. Lately the Rat tease has accompanied Martyr For Your Love and for a brief moment at the end of the triumvirate pair of teases it sounds like that is what we're getting, then he breaks down into the chords for
One More Cup of Coffee.

Coffee was extremely well done and much more enjoyable than the last time I heard it, while ducking flying beer pints in Glasgow. He really nails this, the quaver in his voice is bang on.

What You Might Have Missed: Likely not a beat.

Martyr For My Love For You is fast becoming a favorite from the new record. I don't worry too much about the possible age difference between the main characters or the reason he has to be a martyr, it's just a bitter-sweet story told with an edge and from a perspective not often seen in rock. He has come close to mastering that pregnant pause before he delivers the title...tonight it was excruciatingly long and he waited as long as we could bear.

What You Might Have Missed: the tricky word dance that is the opening verse; "She was sixteen and six feet tall/ In a crowd of teenagers comin' out of the zoo /She stumbled started to slip and fall / Teeter-tottered on the top of patent leather shoes /I happened to catch her and said, /"maybe these ruby shoes are a little cumbersome for you"

Meg always gets a good reception from the audience. Deservedly so too. For all people want to argue about her drumming style I'll say this: Jack White can play solo, he can play with the Raconteurs or he can back Dylan...he'll always be great.
He'll only be The White Stripes when Meg is on the drums. She's a much stronger singer now than she was a few years ago. Gotta like the way Jack sits at the back of the stage, with his back to the audience, and lets her have her moment. He also takes the opportunity to mention it's her Virginia debut, as the Stripes are playing this state for the first time.

What You Might Have Missed: this is one creepy song.

What You Couldn't Have Missed: Meg's kinda cute when she's coy.

One verse of Do is a gift, tonight we get the second verse. Unfortunately it's coupled with/lost in a medley with Black Math, a screamfest that has it's own charm though it may not be immediately evident.

What You Might Have Missed: the angst in Do, "it doesn't matter cause my eyes are lying/and they don't have emotion/don't wanna be social, can't take it when they hate me/but i know there's nothing i can do "

What You Surely Missed: the slam at the education system in Black Math, mostly because he absolutely butchered the lyrics on this one. He repeated the first verse twice, almost catching himself the second time by putting the last couplet of the first verse in there. Hedoes nail the middle verse: "Mathematically turning the page/Unequivocally showing my age/I'm practically center stage/Undeniably earning your wage/Maybe I'll put my love on ice/And teach myself, maybe that'll be nice."
Then he spits out one line of the last verse, the wrong line, and packs it in, closing with guitar and drums.

Let's Shake Hands is another 'candy cane children' song, a single, not on any album. Well loved by one and all. Too raucous to be called filler but not that complex.

What You Might Have Missed: "oh, say my name/ oh, baby say my name/ you can do what you wanna do/ you can do it in a garbage can/say my name."

Ball and Biscuit finds Jack having some trouble with his onstage monitors. He claims it sounds like "donkey", which is a strange description for an audio sensation. He keeps on trucking though and we get a good sounding version from our side.

What You Might Have Missed: Having played this song live with Dylan he was channeling him a bit early on...dropping words from lines, either
by design or through sloppiness or distraction.

Hardest Button To Button is appropriate the day after the debut of the Simpson's.

What You Might Have Missed: I don't care to go on about the more popularly recognized tracks. It's the gems I'm looking for.

On to the encore. A fairly full first set clocking in around 60 minutes so I don't expect more than a half hour in the next segment.

The Blue Orchid tease at the start of the encore was actually a relief...not too keen on the song. An extra bonus when he broke into Screwdriver and even that was up another notch when we get the alternate opening verse. I don't know what monkey Jack was talking about but that was an enjoyable experimentation in ad-lib. He really extends this song as Meg finds a groove and elicits a wailing refrain of "got
a little feelin' goin' now" to close.

What You Might Have Missed: "what am i supposed to think?/drop a nickel in the sink/i love people like a brother now/ but i'm not gonna be their mother now/ what if someone walked up to me/ and like an apple cut right through me?/ i'm not just gonna stand their grinnin'/ i'm not the one that's sinnin'/screwdriver!"

300 MPH Torrential Downpour Blues is one that has to grow on you. Tonights version might not be the one to turn the trick. It was a little slow to start though he did nail the final verse. Jack visits his fetish for three's (and red-headed women) in this song probably better suited for a concert hall rather than an arena. It's not the easiest song on the new record to replicate live so many points for effort
and outcome. The lyrics to the whole tune are substantially changed in the center portion.

What you might have missed: the screamfest that closes the song and somewhat approximates this; "But I can't help but wonder if after I'm gone will I still have these three hundred mile per hour, finger breaking, no answers makin', battered dirty hands, bee stung and busted up, empty cup torrential outpour blues...." which is where it ends as Jack leaves out the closing couplet:
"One thing's for sure: in that graveyard
I'm gonna have the shiniest pair of shoes"

He admonishes the crowd for it's silence before sucking up to them and talking to some chick in a red dress.

Seven Nation Army sees the return of the malfunctioning monitors and Jack's whine.

We Are Going To Be Friends in yet anothe 'candy cane children' song. I like it. The wife doesn't. You can decide.

Now we get to the absolute gem of the evening, Sam's Place, a Buck Owen's cover. First a little useless information. Back in '05 when I was about a year into my 'bored with Dylan' phase, Cece had completed my database of Stripes songs.
I turned my energies to producing a couple compilation of rare songs and blues covers. One of the comps was called: Jack White's Kitchen: Rare Songs Well Done, a nod to Robert Johnson's Come In My Kitchen that appears on the disc. That comp opens with a bunch of songs that contain the name 'Jack'... Jack On Fire, Everywhere I Go, I'm Jack and Black Jack Davey. I also had a song, played only once and unidentified, that came from a 2003 show. The taper called it "Oh Well", due to it's appearance throughout the song. I subtitled it Jack's Prayer, because Jack is talking to God in the song and that would make four consecutive songs with "Jack" in the title. Flash forward to Icky Thump where that song appears as Little Cream Soda. Around the Stripes boards I came across a post that posited that Ben Blackwell, a member of the Stripes camp, passed on a 'show' with song called "Jack's Prayer" that had only been done live once. Legend (if we can build it) has it that Jack liked it so much he did a slight rework and put it out.

Now one might think that was stretching it a bit but Sam's Place is also on that comp. It's likely just as rare. I don't have all the shows but I have more than a handful. If we ever get Red Death at 614 all doubt will be eradicated.

So Buck Owen's, eh? told you it was country night. This was a terrific version of the song and a real special treat. Nothing to say about this song except enjoy it as many times as you can.

A really good version of I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself, a song I'm at risk of tiring of but really enjoyed this evening.

What You Saw: a rock god.

The White Stripes
2007-07-28
Patriot Center
George Mason University
Fairfax VA

Disc 1/Main Set
Intro
Dead Leaves
Icky Thump>When I Hear My Name>Icky Thump
Death Letter
Cannon>Little Room>Cannon
Hotel Yorba
Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman
Slowly Turning into You
Instinct tease>Rat tease Medley
One More Cup of Coffee
Martyr For My Love For You
Cold, cold, night
Do >Black Math
Let's Shake Hands
Ball & Biscuit
Hardest Button to Button

Disc 2/Encore
Blue Orchid tease>Screwdriver (monkey version)
300 MPH Torrential Downpour Blues
Jack Talks
Seven Nation Army
We Are Going to Be Friends
Sam's Place
I Just Don't know what to do with myself

Corin Raymond and the Sundowners Cameron House 2011-10-20

2011-10-23T16:24:00.000-04:00

Heading downtown in the rain, 5:30 on a Thursday night...er, nevermind.

Back for another dose of Corin and he has the whole group behind him tonight.

Not gonna bore you with the usual excessive verbiage.

There's not a better deal to be had in the city of TO than seeing these guys for two hours at a PWYC room.

Corin's in the Yukon and NWT for a month and will be back at The Cameron House the day after his b'day, November 24.

Without further ado, some great songs.

t01 100 Candles (The Swiftys)
t02 Anastasia (Max Metro)
t03 Slip Away (Jonathan Byrd)
t04 Mama It's Too Late (Scott Nolan)
t05 I'm A Fucking Genius (Raghu N)
t06 Rivertown (Hayes Carll)
t07 Canadian Tire Money
t08 Stealin' My Heart
t09 3000 Miles
t10 Ole Ft Mac (Rob V)
t11 Hard On Things
t12 Take Me To The Mountain
t13 Big Truck Brought It
t14 There Will Always Be A Small Time

Corin Raymond and CR Avery 30th Anniversary of The Cameron House 2011-10-13

2011-10-15T09:21:00.002-04:00

There's trouble brewing in TO this weekend and it ain't just the Occupy Toronto crew you gotta watch out for. Lock up your daughters and keep your wives close by, Corin and CR are on the prowl.

Corin's about to embark on a month-long tour of the semi-frozen tundra before he returns to create and record a live album of indie covers. CR's wrapping up a short Southern Ontario tour but it looks like he'll be back around the same time, late November, early December.

'Till then, here's what went down last night.

Great to be taking in some live music with my longtime travelling companion, Michele. Last week she introduced her husband to the phenomena we call CR. This week she's brought along her daughter-in-law for a daytrip into the city, a little shopping and a surprise sit-down in a darkened bar off Queen St, through the curtains into Paradise. Cece and I have shared way too many Dylan shows with Michey, time to branch out.

With Corin tonight the ever inventive David Baxter on guitar and Sarah Fitzpatrick fiddling around.

The impromptu neo-Sundowners are in fine form. I'm guessing it was a two handkerchief night for Corin, would have been three, but he had an extended break.

He's still working the covers that should be on next years record; Ole Fort Mac, Sugar Candy Mountain, Dirty Mansions and I'm guessing the Jonathan Byrd cover, Slip Away, is going to make it too. That song is a creeper, I like it more and more, every time I hear it.

He brought along some old songs; Ridin' West on Dundas, 3000 Miles (recently included in a Blue Rodeo encore), Micheline, Stealin' My Heart and the lovely Blue Mermaid Dress. It'll make you pine for your youth.

A couple new songs; Hard on Things and Canadian Tire Money. The first has a little more gravitas as you might imagine.

That weren't all but the song of the night was a house-led version of The Cameron's theme song, There Will Always Be A Small Time.

CR's set was shorter, but no less passionate. He was hindered by a crying baby but even managed to work that into the set as you can't always get what you want. Don't even ask me why there was a crying baby in a bar.

The opener, Springsteen's 57 Channels and Nothing On is getting better every night. The beat-boxing and lyrics are becoming more defined, you can pick up more lyrics early than you could a year ago. The harp solo is bombastic. This song should be moving down the list to set closer or encore piece soon.

The new big ballad this year is a waltz,Israel's Saviour and Queen. I've been trying hard to get a pristine recording of this song but I've been running into a string of problems. Back in Kitchener, where we had the Grand Piano and a soundboard patch, I plugged into the wrong outlet on my recorder. In Stratford there was no opportunity for a board patch. I think the Ottawa one is the best but CR had a strange introduction and it may not sound right out of context as a single track on a record. Which leaves us with The Cameron. Could have had a patch but I left my expensive rig at home. Brought the pre-amp, brought the mics, just left the rig. Fortunately I had a back-up but decided to forgo the patch and just do an audience capture. Good news is...it came out great. Bad news is...the attack of the crying baby.

I don't quite get this song yet but that's OK, I'm still trying to decipher many of CR's word bombs. He's like an aural version of Dali's Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. You can look at the whole picture, or hear the whole song, and get a sense of the subject but you really have to break down the elements to discover the hidden content. Trouble is, once you have all the parts it's not always easy reassembling them into a cogent thought.

Israel's Saviour and Queen is filled with small pictures, little scenes,pop-culture grenades, apparently unconnected. We open and close with the wish for a Tarantino/Spike Lee collaboration, written by Joplin and discovered in the floorboards of the Chelsea Hotel. A song about wishing things could be different, that those on either side of an argument could find their way together. Big E and Tupac freestylin', Romeo and Juliet conceiving a saviour in a West Bank motel. More telling; "i wish... my ex-lover and I could remain close friends." Those things can't happen in a world where "jealousy is gentrified by ambition," and "rich and famous aren't even a couple anymore, they just like getting drunk together and rolling around in the nude."

Tonight's version gets lost as CR's already been distracted to the point of fumbled lyrics and now the crying baby is adding to the soundtrack, squeeling at the word "nude" and totally breaking down the song as CR turns into Charlie Harper and creates his own kids jingle, adding "boobies" and "poopie" for laughs but relegating this track to the dustbin of 'interesting shit that happens at live shows'.

The song is brought together by a wonderful chorus, that tied to the lone 'ex-lover' allusion, exposes the theme of the song;

"tonight, no music fills my room
i can't sing
here's the thing
she said she'd ring

but then didn't call.
there were 35 candles on my birthday cake
you know i could blow out them all."

This is delivered with a lovely little waltz swing. A gem inside this ceiling to floor pastiche. Even the sequence of the words in that last line, a deft handling of the available words as you want to say 'i could blow them all out' but the rearrangement adds an unconscious beat.

Picking up a banjo and making his way into the crowd we get an off-mic unplugged Hollywood Movie Blues, a great send-up of the industry's tendency to mask reality behind sentimental bullshit and misrepresentation. A fun song.

Cr's back to the hip-hop-beat-box-mic-poppin' spoken word stuff. He's honing his skills for this weekends poetry showcase and pulls out The Boxer Who Just Returned From London for a training session. Also helps to drown out the baby.

Back to the piano for another ballad, One of Those Faces. A story of being in the right place and the wrong time.

Last song of the night finds CR channeling a little Corin Raymond as he opens with an extended story in front of the spoken word piece Commercial and First. This poem is a challenge to deliver. Machine gun speed and more words than an Obama answer to any question. It closes with the punchline to the introductory story.

So brings an end to the fall concert season, time to search out some pumpkin carving patterns, get footloose and visit some haunted houses.

Here's the set list and some sound samples.

Corin Raymond
Cameron House
2011-10-13

t01 Intro
t02 Ole Ft Mac
t03 talk
t04 Micheline
t05 talk
t06 Slip Away
t07 talk
t08 I'm A Fuckin' Genius
t09 talk
t10 Ridin' West on Dundas
t11 talk
t12 Hard On Things
t13 Canadian Tire Money
t14 talk
t15 Stealin' My Heart
t16 talk
t17 3000 Miles
_____
t18 talk
t19 Sugar Candy Mountain
t20 talk
t21 Dirty Mansions
t22 talk
t23 Hello, Hello
t24 There Will Always Be A Small Time
t25 talk
t26 Blue Mermaid Dress

CR Avery
Cameron House
2011-10-13

t01 Intro
t02 57 Channels and Nothing On
t03 Israel's Saviour and Queen
t04 Hollywood Movie Blues
t05 The Boxer Who Just Returned From London
t06 talk
t07 One of Those Faces
t08 talk
t09 Commercial and First
t10 talk

CR Avery in Southern Ontario October 4,5 & 7 coming to The Cameron House on October 13th

2011-10-09T15:34:00.000-04:00

It's been a long hot summer and we're getting an instant replay in Southern Ontario. Sunny and 24 degrees all week. Great time to be on the road taking in the fall colours and a home-grown talent.

Tuesday night in Kitchener finds us hooking up with long-time friends, Dylan-travelling companions and fellow music fans, Michey and Rick, who live close by. Wings and beer before we make our way to the cozy Jazz Room inside the historic Huether Hotel. They've done a good job of filling the place, it's packed to capacity.

CR's set has a few new songs and some familiar staples. The venue provides a Grand Piano which entices CR to spend quite a bit of time on the stool. We get a few harp-beat-box tunes (Boxer Who Just Returned from London, Grey Armpit of Rock n Roll and Springsteen's 57 Channels and Nothing On.) One on banjo Hollywood Movie Blues. Piano ballads abide with the wonderful Troubled Youth, Just A Hobo and the new Israel's Saviour and Queen. Dinner For One never fails to get the house laughing out loud, even if some are a little crimson faced. Bus to Baton Rouge, a Lucinda Williams cover, gives him room to roam as he combines his knack for pounding out a few chords with his penchant for delivering a hip-hop ballad. A couple other spoken word pieces; the always pleasing homage to the last great politician this nation has seen, PET, and his advice to my daughter on her miscellaneous birthday, Dollhouse and Pocket Knife.

Now that is a night out.

Home and in bed at 1 pm last night, off to work for the day and back on the highway at 5pm. Heading a little farther west, the Evergreen Terrace Cafe in Stratford ON.

Richards ghost is gonna have a fun time tonight.

Stratford is 40 minutes down a dark road away from Kitchener. Town closes at 5:30 pm on weekdays and the business square is taken over by skate-boarders. Not a lot of opportunity for walk-ins so we have a sparse, but loyal and appreciative crowd tonight. Big thanks to Carol Mcleod and the St Mary's Storytelling Inc for putting this show on tongiht. You can never tell what kind of crowd you will entice, there are so many factors involved. Carol was a gracious host and while the numbers weren't high, the quality of attendees was. The fortunate who gathered close to the stage for CR's set get treated to a house-concert and a bunch of big songs; Dylan's Things Have Changed, Waits' Big In Japan and Birdcage among them. CR is showcasing a waltz, Israel's Saviour and Queen, hoping to include it on an upcoming album with the banjo song, Hollywood Movie Blues. Another new song tonight, that may or may not, be called I'm No Genius. We get a reprise of 57 Channels and Nothing On as CR seems to be taking a liking to the extended harmonica blow-out in the middle of this one. He delivers an epic spoken word piece, Commercial and First, and doesn't miss a beat. We get Purple Cotton Dress in the mix and he closes with Motel: 50 Miles Out of Town...a song that sounds different every time I hear it.

After a day off to successfuly make sure the Conservative Party doesn't get a taste of power in Ontario it's back on the road early Friday morning, towards our nation's Capitol. We head north to Peterborough, joining Highway 7 Eastbound, the scenic route. It's taking us through CR's old stomping grounds in and about Lanark County. Time enough to stop for some fall photos. Except we didn't come across too many accessible opportunities. We did pass some wild turkeys on the side of the road. I stopped to shoo them back into the woods. Like, don't they know what weekend this is?

Some people bring their friends to the shows when CR comes to their city. We try to go to our friends cities and bring them to CR shows. In Ottawa tonight we have our children-from-another-mother, Ryan and Teri. They talked Ryan's sister, Janine, and her boyfriend, Aaron, into joining us for the set.

This show was organized by Noah and Margaret Sullivan and they did a great job. The sound was superb, the venue a cozy as you can get. Bit of a churchy feel to it but we are praying at the altar of independent music. Opening tonight is Lindsay Ferguson. Only a few songs but an impressive set. She opens with a French Language tune and closes with a Celtic acapella ballad. I'm a French Canadian sitting here with my Irish Canadian wife. It's like we called the tunes.

Stellar performance from CR tonight. Opening with The Boxer Who Just Returned From London, he's momentarily distracted by the return of 15 patrons who were outside having a smoke break between sets but found themselves enjoying the lovely fall weather a little too long. By his own admission he had trouble focussing during Israel's Saviour and Queen because his keyboard stand was a little unstable. That was not evident from the audience as he delivers a superb performance. Sometimes he's an unconscious talent. It's during a slightly self-indulgent, in a good rock n roll way, harp solo in 57 Channels and Nothing On that he finds his mojo. He gets control of his brain-waves, pushes aside the distractions and tells himself to just pitch to the audience. So we get some curves, a change-up, a slider and a screaming fast ball down the center of the plate. (Hey, it is October after all.)

So far we've had a spoken work piece, a piano ballad and a harp-laden, beat-box cover of Springsteen. It's only a one-man show how many more incarnations can there be? Well, one more, banjo-strummin', talkin' bluegrass, CR. Hollywood Movie Blues is a laugh-riot. Usually it's delivered unplugged, while walking in front of the audience, and tonight is no different. Doesn't make recording any easier but it's an important element of the set and never fails to hypnotize and engage the crowd.

Next up a huge spoken-word piece, The Wind Is A Speed Reader followed by Neil Young's The Campaigner and Hendrix' Voodoo Child complete with feedback solo's. Both Nixon (from The Campaigner chorus) and Hendrix will make another appearance in this show.

CR sits down at the piano for (Blame It On My) Troubled Youth before standing to deliver the Hendrix/Dylan tome, The Grey Armpit Area of Rock n Roll to close the set.

In the encore we get a song about the Montreal Airport, PET and a new ballad about the ebb and flow of success and failure on the road, One of Those Faces.

Highlight of the night was the intro to Folk Singer, and the performance, as CR shares a story about the pitfalls of impromptu stage patter.

So that brings to a close this week's adventures with CR. See you at the Cameron on the 13th, you can find him at The Pilot on the 14th, in Niagara Falls at the OCFF and on Sunday, in St Catharines, at a yet to be identified venue.

Here are the set lists, with a few select samples.

Kitchener ON
2010-10-04
t01 The Boxer Who Just Returned From London
t02 Israel's Saviour and Queen (for CR STE000 vg)
t03 57 Channels and Nothing On
t04 don't talk talk
t05 Troubled Youth
t06 Hollywood Movie Blues
t07 PET
t08 talk
t09 Dinner For One
t10 talk
t11 Grey Armpit of Rock N Roll
t12 encore break
t13 Just A Hobo
t14 Bus To Baton Rouge
t15 talk 2nd encore
t16 Dollhouse and Pocket Knife

Stratford ON
2011-10-05
t01 Intro
t02 57 Channels and Nothings On (Springsteen)
t03 Israel's Saviour and Queen
t04 Purple Cotton Dress
t05 Hollywood Movie Blues
t06 Things Have Changed
t07 Commercial and First
t08 I'm No Genius
t09 encore break
t10 Big In Japan
t11 Birdcage
t12 talk
t13 Motel Room 50 Miles Out of Town

Old Town Hall
Ottawa ON
2011-10-07
t01 The Boxer Who Just Returned From London
t02 Israel's Saviour and Queen
t03 57 Channels and Nothing On
t04 Hollywood Movie Blues
t05 The Wind Is A Speed Reader
t06 The Campaigner
t07 Voodoo Child
t08 Troubled Youth
t09 Grey Armpit of Rock N Roll
t10 encore
t11 talk
t12 Folk Singer
t13 PET
t14 One of Those Faces

Special Track, Lindsay Ferguson's O'Donnell Oge , a lovely Irish ballad.

The White Stripes Masonic Temple Detroit MI 09-30-2005 to 10-02-2005 a krewechief flashback

2011-09-27T19:45:00.000-04:00

The fall concert season is a little light so I thought I'd fill up some space by showcasing concerts I saw before this blog began. Then some I just didn't have the time or energy to publish when I attended the shows.

Since I had a horrific recording experience at MI Fest why don't we start with my first recording ever...a White Stripes weekend in Detroit.

Back in the summer I bought a ticket to a White Stripes show for a friend of mine who had a DAT recorder. He had technical issues. I thought it was time to start doing my own dirty work. It's only a memory if you don't record it. I've got my trusty SONY Mini-Disc and I'm ready to capture my first concert. First three actually, as the wife and I are on a White Stripes pilgrimage.

So many things to learn...how long does the disc record? When is the encore break? Can I flip fast enough in the dark? Thing is, I should have been worried about metal detectors at the door. Only in Detroit, much as I love coming to this city for friends and music.

I had received some sage advice from a taper friend. My rig and mics inside two money belts, under my jeans, covered by a fanny pack that contains my phone, keys and wallet...which I offer up for inspection. Usually that's good enough but they wand me and it detects my mics. They ask me to remove my fanny pack, they wand me again, and it beeps again because it's definitely picking up the mics. I reach into my jacket pocket and show them two cd's, bootlegs of a show from a week ago that I downloaded and am passing along to a friend. It's taken a lot of time already so they pass me by. The next two nights I put my complete rig inside the fanny pack (back pockets), show my keys and wallet and hold it out like I was on a cross. They wand my body and I get in no problem.
I've done about 300 shows since then and haven't been caught at the door yet. Knock on wood.

In three nights we had 86 songs; 2 were done 4 times...a couple teases, the mega-hits, Ball and Biscuit and Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground. 8 songs were played each night, 3 times; The Nurse, 7 Nation Army, My Doorbell, I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself, Hotel Yorba, Hardest Button to Button, Boll Weevil and Blue Orchid. 9 songs were played 2 times; apple blossom,as ugly as I seem,fell in love with a girl (fast then slow),in the cold night,instinct blues,lets shake hands,little ghost (with the blue moon kentucky line),passive manipulation,red rain. And 36 unique songs were played...even though some of them were just alternate mash-ups.
That's 55 unique songs if my three years in Grade 11 math held up.

It's September 30,2005, my wife's birthday. And I'm treating her to a weekend in Detroit. Jack better bring something along to make it worthwhile.

When a White Stripes concert starts there's prelude, no build-up to a climax. It starts with the orgasm and gets more intense from there. Oh, you take a couple breaks in between to catch your breath but you never quite recover from the opening sonic boom.

Tonight we get screamo versions of Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground followed by Black Math, to get the andrenalin coursing through your veins. This is good showmanship. No sense dawdling around at the beginning. Jack takes a break while Meg does the lead on a subdued Passive Manipulation. Then he stays at the piano to reprise the opener, Dead Leaves, but at a much more leisurely pace. A rare version.

Jack asks Meg where they are before they swing into Hotel Yorba. I Think I Smell a Rat morphs into a complete version of Instinct Blues. Jack's loving the piano tonight and he stays there for a rendition of My Doorbell.

Time for a joke about Kwame Kilpatrick, the ill-fated (read: criminal) Mayor of Detroit who was about to spend some time in jail.
" Kwame Kilpatrick came over for breakfast this morning at my house. He did. Said he wanted to borrow some money. I said, get it like you always get it Kwame. He can't fool me we went to the same highschool. Anyway that's my 'talk with the audience' part of the show." Only it wasn't.

We get into the heart of the show with the ever-present Cannon mashup, this time with When I Hear My Name, the first of three distinct Death Letter mashups, this time Jack sings I Can't Keep Myself From Crying at the stage apron with no mic before ripping into the showcase song of the evening. A rare, and a little goofed up, version of One More Cup of Coffee breaks the mold of your usual show. But it's back to the structured part with Astro, Nurse, Cannon reprise, Cold Cold Night (very good) and Ball&Biscuit, also the best version of the three nights. In between he sneaks in a wonderful Big Three Killed My Baby. That's about all you deserve in a White Stripes show, but there's more to come.

There's still a bunch of new songs to go. When I see these I wonder when or if we'll ever hear them live again. We get a powerful version of I'm Lonely (But I'm Not That Lonely Yet) and the best Red Rain of the three nights. At the end of a wonderful Little Ghost Jack was getting talkative again: "How do feel now? (crowd cheers), That's alright. Alright let's hear how I feel now. (crowd cheers)That's alright.That's about right. Over-medium, I'm kinda cooked over-medium now. That's how I like my eggs if you're coming over for breakfast tomorrow, but I'm going to Kwame's house. This is a song off our new album "Get Behind Me Charlie", it's called Red Rain. You don't mind if I play a little bit longer in this encore do you? I got nowhere to go." I'm thinking, ummm no, I got no more tape left.

A couple more candy-cane songs and the 'Saginaw' version of 7NA with the Bacharach epic thrown in makes it a night. Best of the three, though the other two were no slouches. We got a lot of rare songs...and if they weren't rare in 2005 by the time we had the '06 and '08 Racs and the Dead Weather, with only two righteous tours in between...they are rare now.

Check the songs in the set list below for a few mp3s.

White Stripes 2005-09-30
Detroit MI
Disc 1
01 dead leaves (partial) / 02 black math / 03 passive manipulation / 04 blue orchid /05 dead leaves on piano / 06 hotel yorba / 07 I think I smell a rat /
08 instinct blues / 09 my doorbell / 10 the mayor for breakfast / 11 cannon/when I hear my name /
12 death letter (first he started singing I Can't Keep Myself From Crying to the front rows with no mic) / 13 one more cup of coffee / 14 astro / 15 jack the ripper /
16 the nurse / 17cannon /18 big 3 on piano (finish on guitar) / 19 in the cold night / 20 ball and a biscuit
Disc 2
01 I'm lonely (but I ain't that lonely yet) / 02 as ugly as I seem / 03 hardest button to button / 04 fell in love with a girl (fast then slow) /
05 I just don't know what to do with myself / 06 little ghost / "get behind me charlie" /07 red rain / 08 apple blossom / 09lets shake hands /
10 seven nation army (Saginaw)/11 boll weevil

White Stripes 2005-10-01
Detroit MI
Disc 1
01 / lets shake hands / 02 blue orchid / 03 party of special things to do / 04 dead leaves / 05 passive manipulation /06 cannon/i think i smell a rat / ball and a biscuit / harold, there's something wrong with this guitar* / 07 st. james infirmary /08 death letter tease/little bird/letter out / detroit at 3:30* /09 i want to help you out....from the album Triangle...man, i thought he'd never play this song!* /
10 Stones In My Passway (Robert Johnson) / 11 my doorbell / 12 wasting my time / 13 jolene / 14 in the cold cold night /15 same boy you've always known /16 girl you have no faith in medicine /17 cannon/passive manipulation (guitar and drums)/cannon/i think i smell a rat riff / 18 hardest button to button
Disc 2
01 when i hear my name / 02 instinct blues / 03 laffyette blues / 04 the union forever / 05 the nurse / 06 seven nation army / 07 we are going to be friends /
08 forever for her (is over for me) / 09 red rain /10 i just don't know what to do with myself / 11 hotel yorba / 12 boll weevil

White Stripes 2005-10-02
Detroit MI
Disc 1
01 (who's the cry baby intro) / 02 dead leaves / 03 blue orchid / 04 hotel yorba / 05 the denial twist / 06 apple blossom /
07 i think i smell a rat/passive manipulation/i think i smell a rat tease/harrigan / 08 dead leaves/cannon/john the revelator/cannon /
09 fell in love with a girl (fast then slow and some weird shit at the end) / 10 ball and a biscuit intro (tease) / 11 my doorbell / 12 as ugly as i seem /
13 death letter/grinnin' in your face/death letter / 14 do / 15 screwdriver / 16 blackjack davey /17 ??? / 18 walking with a ghost (tegan and sara) /
19 hardest button to button / 20 ball and a biscuit / 21 seven nation army
Disc 2
01 i just don't know what to do with myself /02 little ghost (with the blue moon kentucky line) / 03 red rain / 04 you've got her in your pocket /
05 astro (slow) / 06 the nurse / 07 boll weevil

The Inagural MI Fest Michigan International Speedway 2011-09-17featuring The Raconteurs, Sheryl Crow, Ronnie Dunn and more

2011-09-18T22:14:00.053-04:00

MI FEST STAGE
The Raconteurs 10:00
Sheryl Crow 8:15 - 9:30
Ronnie Dunn 6:45 - 7:45
The Romantics 5:30 - 6:15
Mark Farner 4:10 - 5:10
Jeff Daniels 3:05 - 3:50
Wendy Starland (Special Performance) 2:30 - 2:45
Mitch Ryder 1:25 - 2:10
The Ben Daniels Band 12:30 - 1:00

GRANDEE STAGE
The Rockets 7:00 - 8:00
Ty Stone 5:30 - 6:30
JEFF the Brotherhood 4:25 - 5:10
Black Belles 3:30 - 4:00
PUJOL 2:40 - 3:10
Black Milk1:50 - 2:20
Thornbills 1:00 - 1:30
Shock Wave 12:00 - 12:30

A weekend festival to celebrate Michigan. Sounds like a plan. I've had some good times in Michigan during my life. Seeing the Lions defeat the Cowboys on a last second field goal at Pontiac back in the late '70's. Springsteen at Joe Louis Arena in 1981. Dylan at Cobo Hall, in Ypsilanti and at the Crysler Arena, The State, The Fox. I was there the night Jack White and Dylan played Ball and Biscuit. 6 shows with the Stripes. Visits with friends. The best cherry chicken dish ever in St Joseph's.

A bit of an inauspicious start for this ambitious endeavour. Tickets prices were suddenly lowered by $20 the week before the show...a portent of things to come. Two days before the show 11 acts were unceremoniously dumped. None of the main acts but it decimated the local talent. Fans of Hotclub of Detroit, Jill Jack, The Juliets, Thornbill, The Ragbirds and the Howlin' Diablos were disappointed to see these bands dropped. Perhaps they reached too high, too soon...

It's not easy coming up with a theme for a road trip to Brooklyn MI...but I found one.

While taking in the best of live Michigan music, I took the opportunity to visit some not so live artists.

Our first stop is Westlawn Cemetery in Wayne, MI, where the soulful Jackie Wilson, is buried. Sad story at the end of a troubled life. Drops while performing his signature tune, 9 years comatose, no way to treat a man with such a vibrant life force.

Getting to the speedway was no problem at all. A 30 minute ride from our hotel, straight into the Wheelchair Parking spot and onto the tram that brings you to the grounds. We have the "VIP Grandee" tickets which cost $20 more than the regular general admission and promised free drinks, food, close stage access and mingling with the artists. I didn't mingle much but the 3 free drinks were worth $21 so the rest was a bonus.

On the side stage Shock Wave were greeting the early bird audience with a cover of Alice Cooper's I'm Eighteen. They were shockingly loud for 12:10 pm.

I didn't mind, 'cause I knew Jack White was performing today.

We're already commited to the main stage and we find ourselves a nice spot about 30 feet from the stage.

Alive and kickin' at 1:25 pm are Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels!
He's flogging a new album, had some blonde cutie in the audience selling copies. Got the crowd on their feet for Jenny Take A Ride and Devil With the Blue Dress. Voice was terrific, still belting them out.

I stick around to watch a minute or two of Wendy Starland. She was added to the roster, even as all those local bands were being dropped. Apparently she's a "special" guest. I heard some mumbling about her winning some songwriting award. As I'm meandering towards the drink line I'm wondering where that was...not country wide, surely, unlikely it's even a state wide award. My guess is it was the Hamtramack Songwriting Award. I believe her greater claim to fame was 'discovering' Lady GaGa.

I didn't mind 'cause I knew Jack White was performing today.

After drinks it's food and a chance to take in the grounds. The organizers have done a terrific job; the drink lines are short, the food lines are short and there's a large variety of choices. Plenty of vendors as well. Wanted to grab a lovely Hwy 61/49 Crossroads necklace but at $100 I figured I'd just go visit it again. The longest line in the place was outside the Third Man Records Rolling Record Store Truck Thingie.

Jeff Daniel's comes onstage to play us some of his contemporary bluegrass stylings. I'd say he was the pleasant surprise of the day. He was happy that the Tigers had clinched their division and started his set with The Tiger Fans Blues . Even though he didn't mention Tramell once I believe my buddy Doug is going to enjoy this song. (This is the only song I was able to salvage from 6 hours of taping and even it's marred by the wind off the stage mics. More on that later.)

During Jeff's set, which included a few Michigan-centric tunes and a cover of I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Jack White was side-stage with his kids.

Between sets I wander over to catch Third Man Record Artists, Black Belles for a few seconds. They look like extras from Wicked. As I'm moving away from the stage the singer notes that it's hard to keep her hat on in the wind. I comment to the lady walking next to me, "Ya, that's what's hard about rock n roll." Without missing a beat she replies, "The wind."

Mark Farner, formerly of Grand Funk Railroad, was the second pleasant surprise of the day. I cut him a little slack for his Made In America rant because he did note it was his wish to get his country back. Opens with We're An American Band. Locomotion was a real treat and Closer to Home was dedicated to the troops.

Time for some more drinks and I come across Little Jack Lawrence watching the end of Jeff the Brotherhood's set on the side stage.

The Romantics. What can I say. There is no greater hell-on-earth than to be an '80's hair band and have to be reliving that decade when you're in your 50's. Ask Flock of Seagulls. Or Duran, Duran. That's why I just took a picture of their drum set.

They opened with a song that had the same melody as their biggest hit, only was slightly slower. Played another one or two vaguely familiar tunes, then they did Talking in Your Sleep, before they closed with What I Like About You. They were well received and didn't suck terribly, although they were a little repetitive.
OK, here's what hell is like in the music industry.

On the main stage we're waiting for Ronnie Dunn and Sheryl Crow. Now looking around the venue, and knowing what I know about the star-making machinery behind the popular song, these two artists are a bigger draw than The Raconteurs. Now I'm not saying they're better than Jack...I'm just saying. And the audience really took to both artists. To me they made vanilla seem exotic. Dunn has a big...truck. With his name splashed across a 30' trailer. Real subtle. His persona exceeds his personality though. Songs were a little light. Too many allusions to being a country addict or freak or bleeding red-white-and-blue. Sheryl Crow was amazingly underwhelming. I was expecting a more powerful set. She pretty well mailed it in. Even her good songs were merely background music, carried more by the audiences enthusiasm for their memory of the songs than the performance itself.

But that's ok, 'cause Jack White is performing tonight.

It's getting a little cool now but we've had a wonderful weather day. Bright sunshine with enough cloud cover to keep you from keeling over unless you were one of the dozen walking-dead who had imbibed a little too much. We came prepared and are sitting with a warm blanket and an open view of the stage. We couldn't see through the packed crowd in the VIP section during the previous two innocuous sets but now we have the equivalent of unobstructed front row seats.

How can that be, you might ask. First off the organizers did a great job of keeping interlopers out of the sequestered area. Secondly Jack has learned a little from one of his three fathers, Bob Dylan. He's learned how to cover up lyric flubs with incoherent mumbling and, it's evident tonight, he's learned how to empty a room.

Now in fairness to Jack most of those who left were predisposed to leave and were making their way towards the exit after Sheryl's set wound down. Some had kids. Some were older than the performers by a couple decades and weren't planning on staying past sunset. It was getting cold so the casual festival goer may have had his fill. Not to mention that on the main stage it was the headliners who were fish out of water. The Raconteurs should have closed the showcase stage, following the Third Man Record bands.

Many of those who did stick around to see what all the fuss was about started to peel out after the 3rd or 4th song. That left about 2,000 people watching the headliners.

I just don't get it.

The Racs were a little loose. Slightly new arrangements for most of the songs. Highlight was Top Yourself. Brendan's songs were good. Jack's showcase songs lacked the emotional punch they used to have. He went crazy on his solo's but his voice was not as captivating as it could be on the epic Blue Veins or Carolina Drama.

Consoler
Salute Your Solution
You Don't Understand Me
Top Yourself
Old Enough
Level
Many Shades of Black
Intimate Secretary
Switch and the Spur
BBS
Blue Veins

Steady As She Goes
Hands
Carolina Drama

I'm having a little fun at the expense of some bands but it was a terrific day. The event was well organized and the festival help was gracious beyond anyone's expectations. I mean it was so good I was not even surprised they were offering a happy ending to the concert goers at the exit.

OK, the wife tells me that does not mean what I think it means.

Not leaving good enough alone we stay up drinking 'till 3:00 am and severely pay for it the next morning.

In Woodlawn Cemetery, located south of 8 Mile in Detroit, we find Jackie Wilson's cousin, Levi Stubbs.

Was hoping to get a picture of Ted Nugent's grave.
Imagine my disappointment when I found out he was still alive.

Postscript: Been having some trouble with my recordings this year. Partly due to the fact the shows have been few and far between due to health issues in the family and I got a new rig which I thought I was having trouble mastering. After doing a little research (which I could have done BEFORE I went to the Festival) I found out the H2ZOOM has a problem with it's peak control when in line mode. There's ways around it but the easiest way is...don't fucking use it. I'm going back to my Edirol and Tascam and should have my act together for Coachella 2012.

MI Fest Brooklyn, Michigan September 17,2011 featuring The RaconteursPREVIEW

2011-09-14T13:16:00.000-04:00

...and a host of others.

This is the inaugural MI Fest featuring as many artists with local ties as could be located for a fall concert. The headliners are The Raconteurs, led by rock-god Jack White, bolstered by the rhythm section from The Greenhornes, Little Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler, and supported by sometime member of Queens of the Stone Age, Dean Fertita...all cut their teeth in Michigan bars.

Jack's even brought 5 of his Third Man Records artists up from Nashville to fill up the third stage.

THIRD MAN RECORDS STAGE
Jeff the Brotherhood 5:00
Black Milk 4:15
Pujol 3:30
Black Belles 2:45
Thornbills 2:00
Bear Lake* 1:00
The Juliets* 12:15
* non Third Man Records Artists

A second stage is filled with numerous local, not quite nationally recognized acts.

MI STAGE

The Rockets 7:30
Ty Stone 6:00
Howling Diablos 4:45
Jill Jack 3:45
Whitey Morgan 3:00
The Ragbirds 2:15
Hot Club of Detroit 1:30
Jessica Hernandez 12:45
Shockwave 12:00

Now while I'm sure there are going to be some special moments at those two side stages I've decided to stay close to the VIP tent for comfort sake and take in the acts at the main stage. There's a slight chance I'll sneak away to see Black Belles but other than that I'm looking forward to virtually all the main stage artists...from Mitch Ryder onwards.

MI FEST STAGE

The Raconteurs 10:00
Sheryl Crow 8:15
Ronnie Dunn 6:45
The Romantics 5:30
Mark Farner 4:30
Alto Reed AllStars 3:30
Jeff Daniels 2:30
Mitch Ryder 1:30
The Ben Daniels Band 12:45
Marnee 12:00

Some confusion at the outset as ticket prices mysteriously dropped in the week before the show. Perhaps not so mysteriously as it is late in the festival season (VooDoo in New Orleans at the end of October has the distinct advantage of being in New Orleans), it's catering to local interest and it's about an hour from Detroit, which is basically not a high-tourist draw. But it's ambitious in it's scope. I'm not averse to the crowd size being less than capacity.

Might have pictures, hope to have sound samples, when we get back home.

Tommy James and the Shondells CNE Bandshell 2011-09-03 with special guest Andy Kim

2011-09-04T08:52:00.000-04:00

So is Andy Kim going to have someone sing Sugar, Sugar so he can do the backing vocals? My guess is that's as likely as Sinead O'Connor getting her Bob Dylan wish.
Time to enjoy a snippet of pop-heaven. Tommy James and the Shondells don't get up this way that often and how can you missing seeing a band that made up a big part of the soundtrack of your youth?

Well, your wife can be recovering from a hip replacement, wheelchair bound, it can be the last long weekend of the Exhibition, complete with AirShow, the weather report can be calling for 6 hours of steady rain with the odd thunder storm thrown in...but it'll take a little more than that.

GO Train to the Ex. More memories of childhood as we pass through the Food Building, meander along the Midway, stop in to the Better Homes building and try to find a decent spot in front of the Bandshell.

This is our first outing since back in June and while it ain't always easy, it's good to be back chasing the music. As it turns out the Air Show was cancelled due to the threat of inclement weather, it only rained for 5 minutes, we got a spot in the first row and didn't have to pay for entry to the CNE.

Cost of Transportation: $8.80
Cost of Food and Drinks: $15.50
Cost of Entry to Grounds and Concert: $0

2 hours of pleasant memories and great music: $Priceless

A little warning on the sound samples. I've been having some trouble learning about my new recording rig and this capture is what they call "hot", in the parlance of the trade. Levels a little high. Taper was absolutely fine, I promise. With a little editing it's listenable, in an AM transistor radio kind of way. While most recordings come with an admonition to PLAY LOUD, on this one you should get a set of little tinny speakers and listen from a distance(g).

Andy Kim
CNE Bandshell
2011-09-03

t01 Baby I Love You (Phil Spector et al)
t02 So Good Together
t03 Rainbow Ride
t04 talk
t05 Sugar, Sugar
t06 Happen Again(new song)
t07 How'd We Ever Get This Way?
t08 It's Your Life
t09 Be My Baby (Phil Spector et al)
t10 Rock Me Gently
_____________________

t11 Baby I Love You (soundcheck)

I guess the obvious thing is that Sinead's going to get to sing License to Kill with Dylan and Knopfler at the O2.

What a great set of songs from a Canadian artist who made a splash south of the border, not needing the boost that comes from our CanCon regulations.
With the exception of the two Phil Spector tunes all the songs above were penned by Andy Kim during a prolific spurt in the mid-60's to mid-70's, the heyday of AM Hit Radio.

He's in great voice, good spirits, treating the songs as gifts for him, as well as us.

Tommy James and the Shondells
CNE Bandstand
2011-09-03

t01 Draggin' the Line
t02 Crystal Blue Persuasion
t03 Say I Am (What I Am)
t04 Gettin' Together
t05 Ball of Fire
t06 Tighter, Tighter
t07 Crimson and Clover
t08 Hanky Panky
t09 I Think We're Alone Now
t10 Do Something To Me
t11 Mony Mony
t12 encore break
t13 Sweet Cherry Wine
t14 Mirage/Mony Mony reprise

What can you say about that set list? Well, one thing. I wasn't expecting a 15 minute version of Mony Mony. Tommy James uses this set ending song to introduce the band and to walk into the audience, shake hands, sign autographs...you know, all that post-show stuff. The show was about 60 minutes long. That's 12 other songs in the remaining 45 minutes...much more typical of '60's pop. Songs 7-9 were an absolute slice of nostalgic heaven.

Jeff Mangum (formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel)Trinity-St Pauls Centre 2011-08-13

2011-08-14T09:03:00.003-04:00

And when I say 'formerly' I also mean, for the blink of an eye or as long as the career of the chick holding that cd. Never has one artist garnered such a following with so little output. Hint to up-and-coming artists; don't wait until you're famous to disappear, do it when you're almost famous. Check out Jeff Mangum's wiki page to see how one makes a career out of not making a career. Tonight we either get an opus loosely based on Ann Franks experience or some Bulgarian folk festival.

Opening band, Scott Spillane, Laura Carter and Andrew Reiger are apparently parts of the disappeared that were Neutral Milk Hotel or the spawn of NMH, Elf Power and World of Wild Beards. Some in the community are salivating at the chance of a mini-reunion. I got no idea what's going to happen.

Goin' to the chapel and we're...so far this has been a church tour and if Jeff Mangum is a 'musicians musician' Trinity-St Paul's is a 'churchs church', majestic in design with a 115' high bell tower and an ornate pipe organ. Founded in 1889 it's been a landmark on Bloor West for generations of local Protestants of one sort or another.

Hardcore Milk fans equate seeing Mangum to a religious experience. To bad they didn't call it orgasmic, we could be in a strip bar with some Stella on the table. It's hot as Hades in this place.

So what we get is something closer to Jeff Tweedy than Ron Sexsmith, which isn't bad at all. While it wasn't The Rapture, the fans were rapturous in their attention. The reverence they show for Jeff, from the standing ovation when he comes on stage to do his OCD schtick with the guitars, to the quiet during the performance, testifies to the significance of this evening for artist and fans alike. Closest I've seen to it is the return of Leonard Cohen.

The highlight of the decent opening set was Andrew Reiger's cover of Randy Newman's In Germany Before the War.

Now it would take more time and space for me to tell you about the songs. All I can recommend is listen with open ears. Great vocal work, bizarre lyrics, not easy to absorb first time around.

Jeff sits at the mic to open the show and a young woman cries out, "I missed you" and he replies "but we're together now" before thanking her for the sentiment. He seems genuinely humbled by the adulation as he opens with an 8 minute opus and jumps right into familiar material.

t01 Oh Comely
t02 In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
t03 A Baby for Pree/Glow Into You
t04 Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone

In a talkative mood he asks the crowd if they want to sing along, commenting, "There's some bullshit idea that i don't like people singing along to my songs. Why the fuck did i write them then?"

t05 Two-Headed Boy Pt. 2
t06 I Love The Living You (Roky Ericson)
t07 talk - Question Period

A short tuning break leads to more crowd interaction. Jeff asks if there are questions and after a few exchanges this one; "Are you writing?" Jeff: "I've gone through periods of writing...if something came out of my heart naturally i'd put it out but I'm not going to make another record because of, whatever, all the other bullshit...but thanks for
asking."

t08 Ghost
t09 Song Against Sex
t10 Naomi
t11 April 8th
t12 The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1
t13 The King of Carrot Flowers Pt.2 and Pt. 3

Another call out from the audience leaves us with more tour information; "When will you be in Chicago?" Jeff: "I'm being a little slow so i don't burn myself out, next spring maybe."

t14 Holland 1945
t15 encore break

"Thank you so much for coming everybody, here's a beautiful thank you"

t16 Engine

Amy Winehouse R.I.P This Year's Model at The Mod Club Toronto ON May 12-13,2007

2011-07-24T19:00:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: Sad to see Amy joining a long list of tortured, talented souls that did not survive the dangerous years. Had the pleasure of seeing her when she was in good form, though already showing signs of the difficulties that would overtake her life.

Here's my 2007 preview of her Toronto Mod Club appearance. Unedited.

Scroll down for the review and mp3's of the full concert.

Amy Winehouse, darling of the British tabloids, exploded onto the music scene with skill, beauty and balls in 2006. The success of the jazzy-smokey, piano bar with scratchy records in the jukebox, debut of Frank was followed with awards, acclaim and a No. 1 record in Back To Black. Lots has been said about her antics, both onstage (nipple slip in CA) and offstage (too many numerous drunken encounters to list). A minimum amount of savvy with a 'google' search will net you more ink than Amy has on her lithe arms.

She's writing a story that will be interesting to witness. It may be tragic, a la Billie Holiday or Janis Joplin. It may be less than that. It should be a monumental truimph of talent over lifestyle.

Amy's on a short showcase tour in North America. She made a brief splash at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas in March and proceeded to appear at about 50% of her scheduled shows...suprisingly cancelling a gig at the renowned Spaceland club in LA.

Her first week Stateside saw Back to Black debut at #7 on the Billboard album charts. The highest rating ever for a female British solo artist with tats, f-me pumps and missing front teeth from drunken falls.

On the 24th of April she had a showcase on Jay Leno's program, followed by her performance at the SoCal Coachella festival, which launched her series of shows that brings her to Toronto for the final two performances.

Come back in a couple weeks for a full concert review and some mp3's if all works out.

Amy Winehouse Live at the Mod Club Toronto ON 2007-05-12

2011-07-24T18:10:00.000-04:00

Amy, Amy, Amy...she's finally here. In the short time since she first landed Stateside with a Billboard #7 debut and a showcase at the SXSW festival the press and blogosphere have turned on this rising star.
Just a bit.
I mean no one is going to far out on a limb but the overall assessments of her performances from Coachella on through the mid-west and the east coast have been less than glowing.

Of course, they've got it all wrong.

They think they are reviewing another flavour of Lily Allen or Norah Jones or Sharon Jones, even. Who? Exactly. And it's not to besmirch those talented ladies but there is no understanding Amy by comparing her to anyone.

She is a unique talent who combines retro hairdo's with new age full body tats, perched and painted on a nymph-like frame and stacked on heels. She has a penchant for dropping consonants and adopting a 'Dean Martin-like' stage demeanour, creating a soused, slurring and sassy chanteuse under blue and red lights. Onstage she can move from dreamy and disconnected when lost in a song to witty and caustic when trading barbs with the audience.

The mistake you make is in thinking it's not all absolutely plotted out in advance, that it's an accident, or an accident waiting to happen. While she's something to look at it's what you don't see that makes her a special talent.

Beyond all the stuff in the tabloids and the machinations of the star-making machinery, she is a singer-songwriter and her greatest strength is in her words.

Though she plays no instrument in her live set she writes and arranges her own material. Pretour rehearsals found her picking up her guitar to show the band the way she wanted it played. It's reported she takes no back seat musically and this live set is a testament to the success that doggedness has achieved.

She combines elements of jazz, blues and pop into her oeuvre, but it ain't the ingredients, it's how you mix 'em that counts.

The best ingredient to get the night off on the right track is found in "Addicted", her homage to herb. A light little song that sounds more like a cat-fight over a bag of green than anything else. Meant more to warm up the vocal chords than the cockles of your heart.
Lyric treat #1: "it's got me addicted/ done more than any dick did." (Now if Dylan threw out a line like that the geek-boards would be filled with essays on rhyme, they still haven't gotten over that 'capitol/skull' thing.)

Just Friends shows the wide gap between the male and female species. While mired in an affair she knows has to end she's already looking forward to when the participants can be 'just friends'. Even when doing the bad deed, knowing it's bad, knowing it has to be done, she can see a future friendship. Ain't a guy alive who could have written that piece. Well, maybe Prince.
Lyric treat #2: "the guilt will kill you...if she don't first" You've been warned.

She takes a moment to mumble something towards the audience, probably noting the opening two songs were from the new album and this one was from the 'old', or first album, Frank. "Cherry" is a tongue-in-cheek song that sounds like a lesbian tryst until it turns at the end. Just a song about a girl and her new red guitar.
Lyric treat #3: "her name is Cherry and we just met...already she knows me better than you do" ouch.

The crowd is heaping love on her with their enthusiastic applause and their attentiveness. She moves quickly into the title track, Back to Black and the level of intensity picks up in the hot, packed club. She's stretching it out vocally, dropping consonants and choosing not to finish every line. This improvisation puts some listeners off, those who would have been better to stay in their car and listen to the record. In concert it works emotively as the song takes on a feeling that transcends the literal.
Lyric treat #4: "we only said good-bye / with words..." That is some sparse writing that says so much more about the problem at hand.

Wake Up Alone is a wet-dream. Another breakup song (aren't they all?) but this one finds the author resolute in the day but vulnerable in the night. Salacious scenes stuffed with sexual images shattered by the final line that makes it all melt away: I wake up alone. Amy chooses not to sing 'alone' everytime, replacing it with what can only be called a moan.
Lyric treat #5: "when he comes to me i drip for him tonight / drowning in me we bathe under blue light." No need for pictures there.

Mid way through the song we're treated to a squeal from Amy as someone hands her a drink. Exploding applause from the audience as she doesn't miss a beat, vogues for the crowd, and sips, carefully. She explains, at songs end, that she'd been handed a 'Rickstacy', a homemade invention from her neighbourhood. She comically provides the ingredients while mentioning she does not condone this kind of behaviour and warning all to drink responsibly. That would include NOT sampling a drink that is made of 3 parts vodka, 1 part banana liquer, 1 part Baileys and 1 part Southern Comfort. As Amy said: "It'll set you on your mark."

It's just as well she took a little time to chat with the audience because this point is where the show goes from very enjoyable to superb. The songs and performance converge to raise the temperature inside this cozy venue packed tight with about a thousand bodies.

She has a false start to Tears Dry On Their Own because in the ecstacy surrounding the Rickstacy she'd forgotten she had a spoken introduction to this tune. It's a song about... "ummm, when sharks attack!" she says, before she clarifies it's more about one of those relationships gone bad that you know you'll get over...eventually.
Though the subject matter is rather depressing, the music is life affirming. Her phrasing is beyond excellent for such a young artist.
This song opens with two long lines that describe exactly how this is going to end. "All I can ever be to you is a darkness that we knew /And this regret I got accustomed to" There's not much room to crawl up from there. It may be a song about a break up but the author is not in denial. The rest of this verse takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, one short line (or two) at a time:
pining - once it was so right /when we were at our height
reminiscing - waiting for you in the hotel at night
doubt - i knewe i hadn't met my match
desperation - but every moment we could snatch
confusion - i don't know why i got so attached
resolve - it's my responsibility / you don't owe nothing to me
compliance - but to walk away i have no capacity.

The chorus is her victory, as he walks away and she knows, even in the grey-blue shade her tears will dry on their own...meanwhile, she's free to wallow and rise above in her own time.
Lyric treat # 6: "I’ll be some next man’s other woman soon" Machine gun delivery and a ton of qualifiers all packed into a sentence that makes sense.

Cue the back up singers for their all too brief moment in the spotlight. He Can Only Hold Her turns on a shared break where 'what boys want' is juxtaposed against 'what girls want', another cautionary tale. Girls are warned about the boys who just want 'that thing' and boys are told to be wary of girls who want 'the bling'. What's strange about that central image, the hypnotic hook in the song, is that it's separate from the story of a man trying to hold a woman who's heart belongs to another.
Lyric treat #7: "Now how can he have her heart /When it got stole?" Point and match.

Time for some comic relief in the guise of F*ck Me Pumps. A cute little tune about the vaccuousness of what we all envy...youthful beauty. Light social commentary with swing. Wonder if she'll sing this song when she's pushing 30?
Lyric treat #8: "without girls like you there'd be no nightlife / all the men would go home to their wi - ives." Who's zooming who?

Turn up the soul to boiling for Love Is A Losing Game. Chock full of fire imagery it takes the listener on a lazy river ride of despair. Sh*t, if you can't feel better after listening to this stuff...you can't feel better.
Lyric treat #9: :"Over futile odds,/And laughed at by the Gods." Talk about a rock and a hard place.

Next Amy gives props to one of her favorite bands with a cover of the Zutons, Valerie and then closes the set with the already over-played, Rehab, which the audience eats up.

Encore consists of two more excellent songs. First she runs the word 'fuckery' through its paces (ie. what kind of fuckery: 1) is this 2) are we and 3)are you) in Me and Mr Jones. A bombastic tune that celebrates the oneness of a relationship ("no one stands between me and my man") even as the players are playing themselves out.
Lyric treat #10: "What kind of fuckery are we? /Nowadays you don't mean dick to me (dick to me)" Now there's a phrase you don't hear in harmony often.

Last song, another monster, You Know I'm No Good. Another cautionary tale as she sets out her faults at the start. This triangular trip through hell runs the full gamut of emotion from masochistic, co-dependency to self-destructive behaviour. But it's got a good beat and you can dance to it, I give it a 93!
Lyric treat # 11: "You say why did you do it with him today? /And sniff me out like I was tanqueray" Green-eyed monster meets discerning palate.

Terrific show. A real talent. We're going to be talking about her for quite a long time.

Post script: Note on the condition of the scanned ticket. I used to keep my tickets in a bedside drawer. A few weeks ago I over-watered a plant and all the tickets got soaked. Most of the shows I see are GA so this can be a problem as Ticketbastard officially is reticent to replace GA tix. Thank god for those bar codes. My Arctic Monkeys tickets melted together, face to face. They are laminated with something that just dissolves when wet. My Anjani tickets were in pretty bad shape and couldn't be wanded at the show...they had to punch in the numbers. Trouble with the Winehouse tickets is that I bought them from a message board. Some kid needed a hundred bucks for a ticket to a Yankee baseball game. I bought 4 to the Saturday night and traded two of them for 2 on Sunday night (my son and his friend attended that show, Amy's too good to keep to 50 year olds). In any case, I could get them replaced. Fortunately it created no problem. Just a warning though, take care of your tickets.

R.I.P Amy. Here are the mp3's.

01 - Addicted
02 - Just Friends
03 - Cherry
04 - Back In Black
05 - Wake Up Alone
06 - Banter (Rick-stacy)
07 - Tears Dry On Their Own
08 - He Can Only Hold Her
09 - Fuck Me Pumps
10 - Love Is A Losing Game
11 - Valerie (Zutons Cover)
12 - Rehab
*Encore
13 - Banter (Don't Say My House)
14 - Me And Mr. Jones
15 - You Know I'm No Good

Carole Pope (formerly of Rough Trade)Beaches Jazz Festival2011-07-15

2011-07-17T07:01:00.000-04:00

It strikes me kind of funny, it strikes me kind of weird, some 36 years after I first saw this maverick clutching her crotch at a matinee show on Yonge St., we still haven't gotten over people being gay. We've come a long way, we still have a long way to go.

Carole Pope did an early evening set to help open the Beaches International Jazz Festival.
Staring into a bright setting sun, white jacket, lime green chiffon blouse and bordering-on-Elton-John-territory sunglasses, she launches into All Touch, No Contact and seems to be enjoying the scene.

Most of the songs she played tonight are available at itunes,from the transcend album.

She was also showcasing a few songs from her upcoming record, in conjunction with Rufus Wainwright. Tonight we got Did I Mention?, God = Love, and Viral. Apparently Viral is available at iTunes as well but I can't find it. Check out Carole's mySpace Page for a sample.

Stage patter included comments about the unsettling state of Americana, a story about Kevan Staples, not available tonight as his daughter recently had a baby, and the strange feeling one gets singing a salacious song about cool, blonde bitches when you're on the other side of 60.

She hasn't lost any of her spunk. The crowd was loving every moment as she ran through some favourites; Crimes of Passion, High School Confidential and Weapons among them.

All Touch, No Contact
Love Strikes Hard
Dream 6
*Did I Mention
**Shakedown
Americana
Seduction
Johnny Marr
High School Confidential
*God = Love
*Viral
Crimes of Passion
Twist of the Knife
Transcend
Weapons

All Touch, No Contact (reprise)

Saw Carole at the Gladstone a few years ago and did this more extensive review.

David Bromberg Quartet Hugh's Room 2011-07-03 Song Links Corrected 07/17

2011-07-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

Eclectic roots artist David Bromberg is performing in Canada for the first time in 35 years! For 22 of those he didn't perform for anyone so we don't feel so bad. He was a fixture here near the end of Yorkville's Golden Era, playing at The Riverboat and the local folk festival, Mariposa.

Hugh's Room is absolutely packed, which doesn't bode well for an interference free night. This venue, while it has excellent sound and good sightlines for 80% of the viewers, makes way too much money off the food and drink...so they keep serving, throughout the set. Bromberg did well to keep the show so interesting that the rest of the noise was of no consequence.

I came to hear two songs if fortune smiled; Sloppy Drunk and Miss the Mississippi. Got neither. In fact, got only one song I knew, Delia, not counting the instrumental version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Really enjoyed the show. From start to finish.

David Bromberg Quartet
Hugh's Room
Toronto ON
2011-07-03

Disc 1
t01 Brown's Ferry Blues
t02 That's Alright
t03 Summer Wages
t04 talk
t05 Bring It With You When You Come*/Wooly Bully
t06 The Long Goodbye*
t07 Lookout Mountain Girl*
t08 Diggin' in the Deep Blue Sea*
t09 Blue Is Fallin'*
t10 Dark Hollow
t11 Somewhere Over the Rainbow (instrumental)
t12 Rock N Roll Millionaire/band intro
t13 Instrumental
t14 Instrumental

Disc 2
t01 Delia
t02 talk
t03 You Got To Mean It Too (?)
t04 Tongue*
t05 As the Years Go Passing By
t06 The New Lee Highway

t07 Will Not Be Your Fool

*from upcoming CD release

Daniel Lanois' Black Dub The Opera House2011-07-05

2011-07-08T17:07:00.000-04:00

OK, a little outside the box for this one. Continuing a pattern of seeing artists who are tangentially related to Bob Dylan, I find myself in a lovely little venue found in the heart of the Broadview/Dundas residential neighbourhood only steps away from Degrassi High, wondering what Daniel Lanois is up to.

He's jammin'.

Not my favourite form of music; no Phish, Moe or Dead on my calendar. I was going to leave after 17 minutes but I figured it was only fair to give them two songs. It got better, and continuted to get better throughout the night as the jams got shorter and the songs started having words.

The opening act, Rocco DeLuca, was different, actually toyed with interesting at times, but never quite broke through to enjoyable. A strange act full of echo, reverb, feedback loops, a single guitar and a voice that he used as an instrument, like bagpipes. OK, it's obvious I didn't get it. The set did provide a unique experience. Before starting "????" Rocco notes it was done with Daniel Lanois. The crowd isn't biting...especially not it's tongue as the chattering cacophony from the floor and backroom bars was carrying all the way back stage. Suddenly Lanois appears onstage and interupts the song, taking the mic from Rocco to let us know this is a good song but a soft song and everyone has to be quiet and listen. Lanois then leads into the song with the humming intro.

Daniel's looking great as he seems well recovered from his life-threatening motorcylce crash of a year ago. He was out on the floor of The Opera House, chatting with fans, signing autographs and taking pictures, as the crowd was filing in. His mom was in attendance. It was a celebration of being able to celebrate, reason enough for all of us to smile upon waking.

I missed my opportunity to get the sweet spot in this venue. Just before you take 3 steps onto the main hall floor you pass the soundboard. On the right side of the board there's a rail you can stand behind. No obstruction in front of you, perfectly placed between the two PA systems, optimum position. It was open when I came in but I took the time to get close to Lanois at the front of the stage and it was taken when I returned. So it's 3 feet from the stage in front of the left speaker banks. Took me most of the first song to lower my recording levels to something that wasn't totally blown out but I never did get to "not distorted". Fortunately a couple of the softer songs are listenable so I've posted some samples below.

It was a treat to watch Lanois' peculiar guitar stylings. He was working it hard...bleeding fingers and all. What made the vantage point even better was being positioned in front of Brian Blade; his drumming was superb. Brian worked with Lanois on Bob Dylan's wonderful 1997 record, Time Out Of Mind.

Sweet white-soul singer, Trixie Whitley, who has good genes and looks good in jeans, was a treat to hear and watch as she spend some time behind a smaller drum kit helping out the master.

Here are some samples, and, as i warned you earlier, they are a little 'hot' in taping parlance.

Silverado

The Messenger
Jolie Louis

The Maker

Check out Roger Cullmans blogto post for another review and some terrific pictures.

And more great photos at this blog.

Elvis Costello and the Imposters SONY Centre 2011-06-23

2011-06-26T14:46:00.000-04:00

Back in the mid-70's who would have though that Declan Patrick (Aloysius) MacManus would become a cultural icon?

We were fortunate in Toronto to see him often in his early years. He played this building in 1978 when it was called the O'Keefe Centre. I remember that show distinctly...mostly for the commotion out front as the opening band, Toronto punk-indie phenoms, The Battered Wives, were opening and being picketed everywhere they went. (Toby Swan was a member of this band and had a single hit with a cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow...a song that makes an appearance tonight.)

In the summer of 1980 Elvis was co-headliner at the Heatwave Festival just outside Toronto. This is the show that made The Talking Heads an ensemble. They were paid $200,000 for their set and went from a minimalist new wave quartet to the mega-band they became. I was the first person to buy tickets for that show, standing outside the Danforth Music Hall. Right out of the promoters trunk as the venue was slow to open. Didn't make it to the show because a ball hockey tournament in Montreal took precedence. Fuck I was stupid(er) when I was young.

Caught him next when he brought Squeeze over the ocean in the spring of 1981. Those were some great years for rock n roll but in the mid-80's music started to suck horribly, I had 2 kids and a mortgage and it would be a long time before I saw him again when he opened for Dylan in 2007. I kept buying the records though.

Elvis has resurrected the Spinning Songbook which he first rolled out in 1986. A carny wheel with hits, rarities, covers and a couple wildcards tabs. Throughout the evening, in the persona of MC Napoleon Dynamite, he invites audience members up to give the big wheel a spin. Most are inticed to spend some time in the go-go dancer cage beside the onstage lounge, where they are treated to a cocktail.

It was an exhaustive career retrospective, the show ran 2 hours 39 minutes and 30 seconds long and spanned his entire catalogue. There was something for everyone; the terrific early power pop songs, the ballads, a rarity in Earthbound, a few covers and some wonderful mash-ups, most notably the Alison medley and Pump It Up.

Disc 1
t01 I Hope You’re Happy Now (Blood & Chocolate, 1986)
t02 Heart of The City (Rockpile cover)
t03 Mystery Dance (My Aim Is True, 1977)
t04 Uncomplicated (Blood & Chocolate, 1986)
t05 Radio Radio (single, 1978)

t06 Spinning Songbook #1; w/ MC Napoleon Dynamite and guest Simoni
t07 Everyday I Write The Book (Punch the Clock, 1983)

t08 Spinning Songbook #2; Mary
t09 Joanna (Scott Walker cover, sorta)

t10 Spinning Songbook #3&4; Alison and Gord (double spin)
t11 Turpentine (Momofuku, 2008)
t12 Long Honeymoon (Imperial Bedroom, 1982)

t13 Spinning Songbook #5; Kaylee
t14 I Want You (Blood & Chocolate, 1986)

t15 Beyond Belief (Imperial Bedroom, 1982)
t16 Big Tears (This Years Model, 1978)
t17 Shabby Doll (Imperial Bedroom, 1982)

Disc 2
t01 Spinning Songbook #6; Kimberley
t02 Accidents Will Happen (Armed Forces, 1979)

t03 Leave My Kitten Alone (Kojak Variety, 1995)

t04 Spinning Songbook #7&8; Norma and Nikki (double spin)
t05 Living In Paradise (This Years Model, 1978)
GIRLS Jackpot
t06 Spooky Girlfriend (When I Was Cruel, 2002)
t07 Party Girl (Armed Forces, 1979)
t08 Girls Talk (Dave Edmunds cover, sorta)
t09 Girl (Beatles cover)

t10 Alison/Tracks Of My Tears/Tears of A Clown/No More Tear Stained Makeup/Wind Cries Mary/Somewhere Over the Rainbow (My Aim Is True, 1977)
t11 Commercial Break - Sting Ray
t12 Stations of the Cross (National Ransom, 2010)
t13 Shipbuilding (Punch the Clock, 1983)

Disc 3
ENCORE:
d3t01 A Slow Drag With Josephine (National Ransom, 2010)
d3t02 For More Tears (got no idea?)
d3t03 2nd encore break

d3t04 Spinning Songbook #9&10; Betty (double spin)
d3t05 Earthbound (unreleased demo, 1992)
d3t06 (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (Brinsley Schwarz cover)

d3t07 I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea (This Years Model, 1978)
d3t08 Waiting For The End of The World (My Aim Is True, 1977)
d3t09 I Can Only Give You Everything (Van Morrison cover)
d3t10 Pump It Up/Subterranean Homesick Blues/Purple Rain (This Years Model, 1978)
d3t11 Man Out Of Time (Imperial Bedroom, 1982)
d3t12 I Hope (National Ransom, 2010)

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin Massey HallToronto ON06/18/2011

2011-06-19T10:14:00.000-04:00

A strange coincidence tonight as Al Jardine is playing just down the highway.

But this is the real deal. THE Beach Man. (I don't want to get Mike Love on my back until they finally resolve who owns The Beach Boys© )

Iconic rock mystery man, Brian Wilson, out of bed, well under 300 pounds, survives and thrives today, bringing the song stylings of George Gershwin to a music hall near you.

And a sloop-load of surfin' songs.

The band and orchestra are terrific. The arrangements superb. The harmonies heavenly. And take a look at the generous setlist below.

Brian Wilson sits behind his keyboard (for all but Surfin' USA where he picks up the bass)holding court over an impressive career retrospective. I've seen my share of classic artists over the past few years. I'd say only Leonard Cohen has sustained a peak performance level. John Fogerty is a close second. Some have been ravaged by time (Dylan), others by illness (Levon Helm). Brian's had to deal with a heaping helping of both and I'd say his current skills fall in the comfortable middle; not soaring but a joy to watch. What he hasn't lost is a love and enthusiasm for the songs and the arrangements as he periodically breaks out of his stoic demeanour to flash a smile and punch the air emphatically in time to the music changes.

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
Massey Hall, Toronto ON
2011-06-18

Set 1

01 Do It Again (cut at beginning,incomplete)
02 Catch A Wave
03 Row Row Row Your Boat
04 Dance, Dance, Dance
05 Girl Don't Tell Me
06 Salt Lake City
07 Little Surfer Girl
08 Then I Kissed Her(Jeffrey on vox and Brian)
09 Please Let Me Wonder
10 Don't Worry Baby
11 I Get Around
12 Add Some Music to Your Day
13 Do You Wanna Dance?
14 The Little Girl I Once Knew
15 Darlin' (Darian on vox)
16 Sail On Sailor
17 California Girls
18 Pet Sounds (Run James Run)
19 Wouldn't It Be Nice
20 Sloop John B
21 God Only Knows
22 Heros and Villians
23 Good Vibrations

Set 2

01 Gershwin intro
02 Rhapsody in Blue (Intro)
03 The Like In I Love You (Gershwin/Wilson/Bennett)
04 Summertime
05 I Loves You, Porgy
06 I Got Plenty O Nutin'
07 It Ain't Necessarily So
08 'S Wonderful
09 They Can't Take That Away From Me
10 Our Love Is Here To Stay
11 I Got A Crush On You
12 I Got Rhythm
13 Someone to Watch Over Me
14 Nothing But Love (Gershwin/Wilson/Bennett)
15 Rhapsody in Blue (Outro)
16 encore break/Band Intro
17 Johnny B Goode
18 Help Me Rhonda
19 Barbara Ann
20 Surfin' USA
21 Fun Fun Fun
22 2nd encore break
23 All Summer Long

CR Avery and the Special Interest Group The Dakota Tavern2011-05-13Little Bean

2011-06-04T07:12:00.004-04:00

"there's a black cat lying in the shadow of a gate post..."

And a belated happy Friday the 13th to you. Nothing but good luck on the horizon.

CR and his band are raising a little baguette money before they hop the ocean for a series of dates in France. It looks like the Special Interest Group may be with us for awhile as CR is developing a more accessible set fronted by a 'rock band', instead of some guy with a harp and keytar onstage. Not that he lets the audience off without the requisite challenge to their auditory senses.

We get a short set from the headliners tonight but were treated to 3 wonderfully interesting opening acts. Treasa Levasseur, accompanied by Brian Kobayakawa, showcased her new vinyl 45 single, Shine Your Light. The 'female CR Avery', ???? blew us away with her spoken word and a couple other people came on and played some songs.

Keyboardist Adam Farnsworth is featured more often this year. On his first stint with the band he provided the vocals on the chorus of the new song, Dungeon of Love (curretnly riding the chartres in France). Tonight he adds his unique vocal stylings to a reworked Motel: 50 Miles Out of Town and this years single, Flee By Night.

Evan Bates and Noah Walker, long-time East Van collaborators, hold the bass line and rock the chords with support from drummer, Kevin Romaine The magic, well, that's CR's job.

We've seen CR in many guises; as a solo artist, a one man band, fronting a Gospel Trio, backed by a string quartet and with this configuration, a traditional rock band. He's searching for a gem and with a little polish, he may have found it in the Special Interest Group.

You and Me Against the World (Hells Fireworks)
Flee By Night
German Computer
57 Channels and Nothing ON
Motel 50 Miles Out Of Town
Living Reckless
Promiscuous Women
______

Dungeon of Love

Check out the wonderful video for Dungeon of Love at youtube.

"and the black cat tells me, love is on it's way"

Sean Cotton Band and the Hogtown Allstars The Last WaltzHugh's Room2011-05-27

2011-05-28T18:53:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big fan of Hugh's Room. The sightlines and sound are great. The artists are first rate supper club acts. The thing is, it's a supper club. I suspect they make more money from the tables, prior to the band coming on, than they do from the door proceeds. They do ask you to be seated early enough that you're done before the show begins but it's a business, they serve you when you want to be served. That's usually throughout the performance. It doesn't help that the type of artists, roots, folk, folk-rock on a raucous night, need a little quiet and attention to present their works. Anjani, Maria Muldaur and Mike Ford were challenged by clanging dishes and clinking glasses at the most inopportune time. Even Steve Forbert has his gentler moments rudely interrupted.

Tonight's show has an advantage. It's rock n roll. You'd have to break a glass to call attention away from the stage.

This is the BIG TIME for Sean Cotton's Last Waltz project. It's come a long way in the few weeks since I witnessed the dress rehearsal at The Hollywood on Queensway. That night showed the promise of this evening. A few performances over the past couple weeks has smoothed out the rough edges nicely. Every facet of the show was better. The guest artists not only settled into their parts, they raised everyone's game with excellent performances. The Sean Cotton Band, already tight, have reached a pinnacle, becoming the ultimate Toronto indie houseband, complementing the leads. Sean, who is to be lauded for coming up with the concept, playing the role of director, choreographer and casting agent, provides some musical highlights, most notably in Up On Cripple Creek, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and Chest Fever. His support for Corin on Mystery Train turns that song into a Foo Fighters concert if Dave Grohl had an evil twin.

Sean's father, Neil Cotton, formerly biology teacher extraordinaire, now the leader of some kind of AARP Counter Culture Club, pays homage to the transcendant Ronnie Hawkins with a growling bayou version of Who Do You Love? It was many years ago when Neil took Sean to his first concert in Toronto, one where Ronnie Hawkins was playing onstage with his son. Some 30 or so years later, the circle is closed.

Brad Hart turns in two strong songs, his voice wonderfully evocative of both Neil Young's high-pitched whine and Rick Danko's plaintive wail as he provides the lead vocals on Helpless and It Makes No Difference.

David Baxter, a senior member of the Parkdale Artists Commune, laid down some blistering solo's all evening. He warmed up quick in his lead guitar spotlight, Clapton's Further On Up the Road, and absolutely burned up the stage with instrumental breaks through most of the songs in the second set.

Toronto's Troubadour, Corin Raymond, was doing his maiden voyage with these tunes at the dress rehearsal; in retrospect it seems he was a little tentative that night. Sounds like his cherry is well busted now and he steals the show with a howling rendition of Muddy Waters' Mannish Boy.

Treasa Levasseur reprised her dangerously sexy version of Joni Mitchell's opus, Coyote. You gotta see this one to believe it. She's a little bit Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction, a bit of Bette Midler in The Rose and only a hint of the girl next door. I don't want to be too forward but if Joni had performed this song, in this manner, those inmates at Clinton Prison in NJ wouldn't have booed her off the stage.

Kristin Cavoukian has found her sweet spot in Evangeline. Her and Sean really nailed it tonight. Her support, either backing or full verses, in The Weight and I Shall Be Released added an important layer of sound to this aural painting.

Steve Klodt added some southern flavour with his peon to Dr. John's, Such A Night.

Marshall Dane, who admits he's new to the Last Waltz community, has obviously immersed himself in the movie and does a punchy version of Van Morrison's Caravan before taking a respectable stab at Levon's Ophelia.

Daniel Skye, a founding-father of the current Parkdale artist scene, takes the spotlight for the two Dylan tunes. A hint of the Dylan twang in Forever Young, just enough to make it familiar and not so much that it was a caricature, resulted in a decent version of a tough song to do well. Trust me, I've seen Bob try it 15 times and decent was seldom reached.

This is more than a concert. It's a large white stallion and a flame-juggling midget away from being performance art. The musical arrangements perfectly capture the sound of that evening at Winterland. The between song banter is replicated, making you feel like your behind one of Scorcese's malfunctioning cameras. The shot that didn't make it into the film.

Enjoy the samples, visit their websites, go to their concerts.

If folks like this weren't singing songs for folks like us, what would we do with our spare time?

Sean Cotton Band and the Hogtown All-Stars
Sean Cotton - guitar, vocals (as Band members)
Graham Howes - keyboards, vocals (as Pop Staples)
Steve Klodt - piano, vocals (as Dr. John)
Mike Churchill - drums
Steve Skingley - bass, backing vocals

_______

Neil Cotton (as Ronnie Hawkins)
Brad Hart (as Neil Young, Rick Danko)
Treasa Levasseur (as Joni Mitchell, Mavis Staples) accordion
Kristin Cavoukian (as female Staples, Emmy Lou Harris)
David Baxter (as Eric Clapton, Levon Helm) guitar, mandolin
Corin Raymond (as Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield)
Marshall Dane (as Van Morrison, Levon Helm)
Daniel Sky (as Bob Dylan)

Set 1

T01 Intro
T02 Up On Cripple Creek (Sean Cotton (and the) Band)
T03 talk - no Neil Diamond
T04 Don't Do It
T05 talk - Stratocaster and Dad
T06 Who Do You Love? (Neil Cotton)
T07 talk
T08 Shape I'm In (Sean, Neil)
T09 talk
T10 Such A Night (Steve Klodt)
T11 talk
T12 Helpless (Brad Hart)
T13 It Makes No Difference (Brad)
T14 talk
T15 Stage Fright (Sean)
T16 talk
T17 Coyote (Treasa Levasseur)
T18 talk
T19 The Weight (Sean, Kristin Cavoukian,Graham Howes, Treasa)
T20 talk
T21 Evangeline (Kristin, David Baxter, mandolin, Treasa, accordion)

Set 2

T01 Further On Up The Road (David Baxter)
T02 Rag Mama Rag (David)
T03 talk
T04 Mannish Boy (Corin Raymond)
T05 talk
T06 Mystery Train (Corin, Sean)
T07 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Sean)
T08 talk
T09 Caravan (Marshall Dane)
T10 talk
T11 Ophelia (Marshall)
T12 talk
T13 Genetic Method/Chest Fever (Sean)
T14 talk
T15 Forever Young (Daniel Sky)
T16 Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Daniel)
T17 I Shall Be Released (ensemble)

___________
T18 Band Intro
T19 Smokin' in the Alley (non Last Waltz, ensemble)

Corin Raymond and the Sundowners Jonathan Byrd and the Foggy Hogtown Boys TRANZAC Club2011-05-10

2011-05-16T18:58:00.000-04:00

The wife and I were celebrating 32 years of wedded bliss the other night and we had the pleasure of seeing Corin Raymond and the Sundowners. (Doctor recommended dosage: Minimum, once monthly.) They were opening for North Carolina native, Texas based song writer, Jonathan Byrd.

The TRANZAC Club is where Corin cut his teeth in the Toronto music scene. He was playing with the Sundowners as far back as 2002, entertaining folks on a PWYC basis in the front room. Jonathan Byrd hasn't been in Toronto since November 2009 when his chart-riding Americana album was created in an impromptu (or at least, little planned) 6 hour recording session. He's joined tonight by the same local artists who laid down those tracks.

These guys are nearing the end of what's been almost 3 months of touring North America. Jonathan introduced Corin to his fan base in the American Heartland and Texas, while Corin brought Jonathan to various houses of the holy in the Great White North.

I love Corin's set with the Sundowners. The band is ace. Tight like...well, there's nowhere I can go with that simile that won't land me in trouble. Brian Kobayakowa on bass is so good that you don't notice he's there...except that's a bullshit interpretation of what you need in a bass player. He's laying down some boom that sometimes sneaks up on you but most times just anchors the song. Treasa Levasseur is every front man's dream. Need some waltzing accordion? Got it for you. Want me to tinkle on the keys? I'm your lady. A little estrogen on the chorus? Let me carry that weight. David Baxter provides the complex riffs, the contre-temps, the heartful slide and the mandolin. Corin, well he's the troubador.

He's still working songs that will be on his upcoming album of Canadian indie song writers. The familiar Old Fort Mac laments the cost of high wage opportunities in an oil boom town.
Ridin' West On Dundas is the story of a rural boy, who grew up watching the sun set for hours over the flat prairies, finding the beauty in an urban sunset, where the golden light shines briefly on red brick.
I'm Hard On Things is just so

that you gotta listen to it. LYRIC SAMPLE: "I've worn out two gold wedding rings/ I'm hard on things."

Stealin' My Heart is Corin's love-song to the Tranzac. A tune about the financial security one can garner from singing roots music in parlours for hat money.
3000 Miles has been covered by a number of artists, some can be found on YouTube.

Who doesn't love a road tune with dope?

Corin covers Jonathan's Slip Away then introduces a new song, an homage to three great musical artists who left this world in a tragic fashion; Buddy Holly's flight, Sam Cooke's shooting and the strange case of Jackie Wilson. Under the Belly of the Night is going to be a staple in this set. LYRIC SAMPLE: "singing That'll Be The Day I Die the night before"

I'd wager that Corin may never play a live set without including There Will Always Be A Small Time. A song about the fickle nature of talent, fame and fortune.

Being at the TRANZAC the Sundowners saw fit to close with a song they wore out during their youthful residency here, Woody Guthrie's tongue-in-cheek (or tongue-in-something) Way Over Yonder In A Minor Key.

Old Fort Mac
Ridin' West on Dundas
I'm Hard on Things
Stealin' My Heart
3000 Miles
Slip Away
Under the Belly of the Night
There Will Always Be A Small Time
Way Over Yonder In A Minor Key

Jonathan Byrd's Cackalack has had some terrific success on the Americana and Folk/Roots charts in the States. It's a love song to North Carlina, taking us through it's history, ecology and culture. The word is actually short for 'cackalacky'; it's just a peculiar affectation the people in the Carolines have...they use it in place of Carolina, as in "I'm from Chapel Hill, North Cackalacky!"

If that title hasn't prepared you for a little frivolity then that's the job of Chicken Wire, the opener. It's almost a nonsense song, done bluegrass style, all about a Rooster and a Hen and the things a farmer holds dear. Not quite Ray Stevens nonsense, more in the vein of Boll Weevil.

The melodic love song Wild Ponies is preceeded by a history lesson, a tale of how these horses got on the Outward Banks. Dropped by Spanish sailors trying to save their lives in the graveyard waters off the Carolina coast, these animals adapted to the salt-grass and still roam free on the Shackleford Banks over 400 years later.

More lessons, apparently North Carolina is an ecological marvel of sorts; between what the ice age brought and what grows naturally in their southern climate. The region boasts of a diverse selection of tree species. Jonathan seems to have a penchant for the Mighty Oak as he performs the first of two 'oak songs' on the album; I Was An Oak Tree. This is the story of a thousand year old Oak that had watched kingdoms be formed and lost. It's used to make a slave ship that crashes off the American shores and continues it's journey as driftwood before it's on to the campfire and beyond.

When this album was made Jonathan was nearing the end of an intensive 3 week/19 shows tour. He found himself in a little room, surrounded by ear-selected local artists and with Ken Whitely there to capture a 6 hour session with the Foggy Hogtown Boys that resulted in this beautiful piece of Americana. Ain't it peculiar how it takes Canadians to put the 'oot into American Roots music? (Rick Danko we can still hear you singing.)The songs were done in complete takes and you can tell it would have been just like an informal (but technically proficient) jam with the tapes rolling.

Reckon I Did is a post-drinking song and what can go wrong when the lights go out.

The eternal hope one sees in a new born child is at the heart of New Moon Rise . Back to hillbilly slice of life in Dungarees Overalls followed by a tale of coming to fully appreciate your father, warts and all but perhaps a little too late, the bitter-sweet Father's Day.

More with the trees in White Oak Wood . Scuppernong celebrates the unique species of grape found on the shores of North Carolina, first cultivated over 400 years ago, where they've been part of the culture since before those ponies showed up on the islands.

And now, the national anthem of North Carolina, Cackalack!

Chicken Wire
Wild Ponies
I Was An Oak Tree
Reckon I Did
New Moon Rise
Dungarees Overalls
Father's Day
White Oak Wood
Scuppernong
Cackalack!

Sean Cotton Band Tribute to The Last Waltz Hollywood on the QueenswayToronto ON2011-05-01

2011-05-02T20:40:00.003-04:00

Sean Cotton brought his group and a bunch of friends out to Etobicoke for a dress-rehearsal of his newest tribute,The Last Waltz, honouring The Band.

This show is showcasing at Toronto's Hughs Room on Friday May 27th. Get your table reservations here!

We last saw Sean when he brought his one-man show, The Complete Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, to the backrom at The Cameron.

This project is a touch more ambitious. The scope of the project, the size of the cast, the requirements for a unique sound, all these elements add risk. Sean and his band have been hard at work practising but the 'special guests', for the most part, have been working on their own with resources culled from the DVD or YouTube. Tonight marks their first opportunity to meld the various pieces together as the ensemble assembles.

So it's a two-drink minimum on a rainy Sunday afternoon for a free look and listen to their progress.

Sean Cotton is playing the part of Robbie Robertson, band leader and MC, for the evening. That's when he's not taking on the Danko and Helms vocals. From the outset it's apparent he's paying attention to the art of the show. The set is bejewelled with homages to that special evening; a vocal aside here, a special introduction there, some accurate choreography and more allusions that I was able to note...but I'll attest to what I remember.

Show opens with a hard slam from the Cajun south, a strong version of Up On Cripple Creek. Sean is instantly in 'screamin' lead singer rock star' mode. A full band behind him, including two keyboards, gives him lots of tools to recreate the sound. They move quickly into Marvin Gaye's Don't Do It; the song finds the bouncy groove. A touch of Motown, wrapped in Canadian Bacon and topped with a hillbilly jug band bop. It makes you wanna jump up and down in the same spot.

Seans father, Neil Cotton, trots onstage, looking like a spry Ronnie Hawkins, long silver-hair, grey beard, white cowboy hat and raybans. He's instantly in character, exclaiming "Big Time! Big Time!" as he acknowledges Sean/Robbie. Neil dofs his hat to fan the smouldering strings on Seans guitar during a blistering solo and stays in character right through to his closing exclamation: "The most fun you can have with your clothes on!" He stays onstage to accompany his son on shared versus of Shape I'm In. And despite the lament in that song, the man looks to be in great shape on the young side of 65.

We move over to the piano man, Steve Klodt, for the lead on Dr John's Such A Night. These guys ain't asking for your money and giving you nothing, attention is being paid to the details as they evoke the sounds of that magical night at Wonderland.

Neil Young is represented byBrad Hart and he's seen the movie too as he comments "I just want to say before I start that it's one of the great pleasures of my life to be playing with Sean Cotton up here tonight" reprising Neil's impromptu recognition of the greatness that surrounded him that evening.

He stays onstage to sing Danko's lead on the hauntingly beautiful It Makes No Difference. Both songs were evocative of the artists who originally sang them, well delivered without being overplayed. Not an easy task either as there may be no voice in rock n roll more achingly plaintive than Rick Danko's.

Sean comes back to the mic for more Band music, Stage Fright, another fine knock-off the rocks the joint.

JUNO nominated Treasa Levasseur takes the stage to perform Joni Mitchell's Coyote. Treasa is a fixture in the talent-rich Parkdale music scene. She delivers the highlight of the evening with a scorching version of this raunchy post-modern feminist tract. In my book her version had more punch than Joni's, and that performance is my favourite from that show. The performance is enhanced by a touch of performance art as she mimes the movements of the subjects in some transfixed state more reminiscent of Patti Smith than Joni. I guess that's where the punch came from.

Sean invites everyone who's played so far back onstage for the Staples song, with Graham Howe's in the place of Pop Staples and Treasa Levasseur sitting in as Mavison the ensemble performance of The Weight. The set closes with the other song found on The Last Waltz that came from a studio session, Evangeline, with Kristin Cavoukian doing Emmy Lou Harris' vocals.

After a quick set break Sean's back with David Baxter for a rather appropriate ragged version of Rag, Mama, Rag. They then rip off another highlight of the evening, a blistering Further On Up the Road with some wicked guitar work from both Sean and David.

Corin Raymond, Sean's partner in crime when they play as The Undesirables, comes on to do the blues portion of the night. These guys started out together, jamming, learning, honing their skills with the history of the blues. Corin's been busy, just returning from a 10 week US tour with Jonathan Byrd (still ongoing and they'll be at the Tranzac on May 10th.) He was studying his parts on YouTube and he was a little concerned about getting the lyrics right. He'd need not have worried as he tears into Muddy Waters' Mannish Boy replete with joyous howls. He closes with the Paul Butterfield tune, Mystery Train...and it was no wreck.

Sean's back to get the final part of the night in gear with another rockin' outing, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. He's followed by Marshall Dane delivering Van Morrison's Caravan and Levon Helm's Ophelia.

Graham Howe kicks into Garth Hudson's iconic intro to The Genetic Method/Chest Fever. Then we take a 7 minute ride on that hypnotic riff. Another highlight.

The show closes with Daniel Skye doing Dylan's tunes, Forever Young and Baby Let Me Follow You Down. Now I have to recuse myself from expressing an opinion on the Dylan portion as I've seen him upwards of a hundred and forty times now. It would take a 35 year younger Dylan to impress me. Set ends when the whole cast is back for the sing-a-long, I Shall Be Released.

That's some show Sean, well done.

This show will be making a few summertime appearances at various festivals. Contact Sean, find out where they are, go see it.

Sean Cotton Band
w/ special guests
Tribute: The Last Waltz
Sean Cotton (guitar, vocals
Steve Klodt (piano, vocals)
Steve Skingley
Mike Churchill
Graham Howes (organ, vocals)
Treasa Levasseur, Corin Raymond, David Baxter, Marshall Dane, Daniel Sky, Brad Hart, Neil Cotton & Kristin Cavoukian

Set 1

Up On Cripple Creek (Sean Cotton)
Don't Do It (Sean Cotton)
Who Do You Love? (Neil Cotton)
Shape I'm In (Sean/Neil)
Such A Night (Steve Klodt)
Helpless (Brad Hart)
It Makes No Difference (Brad Hart)
Stage Fright (Sean Cotton)
Coyote (Treasa Levasseur)
The Weight (ensemble)
Evangeline (Kristin Cavoukian)

Set 2

Rag Mama Rag (David Baxter/Sean Cotton)
Further On Up the Road (David Baxter)
Mannish Boy (Corin Raymond)
Mystery Train (Corin Raymond)
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Sean Cotton)
Caravan (Marshall Dane)
Ophelia (Marshall Dane)
The Genetic Method/Chest Fever (Sean Cotton)
Forever Young(Daniel Skye)
Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Daniel Skye)
I Shall Be Released (ensemble)

Bob Seger ACC Toronto ON2011-04-12

2011-04-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

Bob's got his work cut out for him tonight, trying to excite a Toronto arena crowd on a Tuesday night.

Not much help from the instantly forgetable Steel Magnolia, the artistic marriage of a karaoke queen and a Folk Singer (©CR Avery). After capturing the hearts of dozens of hundreds via a cable-access talent show called So You Think You Can Duet? (I happened upon the show thinking it was 'do it'), they are currently the new darlings of country.
They weren't helped by the sound, distant and sparse from our seat in the back corner.
For my tastes, the genre just doesn't du et for me.
With the rare exception of a few artists; Dylan and Baez, Tammi and Marvin, Bowie and Bing, and anything done by The Band, I'm not big on the sharing of songs. I mean, if I wanna listen to a conversation I got the 3 cuties who are going to come and sit down when Seger gets onstage.

Bob Seger, the Poor Man's Bruce Springsteen. Well some may think that. For me it's more like Bob Seger, the Guy Who Gave Bruce his Schtick. Neither of those descriptions denigrates either of the artists. This is the epitome, and the pinnacle, of American Music (Rock Band category).
Seger's catalogue of radio hits puts him squarely in the pack that follows Elvis and The Beatles. He has spanned a couple generations of music, first making his mark in the hey-day of Top 40 Radio with Ramblin' Gamblin' Man in 1968. He was a dominant figure in the mid to late'70's when FM radio reigned. Night Moves, Stranger In Town and Against The Wind (1976-1980) can go up against three consecutive albums by any artist, coming in second only to that other Bob, Dylan. The mid-late '80's had some good moments as the GM truck commercials will testify.

But that was then, this is now.

It's a lively crowd. Lots of drunk women enjoying themselves and not too shy to show it. The audio track is speckled with various "WOOO-birds" and whistlers, the odd stumbling, late-comer and the primal screams of long past their adolescent teen idol crush phase, moms. A real rock spectacle.

This show covers the whole of his career, even show casing a couple covers from the upcoming album. It was a light on songs from Night Moves but when you puruse the set list it's hard to be particular. Seger's voice is limited at the high end as he nears what he himself calls the end of his career but that is really splitting hairs. No one left here disappointed. Crowd-love was bestowed on the band from the moment they hit the stage. It got damn near orgasmic when the mega-hits rolled out.

There are few mp3's below. Sound is sub-par, partly due to the mix in the arena but also because I'm mucking about with different combinations of bass roll-offs, pre-amps and settings on my recorders. Seem to have lost my way a bit.

T01 Roll Me Away (The Distance, 1982)
T02 Tryin' To Live My Life Without You (Eugene Williams) (Nine Tonight, 1981)
T03 Her Strut (Against The Wind, 1980)
T04 Mainstreet (Night Moves, 1976)
T05 Old Time Rock & Roll (Jackson,Jones,Seger) (Stranger In Town, 1978)
T06 Downtown Train (Tom Waits) (from upcoming album, 2011)
T07 Ramblin' Gamblin' Man (from Ramblin' Gamblin' Man, 1969)
T08 Real Mean Bottle (Vince Gill) (from Face of the Promise,2006)
T09 Good For Me (Against The Wind, 1980)
T10 *Shinin' Brightly (Against The Wind, 1980)
T11 Travelin' Man (Beautiful Loser, 1975)
T12 Beautiful Loser (Beautiful Loser, 1975)

T01 Nutbush City Limits (Tina Turner) (Beautiful Loser, 1975)
T02 Come to Poppa (Earl Randle, Willie Mitchell) (Night Moves, 1976)
T03 Gets Ya Pumping (Early Seger Vol 1, 2009)
T04 Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight (Against The Wind, 1980)
T05 We've Got Tonight (Stranger In Town, 1978)
T06 Turn The Page (Back in '72, 1973)
T07 Sunspot Baby (Night Moves, 1976)
T08 The Horizontal Bop (Against The Wind, 1980)
T09 Band Intro
T10 Katmandu (Beautiful Loser, 1975)
T11 encore break
T12 Against The Wind (Against The Wind, 1980)
T13 Hollywood Nights (Stranger In Town, 1978)
T14 encore break
T15 Rock and Roll Never Forgets (Night Moves, 1976)

* Live Debut

Teddy Thompson The Legendary Horseshoe Toronto ON2011-04-06

2011-04-08T16:43:00.001-04:00

The music industry sucks big-time. I mean, I knew, back in the day, that The Monkees were fabricated. I was pretty certain The Archies were never going to tour (who could have forseen Gorillaz?)I even suspected Glen Campbell wasn't the talent behind the music. Today the industry doesn't even pretend to hoist product on you...they let you pick who will be #1 on the hit charts next week, on this weeks Idol.

All that gets lost in the mix is enduring music of high quality. Few, if any, of the current artists will have a lasting impression in 40 or 50 years. I can't imagine anyone mining the catalogue of Justin Beiber or Drake or Kings of Leon the way they still look back to the likes of Hendrix,Dylan or even The Kinks. There's shit there that will always be rediscovered.

Well, that's not all that gets lost. Guys like Teddy Thompson are still opening sets at The Horseshoe when we should be hearing him on the radio. Don't get me started on what's wrong with radio.

Love this guys voice. He's deft with the hook and knows the inside of a decent pop song. When you're tired of shoe-gazing, check him out.

The club is packed to capacity before Teddy takes the stage. A testament to the ground work he's laid over the past few years, opening at The Mod Club for Nick Lowe, his own headlining set at the 'Shoe, an unannounced, and missed, show at The Dakota. Some of all of those crowds showed up early.

Teddy Thompson guitar, vocals, jokemeister
Jeff Hill bass, backing vox
Ethan Eubanks drums

Track 01 I Feel
Track 02 Don't Know What I Was Thinking
Track 03 talk
Track 04 ? I Shake It Up
Track 05 Delilah
Track 06 talk
Track 07 The Next One
Track 08 talk
Track 09 That'll Be The Day (Buddy Holly)
Track 10 In My Arms
Track 11 talk
Track 12 Gotta Have Someone
Track 13 Looking For A Girl

Randy Newman Convocation Hall Toronto, ON2011-03-26

2011-03-27T11:32:00.022-04:00

It's been almost 5 years since we last sat down for songs and stories with Randy Newman. I figured that it would be much the same songs with the possible addition of his recent Oscar winning We Belong Together. On that note...I was wrong. No pandering to the masses. The recent Oscar winner was nowhere to be heard. Got 7 different songs so it was mixed up pretty good. The big surprise was that I went to see a singer-songwriter and a piano recital broke out. Last time I saw this show I was totally focussed on the songs. Tonight it was the piano that shone through.

Convocation Hall, a unique venue that serves as a lecture hall most of the time, was less than 2/3 filled, about 800 in the audience if you count two for everyone over 250 lbs. and subtract one for all the short people. A shame really. In I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It) Randy talks of the plight of new acts trying to break into the concert circuit when old guys in walkers are still doing shows. Add to that the difficulty of seeing lots of shows when the dinosaurs doing arena concerts are asking upwards of $200 per seat. Randy's audience is being targeted by the likes of Leonard Cohen, ($250), Neil Young ($200+), Paul Simon ($180) and all the other industry darlings that can still by hyped to fill a field. (Not to disparage the quality of the shows those artists are doing, it's just that they've lost touch with their bohemian roots to say the least.)

Good comedy from the stage as well. The great line about boys; "A friend of mine, he lives close to here, had 3 boys and then a daughter. He says if he had had the girl first he would have thought the boys were retarded...girls don't eat much mud..." Observations about the music industry; "...I didn't work for Josef Stalin, I worked for guys like Josef Stalin..." And a self-awareness that a superb catalogue and wealth of talent does not necessarily fill the seats; "Thanks for coming out...you should have brought some fucking friends..." The latter said in a humurous, not bitchy, way.

On a side note, between sets I had the priviledge of talking to our former provincial NDP Premier, currently second in command of the Federal Liberal Party, Bob Rae. I canvassed for Bob in the Broadview-Greenwood riding back in the '70's before his silk-stocking socialist phase. My dad cut his hair from the time he was in university, living around the corner, through to his stint as Premier and my dad's retirement. He should be leading the Liberals, and I predict he'll be our next Liberal Prime Minister, unfortunately that means we'll have to endure 5 years of Stephen Harper.

Set 1

T01 It's Money That I Love
T02 *Laugh and Be Happy
T03 Living Without You
T04 Short People
T05 Birmingham
T06 Marie
T07 Talk - composer of the century
T08 Girls In My Life Pt.1
T09 Talk - 4 boys and a daughter
T10 The World Isn't Fair
T11 Leave Your Hat On
T12 I Miss You
T13 Great Nations of Europe
T14 Harps and Angels
T15 Talk and Training
T16 I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It)
T17 You've Got A Friend In Me
T18 Political Science

Set 2

T01 Last Night I Had A Dream
T02 *Yellow Man
T03 In Germany Before the War
T04 Baltimore
T05 My Life Is Good
T06 Emotional Girl
T07 Land of Dreams
T08 Louisiana (1927)
T09 *Rollin'
T10 Talk - Albanian Wedding Song
T11 *Wedding in Cherokee County
T12 Mama Told Me Not To Come
T13 Guilty
T14 I Love LA
T15 *Bad News From Home
T16 Losing You
T17 Red Bandana
T18 *Burn On
T19 Feels Like Home
T20 audience
T21 *Lonely At The Top
T22 I Think It's Gonna Rain
*not played in 2006

not played in 2011

In Defence of My Country
Sail Away
Dixie Flyer
Rednecks
Shame Shame Shame

Lucinda Williams Levon Helm's Ramble on the Road 2011-03-05Massey HallToronto ON

2011-03-06T17:30:00.002-05:00

While it may appear the billing on this post is backwards, if you were there, you would concur. For the second time running the best part of the Ramble was the superb quality of the support act. Steve Earle made the show in Woodstock last fall and Lucinda shone last night.

I have to confess I've never given Lucinda Williams too much thought. In theory I saw her perform live once; she opened for Bob Dylan in New Orleans back in the spring of 2003. I was three days into a three day bender and didn't even know Dylan had a saxophonist onstage with him until the next day. Suffice it to say I have no independent recollection of the opening set. Lots of my Dylan friends have a concurrent interest in her but that wasn't enough to convince me to dedicate the time and effort to discover and unravel another artist, especially one well into her career. More recently, at various CR Avery shows, I hear a nightly testament to her songwriting skills before the performance of Bus To Baton Rouge. Still not enough to get me to the record store, (if I could find a record store, anyone know where they went?). My bad.

When her name came up on this bill, giving me an excuse to see my 5th Ramble, I figured that was my cue. My good.

The show was heavy on more recent material; 4 songs from the new release and only one prior to 1998, out of a generous 14 song opening set. Every song was well done. Her voice is truly unique, a southern drawl that makes it so country with a hint of Buddy Holly's hiccup and Rick Danko's plaintive wail.
Some songs were terrific; Tears of Joy, Drunken Angel, Blue and Essence. Hard and honest stories.

She had a funky Cate Blanchett-doing-Bob Dylan-through Lucinda thing going on. A new spikey 'do. A perpetual smile. She was a little Chaplinesque too, at times wandering about, not aimlessly, but mischieviously. The audience was warm and she was humble in her appreciation. I know she's got an edge to her, you can hear it in her voice, but in 2011 she seems well within her own skin.

A couple songs were absolutely superb.

First the wonderfully simple and simply wonderful, Born To Be Loved. It's indescribable how subtely this tune works it's magic. Each verse contains two 'observations in the negative', samples of things that shouldn't happen to anyone, a bill of human rights in a mirror. Those two lines are followed by the repeated positive declaration found in the title. The juxtaposition of the oppressive reality of the first two lines against the emotionally naked assertion in the repeated closing couplet just hits an emotional button.

Because there's no sound attached to this blog, (it's verboten to post Recordings Of Independent Origins that have anything to do with the Ramble)I've taken the liberty of transcribing this tome, totally from memory, having heard it only once...er, no wait, I bought the CD.

When reading just imagine Rick Danko's vocals on It Makes No Difference...that's how it sounded.

You weren't born to be abandoned
And you weren't born to be forsaken
You were born to be loved
You were born to be loved

You weren't born to be mistreated
And you weren't born to be misguided
You were born to be loved
You were born to be loved

You weren't born to be a slave
And you weren't born to be displaced
You were born to be loved
You were born to be loved

You weren't born to be abused
And you weren't born to lose
You were born to be loved
You were born to be loved

You weren't born to suffer
And you weren't born for nothing
You were born to be loved
You were born to be loved

The other song that knocked my socks off was the oldest of the night as Lucinda goes back to 1988 for a cut from her self-titled third album to play Changed the Locks. This is another well crafted song that doesn't follow the normal chorus-verse-chorus format but morphs into an emotion. You don't know why it works, it just works. It's the bridge, I think. The catalogue of defensive manoeuvers followed by the reasons they are necessary...absolutely heartwrenching. The progression from the mundane (locks) to the impossible (name of the town) is just exquisite.

I changed the lock on my front door so you can't see me anymore
And you can't come inside my house, and you can't lie down on my couch
I changed the lock on my front door

I changed the number on my phone so you can't call me up at home
And you can't say those things to me that make me fall down on my knees
I changed the number on my phone

I changed the kind of car I drive so you can't see me when I go by
And you can't chase me up the street, and you can't knock me off of my feet
I changed the kind of car I drive

I changed the kind of clothes I wear so you can't see me anywhere
And you can't spot me in a crowd, and you can't call my name out loud
I changed the kind of clothes I wear

I changed the tracks underneath the train so you can't find me again
And you can't trace my path, and you can't hear my laugh
I changed the tracks underneath the train

[harmonica solo]

I changed the name of this town so you can't follow me down
And you can't touch me like before, and you can't make me want you more
I changed the name of this town

I changed the lock on my front door, I changed the number on my phone
I changed the kind of car I drive, I changed the kind of clothes I wear

I changed the tracks underneath the train, I changed the name of this town
I changed the name of this town
I changed the name of this town

I don't want to minimize the quality of the rest of the show but these two songs are going to take awhile to absorb. And she wasn't done yet, as she'll appear again later in the evening to provide the highlight in the second set.

Lucinda Williams - vocals, guitar
Val McCallum - guitar
David Sutton - bass
Butch Norton - Drums

T01 Tears of Joy (from Little Honey, 2008)
T02 Can't Let Go (Randy Weeks)(from Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, 1998)
T03 Well Well Well (from Little Honey, 2008)

T04 Drunken Angel (from Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, 1998)
T05 Born To Be Loved (from Blessed, 2011)
T06 Blue (from Essence, 2001)
T07 Concrete and Barbed Wire (from Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, 1998)
T08 Convince Me (from Blessed, 2011)
T09 Seeing Black (from Blessed, 2011)
T10 Essence (from Essence, 2001)

T11 band intro
T12 Honey Bee (from Little Honey, 2008)
T13 Changed the Locks (from Lucinda Williams, 1988)
T14 encore break
T15 Blessed (from Blessed, 2011)
T16 Joy (from Live at the Fillmore, 2005)

The thing about Levon Helm is...you don't get near enough Levon. If you haven't seen the Ramble yet you should get on your horse and make your way to Woodstock. Seeing this hootenany in Levon's barn is an experience that transcends the evenings agenda. When he goes on the road he isn't shy about bringing quality artists with him but it's not quite the same thing. In fact the buyer should beware. This is not a Band revue, though homage is paid to that part of Levon's career. If you think you're gonna hear hit after hit, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down or Up On Cripple Creek...well, it ain't gonna happen. The center piece of Levon's performance is Ophelia, and it's almost worth the price of admission. (As an aside, Up on Cripple Creek would have been an appropriate song tonight as Lucinda hails from Lake Charles, Louisiana.)He lends some harmonies to a few of the other songs, shares the lead on Dylan's Blind Willie McTell with Larry Campbell and takes a verse or two of The Weight, but other than that it's his mandolin, drums, cheer-leading and sense of bon-vivant that carries the show, not nostalgic renditions of Top 40 hits...and that may not be a bad thing.

It really should be billed as "Ramble on the Road: A Hootenany of American Music, featuring Levon Helm and many special guests." That's not to disparage Levon. This stuff wouldn't be available without him, it's a joy to share his love of this music.

Levon Helm drums, mandolin, vocals
Larry Campbell guitars, vocals
Brian Mitchell keyboards, vocals
Teresa Williams vocals
Amy Helm vocals
Clark Gaydon Trombone
Jay Collins Sax
Stephen Bernstein Trumpet
Eric Lawrence Sax
Howard Johnson Tuba
Byron Isaacs Bass
Jimmy Wieder Guitar
Justin Drums
Disc 1

T01 Intro (John Donabie)
T02 The Shape I'm In (Brian Mitchell vox)
T03 A Whole Lot of Reasons(?)(girls vox)
T04 Little Lost Sheep(?) (girls vox)
T05 Opheilia (Levon vox)
T06 Cyprus Grove (Larry vox)
T07 Ain't That Good News (girls vox, Sam Cooke)
T08 Bourgeois Blues (Brian Mitchell vox, Leadbelly)
T09 Crescent City(Lucinda Williams vox)
T10 Evangeline (Lucinda Williams vox)

Disc 2

T01 Deep Elum Blues (Larry Campbell vox)
T02 All On A Mardi Gras Day (ensemble
T03 Blind Willie McTell (Larry and Levon, vox)
T04 ?Come Home (CW Gatlin vox)
T05 Goin' To Acapulco (Byron Isaacs vox)
T06 Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning (girls vox)
T07 some somnambulant hymn type song (girls vox)
T08 When I Go Away
T09 Band Intro
T10 The Weight (ensemble)
T11 encore break
T12 I Shall Be Released (ensemble)

Heart 2 NightsHamilton, 2011-02-09Toronto, 2011-02-11

2011-02-12T21:36:00.000-05:00

Always a 'feel good' night when you get to watch a girl rip it on guitar. When she's 60 and still doing scissor-kicks it's life affirming as well. Add a singularly spectacular voice, more hits than you can count on both hands and a cross-country Canadian tour celebrating this bar-band from Vancouver, you got yourself an event.

Wednesday in Hamilton saw a subdued, mid-week, SAD inflicted crowd warm up nicely to the band on a night where the temperature was flirting with minus-life threatening. The show was excellent as this band knows their material, have put together a great retrospective and obviously enjoy every minute of the time on stage.

But Friday night, well, it was on another level. Full credit to the enthusiastic audience that rained love on the ladies from the opening chords. All of Massey Hall was on their feet for a good 3/4 of this show, no holding back. Ann Wilson seemed close to tears on occassion, especially while soaking in the raucous ovation that followed Alone.

There's an excellent review of the show available here:

Heart Rocks Massey Hall

For some sound samples, click on the hyperlinks below. (Same set list both nights.)

Set 1

Cook With Fire(Toronto)
Heartless(Hamilton)
What About Love?
Straight On
Dog and Butterfly(Hamilton)
These Dreams
Hey You
Desire Walks On
Gimme Shelter/Even It Up
Red Velvet Car(Toronto)

Set 2

Alone
(Toronto)WTF?
Magic Man(Hamilton)
Crazy On You(Hamilton)
Barracuda(Hamilton)
encore
What Is and What Should Never Be (Zeppelin)(Hamilton)
Love Reign O'er Me (Townsend)(Toronto)
second encore
Dreamboat Annie(Hamilton)

CR Avery Great BooksWilliamsford ON2011-01-22 brought to you byWords Aloud!

2011-02-06T08:47:00.000-05:00

Back in November we had a wonderful weekend in this bucolic little community when we attended the Words Aloud Festival. CR had a full band with him then, tonight he's here to do a solo opening set and local heroes, Big Bad Wolf, join in the second set. Well part of them, the rhythm section and guitarist. They did a wonderful job, with little time to rehearse. It seems the blues are a universal language.

This Bookstore and Cafe is the schnizzel...or something like that. It's cool. We have hippies and kids of hippies in attendance. And folks who don't look so hip anymore (this writer included) but still got an ear for the divinely bizarre and interesting.

CR was brought out east by the lure of a weeks residence at The Bowery in NYC and a showcase appearance in Halifax. Ontario got a break as he's made his way from Toronto to Williamsford to Guelph and Kitchener before heading towards the east, stopping in Ottawa and places even more remote. He's telling us we won't see him here again until September (GTFOH!). I may have to make my way to Vancouver for a springtime booster shot, I can't be waiting until September.

His last set here was very good and it seems he remembers the vibe because he tracked these guys down to see if they would have him again. It seems they were prepared as the venue was packed to capacity. Smiling, laughing, attentive crowds always bring out the best in CR and I can tell the ambiance here is perfect for his brand of performance art, which covers much more than the harmonica and piano.

CR is a visual artist. He challenges the crowd sonically. The harp blasts and beat-boxing are aggressive. He uses those instruments to push the envelope a bit. Sometimes it hides his songwriting skills (great ballads from this guy), it's such a cacaphony of sound. Most times it makes the audience realize they CAN tolerate something outside the accepted norm. Even learn to love it, as many here tonight were here in November and came back for another dose.

These songs may become available for download via the Words Aloud site for a small donation in support of the arts so I'm just going to drop a teaser, one of my all time favourites, Birdcage.

Set 1

57 Channels (and Nothing On) (B.Springsteen)
Blame It On My Troubled Youth
The Boxer Who Just Returned From London
Voodoo Child (J. Hendrix)
Hollywood Movie Blues

Set 2

(w/ Big Bad Wolf)
Intrumental (Big Bad Wolf)
Like A Train in the Snow
Lesbian Blues
Birdcage
Milk Cow Blues
Jelly Roll Morton
Piano Lessons

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Complete Live Performance by Sean Cotton also Corin Raymond and the Sundownerswith special guestCR AveryCameron House2011-01-20

2011-01-25T14:15:00.004-05:00

The Cameron House is a heritage building but it's the mood it evokes that should be saved for posterity. Indie music rules. This cozy, street-level lounge hosts a variety of local artists and a quick walk-in to the building with ants will result in an evening well wasted.

Last Thursday was a little extra special.

Holding down the fort, as he does most every Thursday during the dinner hour, is Toronto's Troubadour, Corin Raymond. Tonight he's joined by his crack-band, the Sundowners; local guitar-guru, producer, David Baxter, multi-instrumentalist, JUNO nominee, Treasa Levasseur, bassman Brian Kobayakowa and for one night only, violinist and birthday girl, Sarah Fitzpatrick.

Corin is embarking on a lengthy US tour with Jonathan Byrd that will see him absent from this room clear through until April. He's working his new songs that should be available next spring on a collection of covers by various North American artists. Throughout the set he sprinkles tunes from 2004's Lonesome Record Night and 2008's There Will Always Be A Small Time and plays the role of most gracious ring-master, giving up the stage to CR Avery, inviting us to the back room for the Ziggy extravaganza and reminding us that Greg Cockerill's band is filling in the quiet time and closing the night on the front room stage.

Corin Raymond and the Sundowners

Set 1
t01 Intro
t02 Old Fort Mack
t03 talk
t04 River Town
t05 talk
t06 Lord Loves A Wino
t07 Hard On Things
t08 talk
t09 ?Just 'Cause I'm In Love With You(Jessie WInchester)
t10 talk
t11 ?Isn't That So(Jessie Winchester)
t12 talk
t13 I'm A Fucking Genius
t14 Sugar Candy Mountain
t15 talk
t16 If Wishes Were Horses
t17 talk
t18 3000 Miles

Set 2

t01 Intro
t02 Better Him Than Me
t03 talk
t04 Freezing to Death in A Boxcar
t05 talk
t06 Postcard From Winnipeg
t07 talk
t08 Little Bird (Treasa Levasseur, vocals)
t09 There Will Always Be A Smalltime

CR came into town with a box full of new songs. His opener, always a harp-blowout, is from the Boss tonight, 57 Channels.Second harp song of the night is Hendrix's Voodoo Child, complete with PA feedback. And three ballads, from the introspective Troubled Youth, the sardonic Hollywood Movie Blues and the lenghty forary into jazz history, Jelly Roll Morton.

Click on the hyperlinks for sound samples.

CR Avery - harmonica, piano, vocals
Sarah Fitzpatrick - violin

t01 Corin's Intro
t02 57 Channels (and nothing on) (Springsteen)
t03 Blame It On My Troubled Youth
t04 Happy Birthday To Sarah
t05 Hollywood Movie Blues
t06 Voodoo Child (Hendrix)
t07 Jelly Roll Morton

The back room show gets off to a slow start as no one took the time to go to the bar and let everyone know it was on. Sean stumbles over a lyric line in Five Years and doesn't quite find a groove for Soul Love after a false start. These things happen sometimes and the beginning often has nothing to do with the end. I think this is only the second time this performance has been done live and it's one thing to rehearse the songs, quite another to stage the show from front to back with proper pacing.

From Moonage Daydream onwards the performance was inspiring, near flawless and most important, interesting as hell. Sean's between song patter was illuminating us on the themes and schemes behind this story, as well as illustrating why some songs didn't make the cut. The second set was bombastic, well, as bombastic as you can be with one guitar and a mic'd case for foot stompin'. Lots of care put into this show and Sean does a terrific job of simulating little riffs with his limited orchestration. The gadgets helped but it was the arrangements that made it easy to hear the record in your head.

Sean Cotton performs
The Complete Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Set 1

t01 Five Years
t02 Soul Love
t03 Moonage Daydream
t04 Starman
t05 It Ain't Easy
t06 Lady Stardust

Set 2

t07 Intro to outtakes*
t08 John, I'm Only Dancing*
t09 Velvet Goldmine*
t10 Star
t11 Sweet Head*
t12 talk
t13 Hang on to Yourself
t14 Ziggy Stardust
t15 Suffragette City
t16 talk
t17 Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

Wanda Jackson and Billy Bragg Woodsongs Oldtime Radio Hour Kentucky Theater Lexington KY 2010-09-13

2011-01-08T08:30:00.001-05:00

So wasn't that a fortunate break? I book a date to see Billy in Ann Arbor
then find out he will be doing a Woodsongs episode (or two) with Wanda Jackson in Lexington
...and we're invited down by our local friends, Abby and Bryan.
Both these artists are on my 'must see' list, Billy didn't make it to TO this year and I had a scheduling conflict with the Wanda shows. But if you live right, things fall your way.
This is a special recording for Woodsongs, the first time they've done a two part episode. Each of these artists would have warranted a full show on their own but the timing required that we double up. Nice bonus for the miles covered.

Billy and Wanda get 8 songs each. It's a tough medium to get the power of your live shows across. The volume is moderated. The songs are interspersed with interviews and you just can't get an extended groove on. On the other hand we do get some insight into the artists careers and the host, Michael Jonathan, asks just the right questions, eliciting interesting information.

Billy didn't want to work in the car factory. Wanda found Jesus. It's cynicism, not conservatism or capitalism, that is our enemy. The party ain't over. The Clash rule. Elvis is King. Those were pretty well the highlights.

Well, not counting the songs.

Billy Bragg

Ain't Got No Home
I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night
Tank Park Salute
Way Over Yonder In A Minor Key
A New England
To Have and Have Not
Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Better Day
I Keep Faith

Wanda Jackson

Mean, Mean, Man
I Gotta Know
Shakin' All Over
Fujiyama Mama
Rock Me Baby
You Know I'm No Good
Right or Wrong
Let's Have A Party

You can hear the songs and see one of the shows by scrolling down to Shows 593 and 594 on this page CLICK HERE TO SEE AND HEAR

This pic has nothing to do with the weekend except that it's Jack White related. The last site we saw before we crossed the border line.

Joan Armatrading Danforth Music Hall Toronto ON 2007-05-29

2011-01-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

Fourth in a series of shows I missed posting about over the past few years while we wait for this years concert season to start up.

Joan Armatrading has been at this game a long time now. Her independent streak, including strict control over her artistic output, has probably kept her in the grey area of rock n roll instead of the spotlight of fame on an international level. She has received critical acclaim up the wazoo, Brit Awards, gold records, Grammy nods, most revolving around her cross-over successes in the late '70's and early '80's. While music industry interest has waxed and waned over the decades, that is a reflection of the fickle nature of popularity not Joans ever growing talent.

She had the unfortunate luck to be bringing singer-songwriting skills to the airwaves at the moment the kids were clamouring for incoherent scream-fests fueled by middle-class post-pubescent angst. She was positivity and creativity in a time of negativity and deconstruction. She was a black-girl playing superb jazz-fused guitar in a time we wanted skinny fucked up white guys who couldn't play at all.

Of course there's only one question: Where are those guys now?

2007 saw Joan Armatrading become the first British female artist to debut at # 1 on the Billboard Blues Charts with her Into the Blues project. (Her 2010 follow up, This Charming Life also climbed to #1 on the blues charts.) Almost 20 years after her last charted hit she is at an artistic peak. All the instruments on the record (save the drums) are played by Joan. All original songs (she has never recorded a cover song). As impressive as that is, when she is on stage her band-leading and playing skills are a wonder to behold and a pleasant surprise. While she has been perpetually labelled with those marginalizing post-it note tags; black artist, jazz infused, singer-songwriter, female artist, blues artist, she is, on stage, simply a girl who wants to front a rock n roll band.

One big let down tonight...no songs from Walk Under Ladders. Can't understand that. She did go as far back as 1975 for Cool Blue Stole My Heart. Played a healthy helping of hits; Show Some Emotion, All the Way From America, Call Me Names, Me Myself I, Drop the Pilot. No complaints there. A smattering of songs from throughout the '80's and a decent insight into the new record, 6 tunes. She struck a terrific balance between representing her former self and introducing us to her new project.

Joan Armatrading
Toronto ON
Danforth Music Hall
2007-05-29
Disc 1
01 Heaven (Am I In) (from Track Record, 1983)
02 The Devil I Know (from The Shouting Stage, 1988)
03 Joan Talks
04 A Woman In Love (from Into the Blues, 2007)
05 Show Some Emotion (from Show Some Emotion, 1977)
06 Something's Gotta Blow (from Into the Blues, 2007)
07 Play The Blues (from Into the Blues, 2007)
08 Into The Blues (from Into the Blues, 2007)
09 Tall In The Saddle (from Joan Armatrading, 1976)
10 Love And Affection (from Joan Armatrading, 1976)
11 All The Way From America (from Me Myself I, 1980)
12 My Baby's Gone ( Come Back Baby) (from Into the Blues, 2007)
13 Empty Highway (from Into the Blues, 2007)
Disc 2
14 Cool Blue Stole My Heart (from Back to The Night, 1975)
15 You Rope You Tie Me (from To the Limit, 1978)
16 (I Love It When You)Call Me Names (from The Key, 1983)
17 Me Myself I (from Me Myself I, 1980)
18 encore - audience
19 Band Intro
20 Willow (from Show Some Emotion, 1977)
21 Drop The Pilot (from The Key, 1983)

Top 5 Shows of 2010

2010-12-31T18:00:00.010-05:00

Another great concert year. This list doesn't even include The Specials, Billy Bragg or Gord Downie...it was that good.

#5 CR Avery (some bookstore in ON)

A terrific, unexpected surprise as CR finds the zone for a half-dozen songs amongst row after row of books.

#4 Wanda Jackson (Cosmic Charlie's, Lexington, KY)
The First Lady of Rock N Roll, the Queen of Rockabilly, struggles a little with a tired voice but delivers the goods. Carrying the torch.

#3 Levon Helm's Ramble w/ Steve Earle (Woodstock, NY)
Not too much Levon but that was more than compensated for by Larry Campbell's emergence. Steve Earle was a bonus that made this night memorable. (no audio)

#2 Patti Smith (Tipitina's, New Orleans LA)
The Godmother of Punk opens with Be My Baby. 'nuff said. Special guests too.

#1 Evelyn/Evelyn w/ Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley (The Great Hall, Toronto)

Always glad when I discover something new. Can't get this show out of my cd player.

and of course, Horrible Mention:

Simon and Garfunkel (New Orleans Jazzfest)

Tim Finn formerly of Split Enz and Crowded HouseThe Courthouse Toronto ON2008-02-07

2010-12-24T14:16:00.010-05:00

I first saw Tim Finn in the 'new wave' incarnation of Split Enz when they toured North America in the early 80's. The first couple times were here in Toronto, they had Blue Peter opening for them at the Concert Hall (the old Masonic Temple). They announced a special Horseshoe set for the following evening, in celebration of someone's b'day, and I was fortunate enough to be free for that impromptu gig.
The band never really broke, much as 'new wave' never did, until alternative became mainstream and all the songs of our youth started showing up as adverts. The good news part of that is... what's old is new again!

Their best effort by far, was 1980's True Colours, with the great pop tunes, Shark Attack, I See Red and I Got You.

Saw them one more time, in New Jersey in 1981 where they opened for Tom Petty. I left after the opening set, happy to have travelled 500 miles for a 32 minute concert.

Finn went on to be a member of the less frenetic, but more boring, Crowded House.

Last night Tim Finn played a lovely local venue, The Courthouse, and he brought a bit of the old, a bit of the middle and a fair helping of the new, to the plate.

But before that, we had an interesting opening set. Tim Finn had contacted Eileen Rose because she posted herself as a 'friend' on his mySpace page. He checked out a few of her songs, liked what he heard, rang her up and, without the benefit of middlemen, signed her on for a handful of shows.

She was onstage doing her soundcheck when they let us in the venue and she spent some time talking with the audience, setting a nice mood in the very luxurious but cozy venue. There are leather couches all around the side walls, facing in all directions, and not too big a main floor. There are 4 working fireplaces which works to make the ambience more like a large living room than a small concert setting. Most people who weren't on the couches actually SAT on the floor. Not me,I stood up, about 15 feet back in the center. There was trouble with the monitors during a lovely rendition of what might have been called Why Am I Awake While You're Sleeping, it was a sign of difficulties to come.

Just her and her nephew onstage. One acoustic guitar (no extra charge for the feedback issues) and one electric, though the nephew does make his way over to the electric piano for a couple tunes. Her set opens with a bouncy song called, I
believe, Love Don't Forget About Me. She follows with Would You Marry Me?, and it almost like we have theme developing.
Sound problems intervene to spoil the mood. It's mostly onstage where they are having trouble, the mix coming out of the PA seems fine. She performs a song from her soon to be released 2nd album, I'm the Only One, before revisiting her debut release for Nothing But Blue. All the songs sound interesting and she's trying her best to stay focussed while she wrestles with a muddy mix. Very unpretentious stage prescence though as she jokes freely about her trial-by-fire.

Things settle nicely for Tom Waits Crooning and then she tries to close her set with the wonderful Shining. (Do visit her mySpace page to listen to this song, a suitable introduction.) She takes three stabs at playing the song with her lead guitar getting more and more ornery. The third time she just sang, leaving her nephew to provide sparse instrumentation...but even that wasn't to her liking.

At this point she makes a move that saves what could have been an horrific outing. Yanking out the guitar plugs she says she's going to do this acoustic. Both unplug and step onto the floor of the venue to do the song right through, with no amplification, from about 5 feet away. Her persistance and good manner won the crowd over.

Eileen Rose
The Courthouse
Toronto ON
2008-02-07
(opening for Tim Finn)
Track 01 Love Don't Forget About Me
Track 02 Would You Marry Me? (?)
Track 03 talk-sound complaints
Track 04 I'm The Only One
Track 05 Nothing But Blue
Track 06 Tom Waits Crooning
Track 07 Shining (3 false starts version due to sound issues)
Track 08 Shining (unplugged, acoustic version from 5 ft away on the floor)

------------

Track 09 Drink Order/Sound Check/Pre-show Chat with Audience
song: Why Am I Awake While You're Sleeping (?)

The crowd at this venue is much older than I'm used to seeing. Which is why they are mostly sitting, I guess. When the heros of your youth take the stage as silver-haired memories of themselves, you know you're getting old as well. On the other hand, just seeing them out here, reaping the benefits of their mispent youth, is life affirming.

Tim addresses this immediately by opening with the oldest song of the night, 1977's My Mistake, from the Splitz Enz catalogue, followed by Couldn't Be Done, from 2006's solo effort, Imaginary Kingdom. Given there's 30 years between the tunes, they share an infectious pop-sensibility that never ages.

He dips into Split Enz's True Colours for the alternative hit, Poor Boy and moves back up to the present for the celestial Astounding Moon. Bit of a see-saw ... or perhaps, saw-see, given the sequence, thing going on here.

Another dip into the Crowded House catalogue for How Will You Go? before we get what I believe is an unrecorded song, a parable called, The Saw and the Tree. Now there's a contentious relationship.

Persuasion, penned in concert with Richard Thompson, gets a rise out of the audience but it's Dirty Creatures that steps it up a notch. Fun to here these songs done with bare accompanionment, stripped and minimalist. He continues, back and forth
through his catalogue, until he closes with a couple more from True Colours, I See Red and Shark Attack...worth the price of admission.

Tim Finn
The Courthouse
Toronto ON
2008-02-07

Track 01 Intro
Track 02 Mistake
Track 03 Couldn't Be Done
Track 04 Poor Boy
Track 05 talk
Track 06 Astounding Moon
Track 07 How Will You Go?
Track 08 Saw and the Tree
Track 09 Persuasion
Track 10 Dirty Creatures
Track 11 Salt to the Sea
Track 12 Not Even Close
Track 13 talk
Track 14 Winter Light
Track 15 So Precious
Track 16 It's Only Natural
-------------
Track17 Parihaka
Track 18 I See Red
------------
Track 19 Mockery
Track 20 Shark Attack

Joe JacksonDanforth Music HallToronto ON2008-04-01

2010-12-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Second in a series of blogs that got left behind.

Nice show from new wave-popster Joe Jackson at the Musical Hall in April.
The songs from the new album (Rain) harken back to the early '80's, which is fortunate, because Joe chose to fill the rest of the evening with a hearty dose of tunes from the start of his career. Couldn't have asked for much more.
Oh ya, covers...a nice one from Bowie and a fun piece from Ellington.
I was really impressed with the drummers work and Jackson is no slouch on the piano either!
Much different attitude from the dude too. Last time I saw him...somewhere back in the early '80's, he played what was to date the second shortest headlining set I'd ever witnessed...somewhere just under 40 minutes. He brings a much more substantial show to the stage now.

Here's the full set list with a few mp3 samples if you're interested.

Joe Jackson
Danforth Music Hall
Toronto ON
2008-04-01

The Band:

Joe Jackson vocals, piano and shaky thing
Graham Maby bass, backing vocals
Dave Houghton drums, backing vocals

Disc 1

t01 Home Town (from Big World, 1986)
t02 Steppin' Out (from Night and Day, 1982)
t03 Another World (from Night and Day, 1982)
t04 Too Tough (from Rain, 2008)
t05 Citizen Sane (from Rain, 2008)
t06 talk - 'balmy Toronto'
t07 Dirty Martini (from Volume 4, 2003)
t08 Wasted Time (from Rain, 2008)
t09 Cancer (from Night and Day, 1982)
t10 On Your Radio (from I'm The Man, 1979)

t11 Solo (So Low) (from Rain, 2008)
t12 The Uptown Train (from Rain, 2008)
t13 Chinatown (from Night and Day, 1982)

Disc 2
t01 Scary Monsters (Super Creeps) (David Bowie)

t02 It's Different For Girls (from I'm The Man, 1979)
t03 Good Bad Boy (from Rain, 2008)
t04 You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (from Body and Soul, 1984)
t05 One More Time (from Look Sharp!, 1979)
t06 encore break/talk
t07 Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Duke Ellington)
t08 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (from Look Sharp!, 1979)
t09 band intro/talk
t10 A Slow Song (from Night and Day, 1982)

Corin Raymond and the Sundowners Live Concert ShootThe Cameron HouseToronto ON2010-12-16

2010-12-17T21:25:00.001-05:00

Tryin' to get some moving pictures in the tight confines of the Cameron House. Not an easy task. Big thanks to the staff and audience for being tolerant and accommodating.

Corin Raymond has just returned from a month long tour of the west coast and prairies with Sean Cotton in the guise of The Undesirables.
Tonight's version of Corin is in collaboration with the Sundowners. Alt-country with an urban edge.

We have three cameras running in the hopes of getting a few gems to include in an upcoming DVD that will feature Corin Raymond and the Sundowners creating an album of covers penned by contemporary North American songwriters.

Toronto's Troubadour, Sweatmaster Flash, Corin leaves it all on the stage then uses his shirt to wipe up the residue.
He's got a crack band behind him. David Baxter brings a level of talent on the slide guitar and mandolin that exceeds the requirements for a walk up set. JUNO award winner, he's a player and a shaker, producing records when he's not making them. You can hear his licks weekly on Degrassi:The Next Generation. Treasa Levasseuradorns the stages of most Parkdale clubs, playing when the opportunity presents itself, and has talent that threatens to lead her to the Big Time. In 2008 she won CBC's "Ultimate Sideman Showdown" and she's graced the stage of the venerable Massey Hall in the Women's Blues Revue. Brian Kobayakowa on stand up bass is a regular in The Creaking String Quartet and a handful of other bands that work scene on Queen.

Corin has another weapon with him onstage...a great catalogue of songs from writers known and unknown. Much as he loves to perform you can tell from his stage patter that he is in a constant state of wonder when he sees and hears the depth of songwriting talent you can come across if you keep your ears and mind open.

Here are some song samples. They are all great but don't miss Hard on Things.

Corin Raymond and the Sundowners
The Cameron House
2010-12-16

Corin Raymond vocals, sweat
David Baxter guitar, mandolin
Treasa Levasseur accordion, piano
Brian stand up bass

Set 1

Intro
Winter Is the Warmest Time of Year
talk- dedication to Paul Sannella
Anastasia (Max Metro)
100 Candles (The Swiftys)
talk - Alberta
Old Fort Mac
Hard on Things
Riding West on Dundas
River Town (Hays Carl/Guy Clarke)
I'm A Fucking Genius (Raghu Lokananthan)
Stealin' My Heart
Ethel's Lounge (Doug Norquay)
talk - Doug Norquay and radio play
Waitin' on the Ending of the Day (Doug Norquay)
talk
3000 Miles
Band Intro
Sugar Candy Mountain (Raghu Lokananthan)

Set 2
That's Life
Blues Mama (John Borra)
The Lord Loves A Wino (Adam Olmstead)
If Wishes Were Horses
Brand New Song (Andrew Neville)
Hello Hello
talk - pie off
Georgia On A Fast Train (Billy Joe Shaver)
There Will Always Be A Small Time
encore break
Blue Mermaid Dress
Take Me To the Mountain (for Paul Sannella)

The Waterboys Danforth Music HallNovember 5, 2007

2010-12-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

Looking back, as I'm wont to do at this time of year, I see a handful of shows for which I never created a review.
Figure I'd fill the down time over the winter by revisiting those concerts.
Coming Soon: Tragically Hip, Arctic Monkeys, Joan Armatrading, Bruce Springsteen and more!

We'll start with The Waterboys.
For reasons I can't explain I never got around to doing a report on this show. It was at my favourite venue and it was excellent beyond expectations. I went only to hear Whole of the Moon and Fisherman's Blues and came away with an undying respect for Mike Scott's performance skills.

I like to study the bands I'm going to see in detail. Either they are new and the interweb has given me access to all they've done, or they've been around awhile and I'm familiar with their catalogue. This band falls into neither category for me. The two songs above are excellent, and pretty well the full scope of my exposure. That's something I should correct.

The W'Boys are touring Book of Lightning. Soul and spirit. Pointing a finger at the cowards who rule Burma and penning a love song to rival all.

Mike Scott must have warmed up his vocal chords in the dressing room because he launches the show at full force. Appropriate opening song, a Dylanesque-mini-Chimes of Freedom tolling for the fool and the clown, The Man With the Wind at His Heels is singing in the night. The song introduces a minor theme in tonight's set; the relationship between monarch and subject, government and citizen, oppressor and oppressed, and the forces of history on the lot of both parties.

The fight against the oppressors is not easy and Glastonbury Song is a testament, if it ain't a witness, to the source of the strength required to take on the task. Scott's inflection, pacing and voice are wonderful as he pounds out this power-pop song of faith found and spirit renewed. I'm not defender of the faith but I wouldn't go as far as the BBC and not play this song because the chorus makes you squirm. I'd have a little more respect for the art of the show.

Now armed with reason and weapons Scott slips into his best Bono-mode and takes up the fight with the military junta in Burma. After noting the band has been away from Toronto for too long, he introduces two topical songs and dedicates them to the "Burmese government, five terrified men," launching into the thinly-veiled threat that is It's Gonna Rain. Nothing shy about this indictment of the despots that predicts their inevitable fall in apocalyptic terms, reminiscent of Dylan's When the Ship Comes In in tone, but a backed by a full-on sonic attack.

Same message, different medium. Love Will Shoot You Down looks to the unwavering strength of the likes of Aung San Suu Kyi
and her brave followers and finds the weapon.

That was an intense quartet to open the show. Passionate deliveries on serious subjects without once denegrating into a boring diatribe. A calling to arms without the sanctimonious appeal to guilt. It's kind of like a Sting concert without Sting. And with rock n roll.

A change of pace in the show as we switch to a few introspective songs, starting with the emotion of love in Killing My Heart. There's a battle raging in this song. He belongs to another but he's not quite resigned himself to the loss of a former lover. Sneaky feelings he cannot speak.

The crowd responds with a burst of applause to the opening chords of Old England, from what I understand a rare outing. A bittersweet lament for the loss of, not imperial power because that would be wrong, but moral purpose and the subsequent loss of prestige. It happens to all empires and resonates in these days as we see the Western Empire, led blindly forward by it's new Captain, America, struggle to maintain it's death-grip and dignity, as if you could own both.
A slight modification to the lyrics; "and in Iraq he bangs his gong..." replacing the more timeless "and sticks his flag where it ill belongs...".

Umm, hang on here, isn't this about the music?

Well first a little soul, mixed with a dash of Scottish fantasy, as Mike Scott opens with the refrain from Mahalia Jackson's Since the Fire Started Burning in My Soul
and leads into his lengthy, otherwordly, Peace of Iona. This works as a soothing interlude in the show, time for the audience to relax, catch it's communal breath, float on a sea of orchestral music, complete with melodic chanting.

Intermission's over.

Let's have some fun.

Scott breaks the spell he's cast, snapping us back to the real world, the now, with the band introductions and after a brief intro jumps into a rollicking version of Raggle Taggle Gypsy. A reworking of the traditional tale Black Jack Davey, and perhaps a handful of other English ballads, only with gypsy's instead of pirates.

Then with no introduction we're right into a joyous version of Whole of the Moon. A perfect pop song, lightning in a bottle. I think even Mike was caught off-guard as he gives a little "Whoa! Whole of the Moon" at the end of the song, and it didn't sound sarcastic.

He pulls the band together for a little huddle and comes out talking spiritual songs, this one written by Johnny Mercer, as they kick into a fun-filled version of Accentuate the Positive. Fits nicely into tonights theme. "Thanks boys, that made my night," he says at songs end.

By this point we've already got great value for our money. The quality of the performance, the pace of the show, the connection between the artist and the audience, it's all tangible. But they're not done yet.

Sustain, written with Ida Nilsen, of Great Aunt Ida, tonight's opening act, is a little hard to figure out. Lyrically it's complex and it's allusion to a knight of the Round Table doesn't help me comprehend. However, aurally, it's a song of triump in tough times. The sentiment and emotion in the repetitive refrain is life affirming, even if the storyline is dense and inaccessible. I'd have someone tell me what it means but I fear it might ruin the song for me.

The next song was the highlight of the night and may be the third best live performance I've witnessed. (Dylan's Isis and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah being the other two.)It's an extraordinary love song and ranks close to Tangled Up In Blue as one of the best ever.

It opens with a bit of a whimper, a cliche that might have appeared on a motivational poster in a '70's headshop...if you love someone, let them go, if they return...yada,yada,yada.

(chorus)
She tried to hold me
She tried to hold me
She didn’t know
love is letting go

The chorus, while it's comparatively droll, is surrounded by some of the best writing pop music has seen. An economy of words that's astounding. The song covers a long period of time and changing perspectives and attitudes. Each line has a thousand unwritten words in its shadows. The images are cinematic; the emotions belong in the purview of the gods.

Lyrically it doesn't stray much from the album version, perhaps only the demon/devil switch but it is in another world when it comes to the performance. On the record it's a good song, better than average. Live, it's a volcano. The explosive parts are unrestrained in concert. His phrasing is razor sharp, not a word misses its mark. The inflection on 'perfection-strode-direction', 'unrealistic-ballistic','stairwell-farewell', are achingly poignant. The verses are precise, tight, aided by some outstanding couplets.

First verse; the courtship. No holding hands at the soda shoppe here. She's in charge, and on the prowl. In eight lines she tracks and controls her prey with a sense of purpose that might have been alluring, if not boner inducing.

She said ‘I’m looking for perfection’
as she strode in my direction
She cast her mantle round me,
said ‘I’m completed since you found me’
She executed her enchantment
secreted me in her encampment
With diversions and pretences
she dismantled my defences

(chorus)

Second verse; the conflagration. It's not like he wasn't warned. I love the juxtaposition of the 'powder blue pajamas' with the 'ballistic' girl.
And how excruciatingly telling are the descriptions of the combatants; 'flotsam in her drama', 'skin surrounding thunder', wow.

She told me I was unrealistic
and then she went ballistic
in her powder blue pajamas,
me some flotsam in her drama
She said “love’s what I believe in”
but inside she was seething
with a cyclone raging under
like she was skin surrounding thunder

(chorus)

Third verse; the escape. The tempo changes slightly now, from the titillating introduction to the explosive break up, we now get a more resigned view, with retrospection, though not reconcilation. A superbly visual octave, it's a moving picture. If there's a peak to this song, it's the plaintive cry in the closing couplet of this verse.

I made it to the stairwell
in the street I muttered farewell
with a driving wind agin me
and shame exploding in me
It took me six years to begin again
to feel secure in my own skin again
for she lingered like uranium
like a devil in my cranium

(chorus)

Fourth verse; the bitter-sweet residue. Looking back with rose-tinted glasses...or a new found respect for human short-comings. The tempo drops again, the voice, once bombastic, is now sympathetic. Scott's not finished working the song as his phrasing on 'deployed a little patience' and 'stipulations' leaves the lingering sense of a wish for a second chance that wasn't coming.

All this was long ago now
and if I knew then what I know now
I’d have deployed a little patience
I’d have laughed at all her stipulations
but I was young and I fumbled
a boy-fool whose castle crumbled
I couldn’t save her
though I forgave her

(chorus)

A tour de force. Takes your breath away like an Orkney Island winter.

Back to some Scottish dance-hall music, a jig, about a love-torn lad laying his claim and an undecided lady. When Will We Be Married? lets the band loose on another smile inducing tangent.

Scott's got a love for literature. Never more apparent than his attachment to WB Yeats. The Stolen Child is an adaptation from 1988. Just this past year he toured a whole set of Yeats poems set to music. A sad poem steeped in Irish mythology, about a world gone wrong, or a resigned ode to the passing of the light . I might never know.

Now while I've said a lot, I haven't said near enough about this band. They'll remain anonymous to me but they've matched Scott's intensity throughout the night. Some of these songs are orchestral, others flat out rock n roll. The arrangements vary from complex to a runaway freight-train. And they're tight. Very little downtime in this show. Even the stage patter was limited, consise and relevant.

Red Army Blues is a harrowing tale of a real-life tragedy that befell 2,000 Russia soldiers at the moment the Cold War was replacing the seemingly endless Wars for European Supremacy. Not at all out of place this evening as we think about the social contract we all have with our leaders, be they Kings, despots or elected officials.

The band lets loose again on an explosive version of Medicine Bow.Henry David Thoreau with an attitude.

Encore one opens with a chance to catch our breath as we get a cover of Springsteen's Independence Day. A treat, I saw Bruce in the '70's and the River Tour 4 times so it means something to me but it doesn't elevate the song beyond what Bruce did with it.

Back to the ethereal with The Pan Within. Sounds a little like an invitation to some tantric sex.

Second encore opens with the You In the Sky, like Glastonbury Song< , a song of devotion but there seems to be a communication problem.

Fisherman's Blues sends us off into the night, singing 'woo hoo', a more secular celebration of the wonder of life. It was great to hear the songs I knew, done with adherence to the original arrangement.

Sound samples under the hyperlinks.

Disc 1
T01 Intro
T02 The Man With The Wind At His Heels (Book of Lightning, 2007)
T03 Glastonbury Song (Dream Harder, 1993)
T04 It's Gonna Rain (Book of Lightning, 2007)
T05 Love Will Shoot You Down (Book of Lightning, 2007)
T06 Killing My Heart (Best of the Waterboys, 1991)
T07 Old England (Best of the Waterboys, 1991)
T08 Since the Fire Started Burning in My Soul/Peace of Iona(Mahalia Jackson cover/Universal Hall, 2003)

T09 Band Intro
T10 Raggle Taggle Gypsy
(Room To Roam, 1990)
T11 Whole of the Moon
(This Is The Sea, 1985)
T12 Accentuate the Positive
(Mercer/Arlen cover)
T13 Talk
T14 Sustain
(Book of Lightning, 2007)
T15 She Tried To Hold Me
(Book of Lightning, 2007)

Disc 2
T01 When Will We Be Married (Fisherman's Blues, 1988)
T02 The Stolen Child (WB Yeats, Fisherman's Blues, 1988)
T03 Red Army Blues
(Pagan Place, 1984)
T04 Medicine Bow
(This Is The Sea, 1985)
T05 encore break
T06 Independence Day
(Springsteen cover)
T07 The Pan Within (This Is The Sea, 1985)
T08 second encore break

T09 You In the Sky (Book of Lightning, 2007)
T10 Fisherman's Blues (Fisherman's Blues, 1988)

Bob Dylan Amherst and Lowell MA 2010-11-19 & 20

2010-11-22T17:31:00.001-05:00

OK I promised my wife we wouldn't travel to see Bob this fall and it sure looked like I was about to break my streak of 17 consecutive years. Then he books a Saturday show within driving distance and the opportunity arises to hook up with some old friends. Couldn't say no. And couldn't do just one.

A light drizzly snow for the ride out keeps the pace at moderate; a good way to start a 2,000 km weekend.

As an added bonus we got to stop at the Rat Pack themed Delmonico's in Utica NY
for some red meat and blue martini's. There was the Brushcetta Pomodoro and the Roma Tomato and Mozzarella Salad for openers. Ordered the smallest steak I could find, a 9 0z filet. The wife opted for a more sensible pasta meal.

For the first time ever we tried that 'priceline auction' site. Except for some difficulty getting a guarantee the hotel we select will be 'accessible' it worked out pretty good. Saved about $60 and it only cost us 10 minutes of driving time.

Now travelling for Dylan always results in more than just the music. Good thing too because since June of 2005 it's the side-bar stuff that makes these trips worthwhile. The extras this time centered around poets...Emily Dickinson's house in Amherst and Jack Kerouac's Lowell. Forget what you heard about spoken word, it's coming back strong in the inner cities.

Time and circumstance prevented us from getting to Emily's abode in time for a full tour.

It didn't prevent us from hooking up with friends for dinner and making it to the venue with time to spare.

Our seats sucked terrilbly, first row on the corner at the back. Seems like everyone who went on the floor passed in front of us. To add to the confusion there were a ton of late arrivers, people still taking their seats at the 5th and 6th song. They were bumping into the people who chose to leave by the 5th or 6th song. It was chaos.

But the sound was great.

And Bob was good. Most songs have new arrangements. The blues numbers have lost their punch, most notably in Hwy 61 and HWM. There's a sameness to most of the songs that makes it even more difficult to recognize them than in the past...and it had nothing to do with mumbling lyrics. The vocals were surprisingly clear.

No bombastic solos from Charlie, or anyone. The band is tight, all the tricks are small things inside the songs. Thankfully both Stu and Donnie are almost non-existant so Bob is inching ever closer to being back in a rock band and away from the country-swing, civil-war, bore band.

Highlights:

Someone has to transcribe the new lyrics for Gonna Change My Way of Thinking. The chorus is there but the rest seems new.
Shooting Star is always a rare treat, the song is better than any performance could be but it deserves an outing.
Tangled Up In Blue and Ballad of A Thin Man, with Bob at center stage, were worth the price of admission on their own.
Can't Wait was another rare and mystical tune that I'm always happy to hear.

Lowlights:

An unfocussed Hard Rain was less than stellar. The new arranagement of HWM has taken away it's few redeeming values and Thunder on the Mountain sounds worse if you can actually hear the words.

Songs that made me go, meh:

The fans like Spirit, but it's a one-trick pony. Mobile is as Mobile was...it takes up 5 minutes. Tweedles and Hwy 61, pretty regular in the set, don't advance the show much. Workingman's Blues #2 might be better than I thought on first listen but was so radically changed I couldn't discern. You gotta wonder what we're missing to get Jolene every night. Oh, wait, that would be Watchtower. LARS is nondescript, which is a crime for the greatest song ever written.

2010-11-19
Mullins Arena
Amherst, MA

1. Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
2. Shooting Star
3. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
4. Spirit On The Water
5. Rollin' And Tumblin'
6. Tangled Up In Blue
7. Honest With Me
8. Can't Wait
9. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
10. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
11. Highway 61 Revisited
12. Workingman's Blues #2
13. Thunder On The Mountain
14. Ballad Of A Thin Man
(encore)
15. Jolene
16. Like A Rolling Stone

Lowell's not an easy city to drive around. With waterways and triangular street intersections it takes a few days to get your bearings. We didn't have that, so we spent most of our time half-way lost. But not all of it.

Cece did a great job scouting out my Kerouac locations and we were able to hit more than I would have accomplished going gonzo.

Some were easy, it seems we couldn't miss running into the High School.
"By nearly all accounts-classmates, teachers, even his own writing--Kerouac was a shy but popular student. A standout in track and football, and a fine outfielder on the baseball team, Kerouac also earned A's and B's in his classes. In Maggie Cassidy he mentions a Spanish course, the poetry of Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson, the great difficulty of physics, and "wonderful classes in some kind of pre-science fiction astronomy, with an old lady with a long stick demonstrating moons at the blackboard." Kerouac graduated from Lowell High School in 1939, three months after his seventeenth birthday."

A little more difficult find was the Memorial. I finally took a backdoor into it by travelling over the trolley tracks and finding a parking spot. A large group of marble obelisks with engraved writings.
"The Jack Kerouac Commemorative... must be one of the most unique public art pieces in the United States. The opening passages from Kerouac's five "Lowell novels," as well as passages from On the Road, Lonesome Traveler, Book of Dreams, and Mexico City Blues are inscribed on eight triangular marble columns. The arrangement of the columns and the surface stones form a kind of Buddhist- Christian mandala. The symmetrical cross and diamond pattern of The Commemorative is a meditation on the complex Buddhist and Catholic foundation of much of Kerouac's writing."

The best find was the grotto in Pawtucketville. These are the Catholic "Stations of the Cross" leading to the cave. "The Grotto (fashioned after a mini-Lourdes, where a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared to a French peasant girl) and Stations of the Cross were constructed in 1911. Whole passages of Doctor Sax, including the very ending, are set here at the Grotto. Kerouac and his mother often stopped here on walks from their home in Pawtucketville. In Doctor Sax, the place is "mad, vast, religious, the Twelve Stations of the Cross, little individual twelve altars set in, you go in front, kneel, everything but incense in the air (the roar of the river, mysteries of nature, fireflies in the night flickering to the waxy stare of statues, I knew Doctor Sax was there flowing in the back darks with his wild and hincty cape)."

Came acroos the Moody Street Bridge. "Known to Kerouac fans as "The Bridge Where the Man with the Watermelon Died." The name is taken from the title, and events, of "Book Four" of Jack Kerouac's Doctor Sax. One "baleful black night," Jack and his mother were returning from a visit to Aunt Clementine and Uncle Mike's house. They reached the bridge a half hour before midnight, and a man carrying a watermelon passed them: "Suddenly the man fell, we heard the thump of the watermelon on wood planks and saw him fallen ... I look down with him and there is the moon on shiny froth and rocks, there is the long eternity we have been seeking."

And here's Boots Mills. Jack'd roll over in his grave if he knew it was being converted into condos. "The mills are a reminder that Lowell is a working-class city, established as a business venture. By harnessing the power of the Merrimack River through a carefully engineered system of mills and canals Lowell quickly became one of the largest centers of textile production in the world. The architecture of the Boott Mills complex mirrors the growth of Lowell--its nine mill buildings were built between 1835 and 1900...When Kerouac mentions any of the Lowell mills in his books it is most often the Boott. In Doctor Sax, the Boott is often seen in "a maze of haze sorrow," where the red chimneys sway in "the dreambell afternoon" or, at night, the windows shine "like a lost star in the blue city lights of Lowell." Kerouac's descriptions of the Boott are often amorphous, and insubstantial, as if the redbrick mills are only clouds in a fiery sunset. It's interesting to match Kerouac's descriptions of the mills with depiction of work in his novels. Kerouac's characters may have jobs, and we may see many people on their way to or from work, but the joy of life lies elsewhere. "Everything belongs to me because I am poor," he wrote in Visions of Cody. "Dicky and I covered these millyards.," he writes in Doctor Sax, "and agreed millwork was horrible."

Which brings us to Edson Cemetary. You drive under the rusted bridge with the faded sign that says "Welcome to Spaghettiville". Drive past the large St Patricks Cemetary until the point where the road widens. The grave is three streets in (Lincoln) and 5 streets over (between 7th and 8th). Once you are there, you can't miss it.

Then we hooked up with friends for dinner and a show. Jethro Tull was in town but we opted for that Bob guy again.

Glad we did. Seats were much better, very close to the stage. If last night was the best show since 2005, tonight was the best show since last night.

The delivery was even better, though that might have been a condition of our improved seats.

Songs we lost: Shooting Star, Spirit on the Water, Can't Wait, Hard Rain, Workingman's Blues #2

Songs we got for those we lost: It Ain't Me Babe, Love Sick, Simple Twist of Fate, Visions of Johanna, Not Dark Yet

I'd say we got an upgrade.

2010-11-20
Tsongas Center
Lowell MA

1. Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
2. It Ain't Me, Babe
3. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
4. Love Sick
5. Rollin' And Tumblin'
6. Simple Twist Of Fate
7. Honest With Me
8. Visions Of Johanna
9. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
10. Tangled Up In Blue
11. Highway 61 Revisited
12. Not Dark Yet
13. Thunder On The Mountain
14. Ballad Of A Thin Man
15. Jolene / Band Intro
16. Like A Rolling Stone

CR Avery and the Special Interest GroupThe RivoliToronto ON2010-11-12

2010-11-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

"Sister, tell your Brother, Brother tell your Auntie, Auntie, tell your Uncle,Uncle tell my Cousin, Cousin tell my friend
Goin' up the (Rivoli) Mama, don't you want to go?" BwMcT

Finally a home game in Toronto The Good, Hogtown, Hollywood North, or, my favourite, Dirty Little York.

CR is back in town, pushing his new book of poetry and the DVD he made with Toronto film maker, Michael Levesque.

38 Bar Blues is available online and the DVD, Subtitles For A Foreign Film, should be out in December.

This venue is the shooting location for the two concerts that make up that DVD, it's kinda like home to the krewe I drag around to these shows.

And a second to home to CR, so The Rivoli's packed to capacity. The 'other CR', Toronto's Troubadour Corin Raymond is here. Members of the Toronto Youth Slam are in attendance in the hopes of learning tricks from the Bard of East Van. Ronna Blume a Toronto area poet who was featured at last weeks Words Aloud. got up to do a Neil Young (sorta) poem, the drummers family, CR's videographer and some old guy who keeps following him around with a pair of mics.

So after 4 attempts I finally get a board. Was hoping to have enough A+ material for a live record but there's time enough in the future to nail that project. What I did get will tide me over the winter.

So what about the show? Well, it was Toronto and the audience was in the mood, so you know the band delivered.

CR Avery vocals, harmonica, keys
Noah Walker guitar
Evan Bates bass
Adam Farnsworth keys, backing vocals
Kevin Romain drums

Set 1
Track 01 Shirley Dragon
Track 02 Is This What You Wanted?
Track 03 Ice Rinks
Track 04 Neil Young'sSongs Are Really About Cars (reading by w/ Ronna Blume CR on keys)
Track 05 Blackbird
Track 06 Motel 50 Miles Out of Town

Set 2
Track 01 This Disclosure
Track 02 Promiscuous Women
Track 03 Very Sarah Palin/Commercial Drive
Track 04 Honeymoon Is Over
Track 05 talk - 38 Bar Blues plug
Track 06 Dungeon of Love/Love Song
Track 07 Make It Count On Election Day (off board)
Track 08 Dinner For One
Track 09 Pryor/Dylan Rap/ Folk Singer
Track 10 band intro
Track 11 On To Something/Piano Lessons
Track 12 encore break/talk
Track 13 Doll House and Pocket Knife
Track 14 Midnight Gold Mining
Track 15 talk - Subtitles for a Foreign Film plug
Track 16 My Own Road To Go

3 nights that finish at 2 am ... gruelling
850 kilometers on the road... time consuming
Hotels, Food and Gas ... $400

5 sets of CR Avery in a week ... priceless

CR Avery and the Special Interest GroupCarden St CafeGuelph ON2010-11-11

2010-11-12T17:33:00.001-05:00

It's Remembrance Day and just remember this...war is for the corporations and the entitled. People got no issues with each other requiring that option.

This is the hometown of John McCrae, the poet who penned "In Flanders Fields". Now there's a coincidence you wouldn't come across if you didn't scour Wiki for an interesting tidbit about where you are going.

The Carden Street Cafe is not merely a funky (and cozy) live music venue, it's a decent eatery. Brought the wife out with me tonight for a little, umm, west coast culture in The Royal City, named after the descendents of King George the IV, and, more importantly, the current home of Sleemans Brewery. Guess I won't be quaffing any Stella from the tap tonight. Turns out there's no Sleeman's at this bar either, only Wellington. Family feud probably.

What a difference a couple of days make. While there's some dish crashing distractions because this is an eatery, the crowd was focussed on the artist with only one or two parties catching up on the days activities over the din.

CR has super-sized his set. We get a 40 minute warmup followed by a solid 70 minute closing set. Everything works on the audience. The spoken-word pieces get the silence they deserve.(Piano Lessons, A Few Thousand Words) The raucous songs get the response they require to take them over the top (Dungeon of Love, Dinner for One, Folk Singer). We got a snippet of Love Song tacked onto Dungeon and we got Birdcage wrapped up in On To Something...kapow!

Oh, wait, show ends with Midnight Gold Mining...wham, bam, thanks for coming out.

Set 1
Track 01 Piano Lessons
Track 02 This Disclosure
Track 03 Promiscuous Women
Track 04 Very Sarah Palin
Track 05 talk - art is boring
Track 06 A Few Thousand WordsTrack 07 talk - swag plug
Track 08 Dungeon of Love/Love Song

Set 2
Track 01 Maggies Farm
Track 02 Make It Count On Election Day
Track 03 Goin' To Bed Hungry
Track 04 Dinner For One
Track 05 Dylan-Pryor Rap/Folk Singer
Track 06 On To Something/Birdcage
Track 07 encore break
Track 08 The Marines Lament
Track 09 Band Intro
Track 10 Midnight Gold Mining

CR Avery and the Special Interest Group This Ain't HollywoodHamilton ON2010-11-09

2010-11-10T18:51:00.000-05:00

We are in the "Ambitious City" of the early 1800's when George Hamilton founded the settlement that was going to unsettle the Iroquois nation once and for all. (Five Nations at the time, could have used that 6th Nation to shore up the defence but it's unsure if the Tuscarora would have tilted the balance.) Later, as industry took over, it was the "Birmingham of Canada" which was cool until they turned on the water hoses in the southern version.

Put the shameful history of our cultural genocide behind and what you have now is "Lunchbucket City", made up of salt-of-the-earth blue-collar workers, soon to be on display at the ROM, next to the dinosaurs.

"Steeltown" has just seen it's workers locked out of the US Steel plant this past week.

"Hammertown" is getting close to puttin' the "Hammer" down.

Well, that's my eulogy and I'm all out of nicknames.

In town to breathe some life into this shut-down-at-sundown city are CR Avery and friends. Dinner at a local Vietnamase eatery, 15 minutes of Roger Marin's set, too much of some other guys set, and not a minute before 11 pm the show starts.

Starts strong too with a punchy Boxer Who Just Returned From London. At this point it seemed like the middling-sized crowd was in the mood. But it was early.

Back in 1980 Iggy Pop taught me something when he walked out on a concert 23 minutes into the set, yelling at the audience, telling them that if they didn't want to rock, well then, neither did he. Shortest show ever! The lesson? The audience often gets what they deserve. Or, from a more positive perspective, the audience is an integral part of making a show great. Without the energy pouring back from the seats it's just a bunch of sweating guys pumping out chords.

This Disclosure, with a hook/melody borrowed from Small Town, is a gender-bending excercise in failed relationships.

CR gives a shout out to the less than 'magazine beautiful' in Promiscuous Women. Sensing the crowd is not yet engaged he first strokes them, telling them they look like a good Tuesday night crowd, then gently admonishes them, letting them know the fate of the show rests in their hands as much as his. He calls out for their help to elevate this set above mediocrity. A slightly better than half-hearted sing-a-long threatens to make this ploy a success.

But this crowd ain't that interested.

Very Sarah Palin starts as a diatribe and ends as an all out rockabilly blast. The band leaves the crowd behind half way through this song. They're gonna have fun and no one can stop 'em.

Dungeon of Love keeps up the pace.

Dinner For One is this tours litmus test. Rude, crude, and I'm guessing someone's tattooed. This is the song that lets the band know if there's life beyond the lights or if dead people really can smoke. (old joke, don't work no more in this new age of smokeless bars) Tonight's response from the girls was, let's say embarrassed, in a giggly way. It's much better when the women howl. The men howled, in a drunken lasvicious manner, which didn't make it any less embarrassing. Great '50's girl group' style to this song, complete with the shoo-be-doo-wops.

CR's still working hard. In a final effort to involve the crowd he brings the show to them, stepping off stage for an unplugged version of his 'Fanfare for the Common Man', Make It Count On Election Day. A tip of the hat goes out to CR's good friend Corin Raymond, who reminds us there will always be a small time as long as they are singing in the parlours. A little down-home country stomp-along for the populist crowd.

Back to the stage for a new rap, the Dylan Meets Pryor intro to a raucous version of Folk Singer.

The night closes with I'm On to Something and the band continues to rock.

Despite a drunken cry for 'one more song' from the one guy who was not paying attention all night, the crowd thinned out and CR was just about to do the same.

You can set 'em up but you can't knock 'em out every night.

Now on a totally unrelated note CR was gracious enough to allow me a soundboard patch of this show, as he did last time we were at This Ain't Hollywood. That time I mentioned to the sound guy that there was no feed to my recorder. He insisted there must be because everything was set as it should be. Until he realized it wasn't, with about 3 songs left in the set. This go round it seemed like all was well, I was getting a good signal, though I did not have headphones on, I was relying on my monitor. Turns out that when he cut the preshow canned music from the PA's he failed to shut it out of the soundboard, so it continues to play over the band. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, I won't get fooled again. Seriously though, shit happens, big thanks to everyone for the effort and the sound inside the venue was pretty good, except for that low hiss, which is what matters.

So these samples are from my audience recording I was capturing simultaneously because I trust no one.

Set List

Boxer Who Just Returned From London
This Disclosure (Small Town Redux)
Promiscuous Women
Very Sarah Palin
Dungeon of Love
Dinner For One
Make It Count On Election Day
Folk Singer
I'm On To Something

CR Avery and the Special Interest Group Words Aloud Festival Durham ON2010-11-06

2010-11-08T16:31:00.001-05:00

A special day in the middle of CR's cross Canada full-band tour. Words Aloud
has invited him in for a weekend of concerts and workshops. We caught two unique sets; an afternoon bookstore set and an evening art gallery show.

Four members of the Toronto Youth Slam Team open the afternoon at the Great Books & Cafe at The Mill in Williamsford, a 20 minute drive north of Durham. The kids are alright, perhaps a little old for their age, but that's ok, there's plenty of time left to be younger. My favorite artist ended up 4th out of 4 today, so it shows you there is no accounting for taste, or I know nothing about poetry. All the kids performed well but I was drawn to the rough-edged urban poetry of Skummilk, he took some risks with his material.

What the venue bio doesn't tell you is this bookstore/cafe was a major grow-op in it's previous incarnation, which explains the 4 year renovation. Just a little local history.

This is a 'pay what you can' event for no more than 50 people, counting the one's standing in back and seated on the massive staircase. A very good turnout in this rural community a couple hours away from Toronto.

After an entertaining 3-round slam from the youngun's CR Avery takes the stage for what is one of the best sets I've seen him deliver, and I've seen more than a few good ones. He really takes to these intimate rooms. Using the house piano, one mic and his harmonicas he's got all the tools he needs to win the crowd. And win them over, he does.

You gotta give props to these local arts-community sponsored events. They make it possible for performers like CR to travel across the country and build a mini-tour around the event. People at Cicada Fest, Perth Folk Festival and this Words Aloud program are keeping the spirit of music alive in the face of the crushing mediocrity the major labels and distributors are hoisting on us. Search them out, be a patron, if only by showing up.

CR absolutely nails every song this afternoon. He starts at the piano, quiety, slowly, letting the audience settle into their chairs, atune their ears and focus their attention. When I'm Gone usually closes a set but CR is wasting no time warming up the audience. He's hot, they gotta catch up.

The sign that he really had his mojo working comes in the spoken word Hendrix/Dylan piece that follows. As he's moving through the story at his usual machine-gun pace he stumbles on a single opening word to a line and deftly drops into his 'hip-hop-beat-box-syllable-popping' vocal style and covers up the flub...I'm sure no one noticed. No one else that is. I believe he used it to the same effect in the PET poem that ended the set, the only two times he missed a step.

The audience is enlisted to play the part of orchestra on the lovely piano ballad, Like A Train In The Snow. It's only a mini-set so we can't be waiting until the encore break to reel them in. CR has a handful of terrific ballads (When I'm Gone, Bus To Baton Rouge,Rain Falls On Eternity)and though his press-kit says little about his ability to deliver these songs, they may represent the height of his combined playing,singing and performance skills. 'Course I only think that 'till he rips off a burning blues number like Motel 50 Miles Out of Town.

It's been a long wait, maybe close to 20 shows and a few thousand miles, but CR finally pulls out Down at the Cafe. Perhaps we had to be in a cafe. Perhaps we required the poetry slam to be part of the show...don't know, don't care, just happy to hear it.

Most of the songs are getting a little introduction tonight and CR invokes the spirit of Tom Waits' to shrug off the pressure of selling a million records Stateside in Big In Japan. The audience, once again, takes to his harmonica-beat-box riffs, resonding enthusiastically as sweat begins to pour off our boy on stage.

Come February we'll be watching the next song as part of a Hockey Night In Canada presentation, his homage to Wayne Gretzky and bitch-slap to the American sense of self-importance with Already the Great One.

38 Bar Blues is the new book of poetry, just released and now available online. We get a brief reading of Old Love The Gambler.

In December CR will be in the city of angels to record with a full orchestra. One of the 6 songs on the sked is the story of his outdoor friend, The Kind Man of Alexander Street. Inner city music, save your city music.

A spoken word piece, Pierre Elliott Trudeau closes out the set. This poem continues to morph. CR has injected a line about Diefenbaker's stand on the Bay of Pigs which makes his other claims about Trudeau's willingness to stand up to the US more historically correct. My guess is someone in Alberta made the case for Dief. While CR does use the "just watch me" quote he should add a couple lines about how PET handled the FLQ terror without terrorizing the people, as a leader should.

Here are some sound samples from the afternoon set.

Set List

When I'm Gone
The Grey Armpit of Rock n Roll
Like A Train in the Snow
Down at the Cafe
Big In Japan
Already the Great One
Old Love The Gambler (poem recital)
The Kind Man of Alexander Street
Pierre Elliott Trudeau

The evening set is at the roomier main hall of the Durham Art Gallery and CR has his band, The Special Interest Group, along for the unplugged session. Road veterans Noah Walker (guitar) and Evan Bates (bass) are joined by two newcomers Adam Farnsworth on keys and Kevin Romain on drums. Hope the boys are enjoying their initiation to life on the road with a circus.

Only one song repeated in the evening set, PET, and it was by request of the organizers. It got a slightly different treatment with jazz accompianament(sp?)to spice it up a touch. Gave it a finger-snapping beat-edge.

Two classic covers to open, both changed almost beyond recognition, updating the words of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.

He follows with a great version of Ice Rinks that builds in intensity and explodes at the end, complete with a little Salt n Peppa.
Blackbird gets the CR treatment then we get some new songs.

Sound samples below.

Set List

Is This What You Wanted?
Maggies Farm
Ice Rinks
Blackbird
Make It Count On Election Day
I Know I'm On to Something (I Just Don't Know What)
A Few Thousand Words
I'm Gonna Eat You Out
Pierre Eliot Trudeau
My Own Road To Go

Gord Downie Queen Elizabeth Theatre2010-11-05

2010-11-07T18:43:00.002-05:00

OK, I'm thinking this concert is a sign that I try too hard to find shows. Nothing against Gord Downie , he's a consumate entertainer...it's just do I really have the time to start up an interest in his solo work? November was looking like a light month when I booked this show but now I've got 5 shows in 8 nights then a trip to Massachusetts in late November to catch a couple Dylan shows. It wasn't easy dragging my work-weary ass out of the house on this cold winter night.

Bonus fries right off the top - Gord is his own opening act. A quick 40 minute set was followed by a brief intermission and an hour and forty minute set to close.

He's doing a unique art show with his songs. On stage he has an overhead projector from your grade 5 math class. Using cut-out shapes of thin acetate, a pyrex bowl (one without Pyrex imbedded on the bottom, no product placement here) and assorted liquids and water colours. To introduce the songs he builds a scene from these assorted pieces, layering the cut-outs, then using the pyrex and liquid to bring scenes to life. It really was pretty good. We had a lighthouse against a dark ocean, the twin towers aflame complete with plane, assorted moonlight scenes with flying birds, geese in fact, and too many others to remember without a camera.

While this was something new, bordering on interesting, it was an anchor to the pace of the show. The silence was filled by assorted Hip-heads thinking it was a license to have a conversation with Gord. Any chatter coming from Gord, or introduction to the upcoming song, was off-mike and hard to pick up in this lovely, but too large, room.

Set 1
Track 01 ?The Myth
Track 02 The Dance and It's Disappearance
Track 03 Moon Over Glenora
Track 04 Yellow Days
Track 05 The Hard Canadian
Track 06 talk w/ projector art
Track 07 Night Is For Getting
Track 08 audience chatter/song intro
Track 09 Trick Rider
Track 10 Canada Geese
Set 2

Track 11 The East Wind
Track 12 Vancouver Divorce
Track 13 Christmas Time In Toronto
Track 01 Gone
Track 02 11th Fret
Track 03 The Drowning Machine
Track 04 Steeplechase
Track 05 Figment
Track 06 Yer Possessed
Track 07 outro/encore break
Track 08 ?What You Gonna Do About It?
Track 09 Broadcast
Track 10 Going Going Gone
Track 11 Chancellor
Track 12 Insomniacs of the World, Good Night

CR Avery Does Ontario Various Venues Durham, Hamilton,Guelph and TorontoNovember 2010

2010-11-03T21:15:00.000-04:00

Back with a full band, a new book of poetry and a DVD, CR Avery is storming across the country and spending a little time in our nape of the woods, er, neck of the way, ummm, how come he's here?

It's the Rock N Roll Bandit tour with some spoken word tossed in for the thinkin' crowd.

Check out the dates!

Midnight Ramble starring Levon Helm w/ guest Steve Earle 2010-10-09

2010-10-11T07:10:00.000-04:00

Third Ramble at the Barn, 4th in total, at some point I should be having my fill, you'd think. The Midnight Ramble won't be around forever and when it's gone I'm betting there won't be anything to replace it. This is mostly a nostalgia trip but there's something life affirming about paying homage to good times past, while creating new good times.

Out of Toronto on the Friday afternoon of a long weekend on both sides of the border. (We Canadians are celebrating our compact with the First Nations, Thanksgiving, while the Americans are celebrating the beginning of the end for those First Nations, Columbus Day. Ironic, eh?) The night drive to Binghamton NY allows us to spend the full day seeing sights, which start at Yazgur's Farm, now the Bethel Woods Center site.

This was another 'beginning of the end'; as the 60's closed the counter-culture was having it's last group grope in the mud. It was a much nicer day as I look over the field where the multitudes assembled.

We have breakfast in nearby Monticello at Tilley's Diner with our good friend, and neighbourhood guide, JS.

A mid-day stroll around Woodstock for photos is followed by a trip to the Woodstock Cemetary to visit Rick Danko's last resting place.

From here we're off to visit his old stomping grounds, Big Pink.

We hook up with our friend JS at Joshua's Restaurant on Tinker St where the Apple-Burnt Butternut Squash soup was the star attraction. After dinner it's time to make our way to the barn.

Steve Earle definitely made the show tonight. Opened with Copperhead Road...BANG...take that. Jerusalem was in there too and i wish i was more familiar with his catalogue so I could tell you what he played but it all sounded great.

He's doing a record with T Bone Burnett and will be touring with his new band, The Dukes, early next year, we were told. The bass player (since 1988) and drummer (since 1999) were the oldtimers. Besides the guitar playing kid and the fiddler girl he had his new wife on the keys. He did a full set (8-10 songs) as the opener and came back for 3 songs near the end of Levon's set.

My wife pointed out to me Steve's little interjection at the end of The Mountain...."don't let them FRACK in these mountains". There's a huge controversy in the area about the mining method, fracking, which threatens the water tables.

During the set he spoke of a recent lawsuit he was involved in, one that would see him making money as it had to do with royalties due for songs he'd written. Trouble was he had to tell them when and where they were composed and his memory ain't too reliable when you get past 16 years ago. (sober 16 years now he proudly tells us.)

After his set I was downstairs when Steve came out with his new baby (about 3-4 months old) carrying him out in a car seat. Nice looking kid, was sleeping. Steve was calling out to his wife to start the car and warm it up. He's recently moved into the area, we think, as Levon called him their new neighbor.

As for the main set:

Larry Campbell is almost ready to tour on his own. he was awesome. his guitar playing is what it always was...terrific. his vocals are getting better and he's really got an emerging stage prescence.

Levon wasn't in as great shape. He did maybe two songs (Ophelia, and the maybe is because I can't name another complete song) and verses of Blind Willie McTell and The Weight (which had Steve Earle doing the opening verse) and lent harmonies on the chorus to some other songs.

If you can do it once, you should.

Observations from my friend JS :

Levon did a "call and response" on "I Want to Know" - he called, Larry, Teresa & Co. responded. His voice was frailer when he spoke than when he sang, but it was clearly in need of rest. The evening was really great. The Levon portion of the show has become much more "professional" since I last saw it; the arrangements, set-list, staging are much more of a show and probably a reflection of taking it on the road for performance in more conventional venues. The musicianship was superb - horn section (4 brass strong); 2 keyboardists - organ and piano (and accordion); huge acoustic bass; 2 guitars (Larry and Jimmy Weider- the Band's last guitarist. Levon was on drums throughout (he did one song on mandolin) and played well - no flagging there. The whole thing struck me afterwards as kind of Levon's version of "Theme Time Radio Hour" - an anthology, of sorts, of the music that formed him; it covered quite a wide spectrum - from blues and ballads to dixieland and gospel. The Band songs were moving - mini-anthologies in themselves, they've now taken their place in the Great Songbook of Americana and stand next to the likes of "Deep Ellum Blues" with a total sense of aptness. The whole segment was quite moving - and long! They played till 12:30 am. Steve Earle was really excellent, too - I began to appreciate his song-craft and his voice.

CR Avery The Undesirables The Cameron House 2010-09-18 CR Avery The Boathouse Kitchener ON2010-09-22

2010-09-23T20:43:00.002-04:00

CR is back in the Toronto area almost promoting the delayed release of his rumoured book of poetry, 38 Bar Blues, which should be available from Write Bloody Publishing any day now. He'll be back in November with a full-band tour that promises to be rocking.

Booked for two shows in Kingston ON at the Kingstons Writers Festival this weekend, he flew out early to lay a few tricks on us in London, Toronto, St Catharines and Kitchener. During his downtime he's working on the final edits for his upcoming live concert DVD, Subtitles for a Foreign Film, set for release in October.

Tonight he's opening for story-teller extraordinaire, Corin Raymond and his excellent guitar-picking puppetmaster, Sean Cotton; The Undesirables. The backroom of The Cameron House is cozy. Seats about 30, stands another 30, it gets hot quick. A three-shirt night is in store, I'm told. Also, ladies, don't ever buy a ticket for a backroom gig. The womens washroom is at the back of the room and you have free access from the front of the bar...just tell 'em you had some yogurt induced issues and stay awhile.

Some new songs from CR tonight, 3 in all, with the Neil cover of Campaigner and two originals, one a spoken word piece about Ice Rinks the other a piano ballad, My Own Road To Go. He starts a little slow, taking a few tunes before he can shake tax issues from his worried mind. When he starts feeding off Corin's laughter from side-stage the set turns.

Track 01 Intro
Track 02 Campaigner (Neil Young)
Track 03 Big In Japan (Tom Waits)
Track 04 The Marines Lament (3 months in hell)
Track 05 Ice Rinks Track 06 talk
Track 07 I'm Gonna Eat You Out
Track 08 Love Song
Track 09 My Own Road To Go
Track 10 Blackbird (Lennon/McCartney)
The Undesirables are playing some new tunes as well, showcasing their new release, Cancer Shoes. They are warming up for a weekend of special guests and concerts on the First of October. Locate Corin on facebook for extensive details and get ready to do the (GO) Bus Stop Walk.

Track 01 Intro
Track 02 ?Ooh, Summer's Gone
Track 03 You're Gonna Find Out
Track 04 Good News
Track 05 Cancer Shoes
Track 06 Umbrella Girl
Track 07 Look Out Jack
Track 08 story - singing bones
Track 09 Singing Bones
Track 10 talk - Ferraro's bleedthrough
Track 11 Waitin' On A Later Train
Track 12 Dancin' on the Fault Line
Track 13 It's A Sunny Day
Track 14 encore break
Track 15 Rain Song(w/ CR Avery)
Track 16 When I'm Gone (w/ CR Avery)

The Boat House

It's early morning on hump-day, it's raining and it's dark. Think a round of CR will charge the batteries. Another opening set tonight, which is good, 'cause home's about an hour and a half away and work don't care that I like live music. Or so I thought. As we arrive at the bar CR informs us he's the headliner...and that's good for us too. Nice little venue in the heart of Kitchener on the shores of Victoria Park Lake. Great locale, with lots of park land and what appears to be a man-made lake ringed with benches and picnic tables. This must be one happening place with walk up business on the summer weekends. 'Course, summers gone and it ain't a weekend so the place is sparsely populated for the opening set by Blair Harvey.

Decent stuff, easy on the ears. The kid has a terrific voice, similar in sound to Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo. Some interesting flair on the guitar with a unique strumming pattern that simulates a snare drum sound while he's playing major chords.

By the time CR's set is underway we have about 20 drinking customers in the place. 18 are attentively focussed on the stage. 2 are not. CR tried his best to shame them into shutting the fuck up, first a full-frontal insulting attack in Leadbelly's Sylvie, then a gentle poke inside a couplet at the beginning of The Boxer Who Just Returned from London that just washed over their self-absorbed little heads. This couple of guys, seated no more than 6 inches from each other, felt they had to talk over whatever din was emanating from the stage. At least 2 different groups in the audience asked them nicely to quiet down, take it outside or get a room. Unfortunately the owners didn't give a shit either as they were almost as loud, saying only, it's a bar, people talk. Point taken, there was no cover charge. However if you hope to attract people into your bar to listen to live music you would think that an atmosphere conducive to that pasttime would be encouraged. There was no way apparent to shut these guys up so CR did the next best thing; cut his set short at a 1/2 hour for a 20 minute break, hoping to let them run out of steam.

It worked, as well as you could hope. Blair gets another 3 songs in front of a half-packed and fully baked house. The alpha-male in our couple leaves. Silence returns as Talker-the-Lesser is on his own. CR comes back for a 45 minute second set that won over the remaining faithful, most notably the 2 cuties in the front row who alternately blushed and laughed through the dirty blues ballad, I'm Gonna Eat You Out. The night closes with a steller performance of Tightrope, sans the tightrope refrain, as CR hits his mark late in the night.

Set 1
Track 01 Intro
Track 02 Campaigner (Neil Young)
Track 03 Sylvie (Leadbelly)

Track 04 talking assholes talk
Track 05 The Boxer Who Just Returned From London
Track 06 I'm A Dairy Cow, Baby

Track 07 Blind Willie McTell (Bob Dylan)

Set 2
Track 08 Star of Bethlehem (Neil Young)
Track 09 Hendix/Dylan
Track 10 The Great One
Track 11 Voodoo Child (Jimi Hendrix)
Track 12 I`m Gonna Eat You Out

Track 13 Tightrope

Disregard the date on that poorly edited photoshop poster. He's in Ottawa on the Saturday the 13th and at the Rivoli on Friday the 12th.

Wanda Jackson Cosmic Charlies Lexington KY 2010-09-12

2010-09-15T18:08:00.007-04:00

Missed my chance to see Wanda Jackson in Toronto this year while I was taking my 100 year old grandmother and her 6 children to their hometown for a party! So when I saw a chance to catch a show and visit some friends in Lexington...well, like my grandma, it don't take much to convince me to get in the car for a road trip.

Wanda Jackson
Cosmic Charlies
Lexington KY
2010-09-12

Track 01 Instrumental Intro
Track 02 Mean Mean Man
Track 03 Rock Your Baby
Track 04 Hard Headed Woman
Track 05 talk
Track 06 I Gotta Know
Track 07 talk
Track 08 Lets Play House
Track 09 Heartbreak Hotel
Track 10 talk
Track 11 I'm No Good
Track 12 Shakin' All Over
Track 13 talk
Track 14 Fujiyama Mama
Track 15 Funnel of Love
Track 16 Right or Wrong
Track 17 Cell Block #9
Track 18 talk
Track 19 I Saw the Light
Track 20 Let's Have A Party
________
Track 21 Whole Lotta Shakin'/Rip It Up/Let's Have A Party

Billy Bragg The Ark Ann Arbor, MI 2010-09-11

2010-09-13T14:50:00.015-04:00

It's a strange world where a Canadian has to cross into the US to get his yearly dose of righteous leftist indignation. For reasons beyond comprehension Billy has opted to bypass the True North Strong and Free this year and focus on the Land of the Afraid, er, make that Brave.

Gives us a chance to hook up with a like-minded Stateside friend and introduce her to Britain's Phil Ochs...that is, without the self-destructive tendencies and bitter cynicism that led Phil to a downward spiral. (As a side-note could you imagine if Phil was alive during the 8 years of the Bush ascendancy? He would have been apoplectic.)

Ann Arbor is a lovely town in the fall. Easy to stroll, lots for the eyes to feast on. The kids at the University are just back in residence and the streets are filled with people getting that last bit of summer. Michigan is coming from behind to defeat Notre Dame 28-24 as we stand in line. The Ark is a mecca. Unfortunately it rained all day so we couldn't experience much of that.

Did manage to run into Billy on the street just before the show. Stopped him to give thanks for introducing me to CR Avery back in 2008 and for playing a superb rendition of John Cooper Clarke's Evidently Chicken Town to the tune of Bob Dylan's Desolation Row back at The Phoenix in 2009. Mentioned my plans to make it over to the UK in the spring of next year if I can find JCC and John Otway playing dates the same week. He mentioned he'd gigged with both of them, simultaneously even. Now if Billy were playing when I was there he'd be a natural to see, but him I can see anywhere, the others, not so much. He pulled out his iPhone to show me a pic of his young son with JCC.

At this point I felt like the character in Jack White's Take Take Take...that was all that I wanted. Except I wanted more. I asked Billy if I could impose on him for an autograph, on my copy of his debut, indy EP, Life's A Riot w/ Spy Vs. Spy, the import, which I've been carrying around for a good many years. This guy is nothing if not magnanimous and he followed me into the restaurant where my wife and friend were wrapping up dinner. "Look who I found!" I announce.

Billy's still lightly touring Mr Love and Justice, but also playing a few new songs from his recent stage production. He's had a busy year with the election and all, slaying the BNP in his home riding.

Lots of talking tonight, the show ran over 2 hours. Billy got caught up in a rambling story about signing 3 posters "To The Lion's Den", then later discovering, while driving down I94, that was an porn movie store.

But he played some songs too;

Billy Bragg
The Ark
Ann Arbor, MI
2010-09-11

Disc 1

Track 01 The World Turned Upside Down
Track 02 To Have Or To Have Not
Track 02a talk
Track 03 The Price I Pay
Track 04 Greeting to the New Brunette
Track 05 talk
Track 06 Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Better Day
Track 07 talk
Track 08 I Ain't Got No Home
Track 09 Sexuality
Track 10 talk
Track 11 Everywhere
Track 12 The Unwelcome Guest
Track 13 talk
Track 14 The Fourteenth of February
Track 15 talk
Track 16 There Will Be A Reckoning
Track 17 talk
Track 18 Tank Park Salute
Track 19 talk

Disc 2

Track 01 NPWA
Track 02 Levi Stubbs Tears
Track 03 talk
Track 04 I Keep Faith
Track 05 Power In A Union
Track 06 encore break/talk
Track 07 Ode To Joy
Track 08 talk
Track 09 The Milkman of Human Kindness
Track 10 A New England

The Specials Sound Academy August 27-28, 2010

2010-08-28T11:00:00.003-04:00

So nice you got to see it twice.
Or so rare you gotta do a pair.

The Specials cancelled back in April and I caught a major break.
My tickets were in hand and plans were in place to see that springtime outing but I was forced to modify my travel dates for New Orleans which caused me to be out of the country on April 19.

Then I traded in a bit of my banked-Karma and one of the band members got sick.

Sorry 'bout that.

To make it up to us they booked an extra "thank you" show, and being forever grateful, I figured it's a nice weekend, let's play two.

They are coming off a very busy summer of festivals in Europe...14 or more and these two final dates in Toronto look to be the 'wind-down' for their 30th Anniversary tour which started with sell-out shows in England last fall.

Never have I seen so many people, packed so tightly, dancing up a storm, without any undo aggressive behaviour. It was like 'family friendly skank' nite. Unfortunately the cutie in front of me decided to profer an unrequested lap dance on me...unfortunate because she was whining and grinding (er, wrong band) against my recording rig and she flipped the gain from +10 to +30 causing me to lose 7 songs, Friday Night/Saturday Morning among them. Oh, well, there's another date.

And that date was even better, if it could be. Second night we get the same enthusiasm, friendly, fun-loving crowd and another sweat-fest. A little less crowded tonight, which was nice.

The encore sees an extra song, the rare Guns of Navarone. The only difference from the previous night.

The Specials
Sound Academy
Toronto ON
08-28-2010

Track 01 Intro
Track 02 Do the Dog
Track 03 (Dawning of A) New Era
Track 04 Gangster
Track 05 It's Up To You
Track 06 Monkey Man
Track 07 Rat Race
Track 08 Poor Little Rich Girl
Track 09 Blank Expression
Track 10 Doesn't Make it Alright
Track 11 Stupid Marriage
Track 12 Concrete Jungle
Track 13 Friday Night, Saturday Morning
Track 14 Stereotypes (Part 1 &2)
Track 15 Man at C & A

Disc 2
Track 01 Message To You Rudy
Track 02 Do Nothing
Track 03 Little Bitch
Track 04 Nite Club
Track 05 Too Much Too Young
Track 06 Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)
Track 07 encore break
Track 08 Ghost Town
Track 09 second encore break
Track 10 Guns of Navarone
Track 11 You're Wondering Now

Heart Casino Rama 2010-07-23

2010-07-24T14:44:00.009-04:00

OK, I know this one's going to look a little out of place when you browse through the shows I've seen over the past few years. Closest I came to '70's power-rock would have been Alice Cooper. I was offered a pair of tickets to this show by a generous benefactor in Chicago. Apparently a big fan of Heart (and Def Leppard too if I remember last years offer.) I'm reluctant to be a gun-for-hire, it seems so mercenary and so much can go wrong. But it can be seen as a service too, and if you want it, come and get it.

What I do get out of it is a night out and the chance to drop a few hundred in the casino. (FTR, I was down $140 at the roulette table when I went 'all in' with my last $25. Won big, got to play another half hour, left a $25 tip for the croupier and was only down $15.)

Ann and Nancy can still kick some rock'n'roll ass. It's a small group of women who have been able to hold their own in the male-dominated group category. Joan Jett comes to mind. Chrissy Hynde, even with the testosterone laden band. Patti Smith. This is not fluff and the ladies are not poseurs. They've been on a massive year long tour that started late in January and runs through to the end of September. Impressive, as the girls start to celebrate b'days in the more advanced range.

They are on the road a month ahead of the release of their first album in 6 years, Red Velvet Car. They debuted some tracks at Seattle's EMP this spring.

An excellent show. Ann's voice is really something and I'd argue she has more skill now than she did 30 years ago. Songs like Magic Man and Crazy on You are improved. Her inflection hints at a wealth of life experience she didn't have when she first sang these songs. There were a lot of highlights but if you want a short list; Alone and Crazy on You. Virtuoso performances.

On a side note it was refreshing to see women give women standing ovation after standing ovation, a real celebration of talent and survival.

Disc 1

Track 01 Cook With Fire (Dog and Butterfly, 1978)
Track 02 Heartless (Magazine, 1978)
Track 03 Never
Track 04 Straight On (Dog and Butterfly, 1978)
Track 05 Dog and Butterfly (Dog and Butterfly, 1978)
Track 06 These Dreams (Heart, 1985)
Track 07 Hey You (Red Velvet Car, 2011)
Track 08 Even It Up/Gimme Shelter (Bebe Le Strange, 1980)
Track 09 Red Velvet Car (Red Velvet Car, 2011)
Track 10 In the Cool
Track 11 Alone (Bad Animals, 1987)
Track 12 WTF (Red Velvet Car, 2011)

Disc 2

Track 01 Magic Man (Dreamboat Annie, 1976)
Track 02 Crazy On You (Dreamboat Annie, 1976)
Track 03 Barracuda (Little Queen, 1977)
Track 04 encore break/band intro
Track 05 What Is And What Never Should Be
Track 06 What About Love (Heart, 1985)

Jimmy CliffMassey Hall2010-07-19

2010-07-20T14:44:00.002-04:00

One of five inductees to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame this year, Jimmy Cliff is enjoying a resurgence as he tours his first release in six years, Existence.

You know, I hate to be the one to dis the revered Massey Hall but they need some new vocal mics...or somebody at the board who knows what they are doing. I see about 60 shows a year in different venues and this place currently sucks sonically. Smashing Pumpkins, David Byrne, Joan Baez, Levon Helm...all muddy vocals and clear instruments. Maybe it's my seats...dead center on the floor.

Opening act was a folk-singer, Trevor Hall. Bit of a child-prodigy. Was a fortunate son who was born in South Carolina but found himself at an LA arts school where his first record was being sold to friends by grade 10 and he had a Geffen contract before he graduated.

Ain't nowhere to go but down from those lofty heights.

Geffen releases little of his work and subsequently drops him from the label. It's indie time in what is the new world order of the music industry.
He's touring this most recent release, This Is Blue. More than decent, reggae tinged set. Kinda like The Police without that insufferable lead singer and all that Tantric stuff.

Here's his the songs and a couple samples.

Track 01 You Find Me
Track 02 Where's The Love
Track 03 All I Ever Know
Track 04 Om Shakti Om
Track 05 ?Good Rain (new song)
Track 06 Unity

Jimmy Cliff was life affirming and just plain fun. He rolled out all the hits and more and spent a good part of the night jiving around the stage. It's all in this set...The Specials, The Police, gangsta rap, the sounds of Jamaica, a hint of Bob...a real treat.

Disc 1

Track 01 Intro
Track 02 Wonderful World, Beautiful People
Track 03 Sitting in Limbo
Track 04 Rebel Rebel Rebel
Track 05 Wild World
Track 06 One More
Track 07 Save Our Planet Earth
Track 08 Vietnam (Afghanistan)
Track 09 The Harder They Come
Track 10 World Upside Down
Track 11 I Can See Clearly Now
Track 12 Many Rivers To Cross

Disc 2

Track 01 Bongo Man/By Rivers of Babylon
Track 02 Treat the Youth Right
Track 03 My Rub A Dub Partner
Track 04 encore break
Track 05 You Can Get It If You Really Want

Dead Weather 2.0Sound Academy2010-07-15

2010-07-16T14:37:00.015-04:00

Jack's back!

It is what it is, but it ain't no White Stripes.

It's not even The Raconteurs.

First time out to the Sound Academy. My KOOL HAUS boycott is forcing me to find new venues. Wish I'd have missed this one. Lovely looking place with great sound. Stage is too low and the bar is too big, at least 60% of the audience wouldn't have been able to see the artists. Don't get VIP parking. It's close to the venue but it takes a good while to get out if you don't miss the encore. If you take the TTC, bring a lunch for the walk in.

Opening band, Lullabye Arkestra, was, ummmm, melodically challenged. You know it's not a good sign when ticketbastard mispells your name.
Shame on the people behind Dead Weather. I see live music in this city. I know there are more worthy bands. It's nothing but laziness that sees this act win a covetted opening spot. Strange thing is Jack has seen his 'other father' Bob Dylan books acts as talented as The Raconteurs, The Foo Fighters, Elvis Costello and Kings Of Leon, in front of his set. The old goat may not be the stallion he once was but he ain't afraid of no pony's.

Next time you venture this way drop me a line and I'll find you a group that challenges AND pleases your audience.

Their set list went something like this:

Drone #1 Instrumental
Drone #2 w/ vocals, duet
Drone #3 w/ vocals, solo
Screamfest #1
Screamfest #2
Sonic Insult #1
Drone #4
Sesame Street Song, as in "one of these things doesn't belong here, one of these things isn't the same." Some lovely classic sounding country tune that really spotlighted the chicks singing abilities. I'd give you an mp3 but it might suck you into tracking this band down.
Screamfest #3
Sonic Insult #2
Drone #5 and onwards.

Thing is this husband and wife team is about 12 years too old for what they're singing and the only club that would tolerate this shit shut down about 6 months ago when the Kathredal/Big Bop et al left the Queen St scene.

Jack's been making some noise about the quality of discourse on the internet of late. He's been planting stories in the press deriding that sea of cowards who hide behind avatars and screen names while pissing on the world outside.

Well, that brings this review to an end.

Just kidding, I'm gonna bitch. These are strange shows with the Dead Weather. I have a suspicion there's a dynamic at play that is never going to let this band grow beyond the status of a Jack White side-project. I know, Jack'd come up and smack me right now for saying so but it ain't just me, check out the event code on the ticket above.
It's like Alison hasn't brought in a group of hardcore Kills fans to see how she's doing. Dean probably doesn't have a flock of QOTSA groupies on the road. I'll bet dollars to donuts that anyone who was enamoured with Little Jack's stint in the Greenhorns would'nt last more than 2 songs. Who's that leave?

Well, two kinds of people...those who gotta go 'cause it's a 'White Stripes happenin' night out' and me.
The first type were the ones jabbering through the intro's to You Just Can't Win and Will There Be Enough Water?

I go because if I could have witnessed Shakespeare writing notes in the margins of Christopher Marlow's work I would have been there to pick it up for posterity's sake.

The band is better than they were last year. Louder. Tighter. The songs...well, I've only heard them once so I can't tell you if the new ones are better. Hustle and Cuss is the only one that stood out.

Set List

60 Feet Tall
Hang You From The Heavens
You Just Can't Win
So Far From Your Weapon
Cut Like a Buffalo
No Horse
Jack talk - collecting Cdn debt
Difference Between Us
I'm Mad
Rocking Horse
Hustle & Cuss
Gasoline
Die By The Drop
New Pony
Will There Be Enough Water?
(encore break/band intro)

Blue Blood Blues
Jawbreaker
I Can't Hear You
Treat Me Like Your Mother

CR AveryCicada Music Fest #22010-07-11

2010-07-13T06:42:00.004-04:00

A daytime show in the lovely sunshine. Once again a stellar set right in front of CR's, delivered by Brock Zeman.

CR is up to the challenge as he gives us three covers tonight, Waits' Big In Japan, The Beatles Blackbird and Lucinda Williams' Bus to Baton Rouge. Highlight of the set was the impromptu blues riff that retold the story of last nights post-concert jam.

Track 01 Big In Japan (Waits)
Track 02 Door By The River
Track 03 Small Town
Track 04 ??KKK
Track 05 Bus To Baton Rouge (L Williams)
Track 06 Blackbird (Lennon/McCartney)
Track 07 Evidently Sweet Child Blues(w special guests Shade Proposals)
Track 08 Piano Lessons
Track 09 encore break/talk
Track 10 Folk Singer

CR AveryCicada Music FestPort Dalhousie ONJuly 10,2010

2010-07-10T14:39:00.001-04:00

Poet, beat-boxer, rock n roller CR Avery is still out there, working hard, waitin' on you to get it.

He'll be back here in September for a book tour if fortune smiles.

Yesterday I caught his headlining set at theCicada Music Fest.

He's back onstage at 5pm today so you still have time.

We were well entertained in the early afternoon by Dust Devil alumni Kevin Higgins and Barbara Malteze before the Roger Marin Band put in a headliner quality set of their own.

CR came out and challenged the gathered multitude...complete with a parental advisory at the beginning in case things got ugly. They didn't. They never do. The score is now CR Avery 17, enlightened audience 0.

Here's the songs, with some samples.

CR Avery
Cicada Music Fest
Port Dalhousie, ON
2010-07-10

Track 01 Parental Warning/Intro
Track 02 Is This What You Wanted? (Cohen)
Track 03 The Boxer Who Just Returned From London
Track 04 Maggies Farm (Dylan)
Track 05 I'm Gonna Eat You Out
Track 06 Jimi Hendrix/ Dylan
Track 07 Love Song
Track 08 Pierre Eliot Trudeau
Track 09 When I'm Gone

Levon Helmw/ special guest John HiattMassey HallToronto ON2010-06-29

2010-06-22T10:54:00.016-04:00

Levon Helm brought 'Ramble Light' through his old stomping grounds...or close by anyway. While the Yonge St taverns he played in the early '60's are long gone, Levon is still plying his trade as he skips by 70 years of age.

He's overcome a fair bit of adversity, from business quarrels and bankruptcy to severe health issues, yet to see him smilin' from behind the drums, singing those songs, you'd never guess it.

Coming full circle, from Arkansas to Toronto to Woodstock and back, of all things lost along the way, the love of music wasn't among them. I've had the pleasure of seeing the Midnight Ramble in the confines of Levon's barn in Woodstock on couple of occasions. It's a "must do" event for all fans, can't be beat as an experience. He's brought along his crack house-band, led by Larry Campbell, who once starred in the best band Bob Dylan's ever had...that wasn't called The Band. Levon's daughter, Amy, is on the road lending vocal support and completing the familial circle.

Evening opened with a set from John Hiatt, who has made a career out of being almost famous. A bit of a shape-shifter early in his career, moving between New Wave, rock and roots, his more mature years prove that you can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy.

Hiatt's set list

Drive South (Slow Turning, 1988)
Lift Up Every Stone (Crossing Muddy Waters, 2000)
Crossing Muddy Waters (Crossing Muddy Waters, 2000)
The Open Road (Open Road, 2010)
The Tiki Bar Is Open (The Tiki Bar Is Open, 2001)
My Baby (Open Road, 2010)
Cry Love (Walk On, 1995)
Feels Like Rain (Slow Turning, 1998)
Perfectly Good Guitar (Perfectly Good Guitar, 1993)
Tennessee Plates (Slow Turning, 1988)
Have A Little Faith (Bring the Family, 1987)
Riding With the King (Y'all Caught, 1989)