Tag: Shows

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17 Feb: Atlanta

17 Feb – Eddie’s Attic (Atlanta, GA)
with Sue Witty, Gerlinda Grimes (from weaklazyliar)

This isn’t the first time, for some reason, that I’ve had to play a writers-in-the-round while sick with a cold or flu. I don’t know what the connection is. There are times that I think I should play all shows doped up or sick. I tend to be a lot less hard on myself than I normally am, and consequently I have a much looser, relaxed show.

But let’s start at the beginning…

Saturday night I went out to the newly rechristened 10 High (formerly the Dark Horse) to see weaklazyliar and sing backup on a couple of songs. I haven’t seen them do an all-out electric show in a long time, and I wondered if they were going to change the arrangements, but instead they played the new record from start to finish and kept it restrained and moody, which I think takes a hell of a lot more cajones. The new record is amazing and doesn’t need to be dressed up for a normal club crowd. They were closing for Doria Roberts, who had drawn the majority of the crowd. Which made it all the more odd that the crowd was talking, loudly, during the entire show, including Doria’s set. It seemed like they had come more to meet and greet than see her play, it was really odd to see.

Sunday was the writers-in-the round with Gerlinda and Sue. I was sick, it started to hit me before I went out saturday night to the show, but when I woke up Sunday morning I knew it was going to be a long haul for this show. When I loaded out to head to the club I took a nice big swig of Robutussin and hoped my voice would stay with me for the night.

Now, anyone reading this, please feel free to fill me in on how the show went, because, to be honest, I don’t recall much of it. I feel pretty sure my voice held out, which I was grateful for. That’s usually the first thing to go when I get sick, I can’t get enough air in to really hold a note (today I am suffering from it). I remember Sue and Gerlinda both played a lot of songs they don’t play often. I remember playing the theme song to my fake cartoon show at some point, which doesn’t really have any words. I remember making a lot of jokes, which may or may not have been funny. I played the new song and broke a string during the last chorus, and so I just finished it a cappela, which I don’t think I would have done without the aid of mind-altering cold medicine. I remember the crowd being bigger than I had expected, and thanks to everyone who made it out. Those shows are always a lot of fun when the crowd is a good size and they’re really enjoying themselves and you can work off them.

But still, I think I’m forgetting a lot of other things. I hope everyone had a good time.

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3 Feb: Atlanta

3 Feb – Eddie’s Attic (Atlanta, GA)
with Cowboy Envy, Gentle Readers, Susi French Connection, Michelle Malone, STB, Kate Simpkins

We rehearsed on January 19, and we rehearsed just before the show. This is a mark of both how good my backing band is and how difficult it is to get into a rhythm with them because scheduling rehearsals can be so difficult. We rehearse at Rob’s studio, and the sound is good, except that I really can’t hear my vocals when we rehearse, so I have to really belt it out. By the time rehearsal is done, my voice is usually shot. That clearly is a bad thing if I then am supposed to go play a show.

While I was driving to the club, I got a call and apparently Susi French Connection had intended for me to reprise my role (singing “The Air That I Breathe”) in their set from the last show. I wasn’t aware of it, and they were already into their set at the club (and asking for me, apparently, which is why I got a frantic phone call). There wasn’t much I could do other than keep driving there. I ran through the song in the car, and couldn’t hit the highest parts to save my life. When I arrived I rushed up the stairs, two guitars in hand, and could hear they were already playing the song. I walked in and they saw me from the stage and waved me up. I went up and received a cheer as I was walking up, so they must have mentioned more than once that I wasn’t there yet, it was sort of funny. So I sang a winded version of the rest of the song, and still didn’t nail the high parts, though not as badly as in the car.

A quick synopsis: I missed Cowboy Envy and Gentle Readers. Saw one more song by Susi French. Saw Michelle Malone (who I haven’t seen since the eighties. She appeared just before she played and was gone the moment she was done). Saw STB. We played. Saw Kate Simpkins.

It was heady company.

Our set went well, though I had my moments with my voice. The songs actually sounded fairly tight, the bonus of rehearsing just beforehand, but also they’re starting to become locked in memory. I was surprised by how well some of them turned out. We had a heckler yelling for Journey songs, quickly verbally dispatched by Rob to the amusement of the crowd. I tried to appear more comfortable on stage, which hopefully came across. But how the hell would I know?

Lee from Gentle Readers ran up and hugged me just after we finished and said she loved me. Linda (also from Gentle Readers, and the host for the evening) told the crowd she’d switch teams for me.

They can both submit requests in writing to have these comments removed from this post. But I do love them Gentle Readers. And, while I’m at it, I think STB kicks my ass. And I think that Kate Simpkins is absolutely amazing and you should go see her if you can. You should go see them all, and me. We’re all very poor!

The End.

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23 Dec: Atlanta

Eddie’s Attic (Atlanta, GA)
with Pat Walsh and weaklazyliar

Sometimes I think I should type up these show reports immediately after a show, but I never do. Invariably I feel like I’ve lost the mood of the thing by the time I talk about it.

My sincere gratitude to everyone who made it out. It really was a sort of Christmas party/present to myself, to basically have all of you in one place.

Pat Walsh opened up the show with Dave Condra and Tim Porterfield. They are getting even tighter, particularly on the harmonies. I had intended to maybe sing of 3 or 4 of their songs, but after they sound-checked I decided against it because I didn’t want to force one of them to not be able to sing. I did sing the lead vocal on one song, and song I had learned from pat a while ago intending to cover it at some point. Funny that when I did it was on stage with them.

Then I came up and did a song solo, and then Tim and Dave came up and backed me on “1985 by the Get-Go’s.” With no rehearsal, mind you, just having listened to my CD. Needless to say, they’re very good. Gerlinda came back up, along with Greg from Chain Poets, to sing with us on the Beatles’ “Something.” Then weaklazyliar came up to play “Guy Fawkes Day” with me, with Gerlinda singing. Then I sang back up for them on “Waiting for the 8:05.”

From that brief description you can see how the night progressed, and what the point was. Weaklazyliar and I played for about 2 hours, switching off, backing each other, doing covers. No real delineation between one act or the other. Without just describing the show from start to finish, I’ll just add that we did a cover of U2’s “Bad,” which ended with me handing a small white flag (about 6 inches square) to the audience and going on a Bono tirade. I thought it was funny, hopefully everyone else did, too. Also, Robi hopped up by request to sing “Heatmiser/Snowmiser” with me.

I was actually disappointed when the night was through. I’ve seen Gerlinda’s description of the evening already, and she’s right when she says the crowd seemed a bit subdued. I think I was disappointed because I was pinning my hopes on the show to be the thing that turned this holiday around. It’s been a very weird one for me this year, and for so many other people I know. I think I had an unrealistic hope that this show would somehow rise above that, and we’d all come together in one of those moments that only happen when they’ve been scripted for PAX TV.

This did not happen.

But, in retrospect, it was foolish to think it would. Gerlinda said, “It’s like, we’re all a little quieter; we’re all a little nicer; we’re all a little more tentative.” And that clearly seems to be the case. And so my disappointment has changed to merely gratitude, that people would allow us the chance to play some role in their lives, to make the attempt to let them forget other things. It’s a frustrating career choice a lot of the time, and it can lead you to forget what an amazing thing it is to be up in front of people who are there to hear you, and the weird, cliched sounding thing that happens when you do it.

I can never express enough how much I appreciate the support you’ve given me, and I hope I am offering something of equal value to you in return. Thank you, and happy holidays to everybody.