Tag: Shows

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1 May: Atlanta

1 May – Eddie’s Attic (Atlanta)

I knew going in it might be a little rough, because I haven’t played a straight acoustic show in a long time. And as I’ve said too many times, I don’t feel like I have a very good acoustic show. My playing is okay, and usually my voice is good. I just don’t think I bring anything especially compelling to an acoustic show. I can’t come across as one of those very serious “explain the motivation behind each song beforehand” people, just because I don’t really even write songs like that. I frankly just don’t know how to put on an acoustic SHOW. The show was sort of a reinforcement of that belief. I thought I did okay, my voice was good for the most part. I got sloppy near the end. I just didn’t feel like it had much life to it. I know this is something I need to rectify, because I’m about to have to start going out of state with this show. It needs something, apart from just being a little more in pocket. I just don’t know what, yet.

I was much more depressed about it immediately afterwards, which is why I wasn’t in a rush to talk about it.

I found out something kind of interesting Saturday… I was talking to John after rehearsal, and he was talking about a show 6X did last summer, and if I’m right I think it was one of those Daemon showcases at Criminal Records. Anyway, apparently Amy Ray came up to Rob at one point and said “you’re playing with Paul Melancon now, aren’t you?” I think she got my last name wrong, actually, but that’s not uncommon for me. So Rob corrected her and said yes, and she said something to him about me being very talented.

I had no idea they had been keeping up with me to that extent.

One other thing… a few months ago I found out about an Elvis Costello tribute CD that John Brodeur was putting out. John is one of the more familiar people in the weird little power-pop community online. He also performs; I think he’s based out of New York. Anyway, I sent an email asking for details (I’ve never talked to him before, mind you) and it turned out the deadline was pretty short, and there was no way for me to pull it off because I was rushing to get my own CD finished at the time. So I let it go. But this weekend I got an email out of the blue from him asking me to play a show in July (in New York, I assume) that he’s putting together, a tribute show, I guess to coincide with the release of the CD. I’d be playing 2 songs, Costello songs. I haven’t answered him yet, because I’m giving serious thought to the idea of flying up and doing it, staying overnight and coming home. I should be able to pay for it out of what is now my tour support savings, I think I could probably get a cheap-ish flight.

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13 Apr: Atlanta

13 Apr – 10 High (Atlanta, GA)
with 6 Against 7, Over October

A quick run down the roll call…

Lee Cuthbert is amazing. Just so everyone knows that at the outset. We rehearsed twice (more or less) for this show. I went over the Lee’s house one night last week and we went over the songs, just the two of us. I think we did them a couple of times, at most. Then Monday night the band rehearsed, and she already had most of them down. We rehearsed Saturday morning and she had them all down, and we came up with a cover song for the show to pad the set out. Just like that.

Similarly, my band is amazing for their abilities in that regard. I feel lucky to have people like that around me.

Finally, Nicole, who books the Ten High, is great. I had a realization today as to why, and it’s because she actually gives you the sense that you matter, which is something I think it’s safe to say is extremely rare in booking shows. I was talking to her after the show about booking another, and I was wondering how far in advance she was booking, because I wanted to try and get one more show booked in there before my hopeful CD release in August. When I mentioned the release her eyes went wide and she said, “You HAVE to do it here!”

I’m sorry, you’re a good club that has crowds and you WANT me to do the show there? When did I enter this strange parallel universe, anyway? So, anyway, the night will be mine to organize and pick the other bands. I digress. We’ll talk about this later.

The show was good. We were surprisingly tight, I thought, and I felt relatively relaxed once we started. It felt normal, if that makes any sense. I just deleted a bunch of crap because I came to a sudden realization… up to this point I have been playing these band shows with a strange sort of mindset. I think subconsciously I haven’t felt as if they were really… mine. Like, I was still the guy from Radiant City and I just happened to be playing a show with some other people. It’s funny to realize that after over two years. But this show, without articulating it overtly until now, it was me. It was my band and my show. I know I was more animated than I have been up until this point, more focused. Most of the previous shows I have done a lot of thinking about where I’m standing and am I playing the right chord and is my voice okay and on and on and on… this show there wasn’t so much of that. And it felt good.

Hey, it’s me, Paul Melancon. I just didn’t realize it until now.

So, the cover we did was “September Gurls” by Big Star, which worked well, I think. Thanks to everyone who came out… you know, I stress before every show about the turnout and it’s almost always unfounded, and I’m grateful to everyone for that (though maybe I shouldn’t tell you that, you might stop coming). I stuck around through the rest of the show (we were first) and hung out with the band and also with Gentle Readers and Andrea from Daemon Records. Pete, David (who I should also mention gave me CD copies of the Beach Boys’ Smile and some Martin Newell stuff for my birthday before the show. The big lug!) and I went walking up to the CVS for needed refreshments after the set, and at one point Pete asked me out of the blue if I had heard Beulah before. Thankfully I had already discovered them recently, just in time to appear to be hip to the scene, and then I made one of about 4 mentions of Death Cab For Cutie during the evening.

Let this be number five… I bought their CD Photo Album a week or so ago and am still playing it incessantly. I pushed it with abandon Saturday night and I see no reason to stop now. Death Cab For Cutie – Photo Album. Go get it.

There was one other thing during the course of the evening that was really kinda cool and has some potential for the future, but right now it’s just something I have to keep to myself. I don’t mean to tease, but a) I hate to mention it and then have it not pan out, and b) I watch a lot of baseball and have become a very superstitious person about my music career. But it did allow me to quote from That Thing You Do!, as if I needed more excuses.

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21 Feb: Atlanta

21 Feb – 10 High (Atlanta, GA)
with Shannon Tanner, Amerigo Poppy

Right now it’s 10:30am and I’m coming to you live from the food court at Northlake Mall, where I wait for Sears to put four new tires on my car. I think I’ve pushed my current tires about as long as possible without a blowout on the freeway.

Last night was rough. Chris and I rehearsed three times over the past week or so, but two of them were complicated by my inability to sing with this cold. But he had the stuff pretty much nailed already, except for the ones he hadn’t really heard before. My voice was in and out all day, and I spent the time before the show drinking lukewarm water with lemon and hoping for luck.

For the show itself, I never really felt in sync with it. I think I’ve talked about it before, but sometimes I’ll play a show where I feel I’m a step or two behind mentally from what’s going on. Last night I suppose it’s no surprise I ended up feeling that way. I think my voice did better than I was afraid it would, though I know it failed me in a couple of spots. I had planned on a 45 minute set but with the rest of the benefit going on it got whittled down to about 30, which I was actually grateful for. I think the format itself (me with Chris playing a stripped down kit) works well, I just don’t think I had a very good show. Just a combination of the cold and some poor planning on my part. I haven’t played a straightforward acoustic show in a while, and forgot how careful I have to be about planning out the set and giving my hand a breather between difficult songs, so near the end of the set I was playing a little ham-fisted. But I’m looking forward to trying this setup again now that the first attempt is finally over.

I was thinking on the way home how, a year ago, a show like this would have been a huge deal for me, playing an acoustic set at 10 High, and I would have been really depressed afterwards. Now it’s just a blip. I know some of that is because I have a band together and know that the acoustic thing is more of a sideshow now. But I imagine it also has to do with feeling confident musically, even if I don’t want to have to admit it.

I also managed to get some good shmoozing in, I talked for a while with the soundman that’s in a band called the Bibles, and he’s been really complimentary to me over the past few months whenever I run into him. Last night he asked me if I’d be interested in doing some backing vocals for them when they record. I also talked with Russ T (he produced Alastor’s last EP, and a few others which hopefully I will remember to look up online before I post this), who I knew I’d met before, he used to run sound at the club and was there helping with one of the later band’s sound. He gave me his number and wants to come out to a show. I also got to talk a little more with the new booking person for the club, who at this point I cannot say enough good things about. I’ve only been to three or four shows there since the turnover, but she’s been at every single one, which just amazes me. Last night she told me now she could believe the hype (the soundman apparently had been talking me up to her). I think the fact that we played “Xanadu” won her over.

Finally, Chris was really good. I’m glad we set this up, and I’m looking forward to doing it again with less pressure.