Concert Review: Robbie Fulks @ Off Broadway

Soooo the house concerts have been great but there is still something righteous about going to a club, standing at the bar, paying for a beer and then seeing a band. Seriously righteous. But daddy is old. Daddy is tired and some venues have become off limits. Particularly Off Broadway.

I have vivid memories of going down there time and time again. I would show around 8 because things were winding down at home, kids are in bed are going to bed, the wife is working on a project so rather then watch some more crap TV I go to the club. I pay. “When does the band go on?” I ask and am told the opener is at 9. You look and you see two drum kits stacked on the stage and and you know that you are not going to luck out and have “an evening with” where one artist plays the whole show. So you wait, have a beer, have two beers, then the opener. Often they do not suck. They always go one late, say around 9:15 and get done slightly after ten. Then you see a second band setting up and they are not the band you came to see. GREAT NEWS! Three bands for the price of one! Shit. That mean that if you wanted to stay till the bloody you were there till 12:30 or 1:00. I am too old. I have to work tomorrow! But I stayed. And I loved it. And I hated it. I was ecstatic and I was miserable. I love dichotomies.

The place has changed hands at least three times since I started going to shows but no matter who it was it was always a late place. Even the much missed and lamented Mississippi Nights ran a tighter ship.

http://www.offbroadwaystl.com/

Anyway.... I digress. I read in the RFT or the Post or something that Robbie Fulks was coming to town and playing an EARLY SHOW at Off Broadway. 7:30! How great is that. Even better a good alt-country true believer called and reminded me of the show and even better I was free of other obligations that night so... down we went. Off Broadway is just off of Broadway down south of the brewery and as I said it has been there for years. It was interesting upon going in that there was again new management which is I guess the reason for trying some new stuff. I complimented them on the concept and away we went. The place was all cleaned up with all the trash and memorabilia which had been gathered (read plastered and strewn) all over the place for 20 years or more. The only thing I was sad to see gone was the huge wagon wheel chandelier which used to hang in the middle of the room, awkwardly hanging over nothing but part of the floor. It had always somewhat obscured the view from the awkward little balcony.

They have always had a large beer selection there and I was grateful to see that they had not felt the need to get rid of the Busch and Stag long necks. In fact they had a special on the Busch 20 ouncers but... I prefer glass bottles for my Busch beer. I am classy that way. We had a beer, and had a seat. It appears they had also lost the crappy little tables they formerly had and instead set up seating in about 10 rows of chairs. We got a seat in back and had another beer and I was pleased to see local luminaries like Brian Henneman and Beatle Bob at the show.

Fulks came on at 7:30 promptly with his acoustic and more of slightly more interest or annoyance he was appearing with another guy with an acoustic, Robbie Gjersoe. If anybody cares he plays for a band called Screen Door Music which you can find on My Space... or not. Fulks has a new CD coming out and so he was shilling for that and the new tunes were tuneful and nice and his voice rang clear and true with that sharp, well pronounced twang. It was awesome just to hear him live again. The first time I had scene Fulks was at the old High Pointe. He knocked me out fronting a band and paying loud, funny twang with Nashville and Big Hat hating country songs like "Fuck This Town".

If you want to get a taste of Fulks I would sample the first two CD's "Country Love Songs" and "Southmouth". These Buckcentric CD's are awesome and funny and his voice is so young and pure that when i listen to them now they often seem even more heartbreaking. After that he has a good songwriter catalogue but as i said, I recommend "Georgia Hard" as his best. Fulks cut his teeth doing Bakersfield country and channeling Buck Owens like no one's business but since that time and most specifically with his album Georgia Hard he really came into his own with some beautiful, catchy and dark songs. So the new ones sound good. I will have to get the new Cd and he played a nice sampling of his past 9 albums. One of the great things about Fulks is that most of the songs are 2-3 minute blasts of beauty and angst and it was awesome. Gjersoe played a nice accompaniment and sang high harmony when needed and occasionally pulled out the craftsment 9/16 long neck socket for a little slide guitar as well.

After he put in an hour he started to take requests but other then a couple of suggestions he pretty much ignored them and played what he wanted. Although disappointed not to hear "The Buck Starts Here", there are no bad songs in his catalogue and he was playing before about 50 hard core fans. The show was done by nine and I was able to have another beer on the way home and be in bed shortly after 10. That night, life was good indeed. Here is to the early show.

Concert Review: Yo La Tengo at the Pageant 1/24/10

Soooo.... it is a Sunday night and i have had a hard weekend of having my wife out of town and my daughter out of the house at a Lutheran youth event which led to... well... lets just say it led to me staying up too late on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday all I wanted to do was watch playoff football. Buuuuuuut...I did not see enough live music in 2009. So it was 2010 resolution time and I needed to hit more shows and Yo La Tengo was coming to town. Even more importantly a very kind, young lawyer scored two tickets for me, and most importantly I was going with one of my best friends kids who is a music head... like I used to be. So instead of being home and warm I hopped in my car at 7:30 and went to pick up my 16 (almost 17) date for the show.

We parked two streets south of the Pageant and it was a cold walk to the show. Tickets were supposed to be waiting at will call and this time they were there as promised. The last time i tried to take this kid to a show I thought I was taking him to see the Drive By Truckers but screwed up the night and we saw Robin Trower. That was... interesting. Now it is Sunday at the Pageant. Sunday shows can be tough because it is a school night and the weekend is over and it tends to be... lethargic. The crowd skewed about 15-20 years younger then me. Kind of odd.

New Times Viking opened. I had pre-screened on iTunes and decided that I hated them. But they were AWESOME. Three piece band with girl keyboard player/singer, boy drummer/singer and shredding guitarist. They rocked channeling the Replacements and more. I could not place it for a while but they sounded a lot like one of my favorites, Built To Spill and the singers voice blended into the sweet whine if Doug Martsch. They sand about 14 two to three minute songs and had a great rockin sound and a lot of energy. It was a totally unexpected pleasure.

Beatle Bob was in attendance and looked good. Once again it is always comforting to see him there. Validating. Since he sees like 300 shows a year it lets you know there is nothing better going on anywhere else. I am very insecure about my musical taste or lack thereof.

New Times Viking had a minimal set up in front of Yo La Tengo's equipment and their backdrop which was a nice sky blue curtain with....big, ornate, antique buttons on it. Pretty. Pretty odd.

Yo La Tengo came on promptly at 9:07. They immediately played a "song" that was 12 minutes feedback and backbeat and I was bored. I feel old now in my dislike of feedback. When Crazy Horse did it 20 years ago, I thought that was cool. Now with a band from Brooklyn it seemed annoying and pretentious. Yo La Tengo is also a three person band made up of Ira Kaplan and his wife Georgia (George) Hubley and James Mc New on bass. Then they immediately went into a Georgia song which was sweet and soft and then immediately into a Mc New song and I was amazed at his voice and his range. The band has no pretense and seemingly invented "Shoe Gazing".

Every music source I have ever respected idolizes this band and I had never seen them. I had tried over the years buying the occasional CD or (gasp) Album but never being grabbed by anything. Still I felt like I needed to see them because everyone cool liked them, so I knew I should (see aformentioned musical insecurities). Most of the songs tended to be very poppy and often devolving to feedback and distortion. The band is clearly Ira's band and he has a limited stage presence but such a nice unthreatening voice.
Mc new is physically a standard issue bass player (fat with long unwashed hair). he physically reminded me of the bass player for Atlanta Rhythm Section who was so ugly he was almost physically unwatchable. Lots of the songs are pleasant, sometimes even twangy but then you get Ira's guitar spooky over the top. It really started to grab me, almost hypnotize me. As the show moves towards the end it gets this dreamy quality partially due to great rhythm section and that is what I realized. Jim and Georgia are a rock solid rhythm unit that can sing. They also bounce between some instruments and really provide a nice platform for Ira's ripping it up.

They ended set with feedback that became the Beach Boys song "Little Honda" and it was....sweet. They took a short break for their encore and then brought out the New Times Viking and did a song together. I am going to have to spend a lot more time with the Band's catalogue. Here is the set list if your bored. I stole it.

And the Glitter is Gone
Let's Save Tony Orlando's House
Stockholm Syndrome
Avalon Or Someone Very Similar
Seeing Double Or Triple
Bean Bag Chair
If It's True
Here to Fall
I Feel Like Going Home
Black Flowers
When It's Dark
False Alarm
More Stars Than There Are In Heaven
Tom Courtenay
Nothing To Hide
Little Honda

Accident - Electric Eels cover w/ Times New Viking
Fourth Time Around - Bob Dylan cover
Emulsified - Rex Garvin cover

Built To SPill
The Pageant
March 15, 2008





Okay... so March Madness seems to be REALLY distracting for the St. Louis Diner Review. And that does not seem like it is ANY good at all. but maybe it is. Or maybe no ne gives a shit. Who knows. Until I figure out a way to put a pagenator (legal term) on here i will never know whether it is me or both me and my mom who check the page out. Who knows.

So I saw an excellenet concert over spring break or something when Jon was home. We caught the Meat Puppets who opened for Built To Spill. Now Built To Spill has been here about 23 times over the last two years but it just seems to never get old. They are still traveling on their two year old album “You In Reverse” which also gets better and better every time I listen to it.
But lets talk about the Meat Puppets first. The puppets are a nice nineties band out of Phoenix where brothers Curt and Chris Kirkwood picked up on a Neil Young grunge theme and well. They rocked. They had a minor hit in an excellent song called “Backwater” but other then that were relegated to the hated “crtiically acclaimed” category and that was it...then it got worse when Chris Kirkwood tanked his life and got kicked out of the band... and then the brothers got together again and... oh yawn. I have never really liked the Puppets but all the music people who i respect their opintion have always loved them so... I try.
We were on the floor and it was a nice crowd but an old guys leg start to die. The Puppets did tear it up. These are age appropriate guys who can rock but in the end it comes down to... so what. the songs are generally not good enough. That is my opinion, but it always good to see the dreaded critically acclaimed.

Built To Spill is Doug Martsch along with a drummer, a bass player and two other guitars. Jim Roth and Brett Nelson are awesome in their own right but Martsch tears it up and tore through a lot of songs in a two hour set that kept daddy up too late. The set list included many of their songs from you in reverse and delved back to some excellent older stuff including “Joy Ride”, and several cuts from my favorite album “There Is Nothing Wrong With Love” including “In The Morning”, “Big Dipper” and “Twin Falls”. Twin Falls was the best as he dedicated it to his mom who was sitting stage left with his wife and a whole passle of friends.

The thing about the band is that they are the true inheritors... along with Dinosaur Jr. of the Neil Young legacy. Great simple distorted guitar with some nice lyrics that repeat over and over again as you rock into oblivion. That is all a boy can ask for. It was a good crowd and he played a long hard set and I really do not care how many times he comes to town, I will always go see him. It is that good of a show.

8 Slingers on the ten scale.

B.B. King... Family Areana Gives Me The Blues

B.B. King
Family Arena
February 12, 2008

I come here not to praise the Family Arena but to bury it. If there is a more insipid venue in the metro area I am unaware of it. It is first of all in St. Charles. It is second of all a faceless, characterless, cement behemoth. It is third of all on a flood plane with a difficult parking lot with apparently random pylons which preclude you getting where you want to go. And... fourthly... it is called “The Family Arena” and if anything could sound more gay I am having a problem figuring out what it is. So we hate the Family Arena. I saw Weezer and Tenacious D there and still managed to have a bad time. The Family Arena is one of those poorly conceived, post apocalyptic, soviet, cement structures that are conceived of by well intentioned (hopefully) politicians and civil planners in an evil conspiracy with satan (real estate developers) that give rise to a structure born of a great idea which was ... “we need a big venue of our own in St. Charles”. noble idea but carried out with a numbing sameness every time whether in Bloomington Illinois, St. Charles Missouri or Timbuktu. These places are soul less with bad sound, lighting and ambience. Enough said.

My friend was kind enough to invite me to see B.B. King with he and my God Son. I had never seen B.B. King and had wanted to for some time (30 years) but had never really justified it. I feel bad I did not see him when he was a lot younger... say 60 but at this point you have to say that it becomes important to see him before her dies. Seeing him with my friend and his kid, an aspiring guitar player/rocker made it even better. Seeing B.B. King was a bucket list item. Not for me but for him. he had on his list that he wanted that fat, middle aged, bald, arrogant, piece of shit lawyer to see me play before I die. I owed it to him. He is 82. I wanted to give him a break.

Looking on the web I see BB has been using local acts to open for him in every town and while I am sure this is “nice” and also controls costs in not having another act or two to tour with you, the quality tends to be... spotty. Marquis Knox (pronounced mar-kees) opened. he is a local 17 year old blues wunderkind who came out solo, played guitar (poorly) and sang (awesomely). I could have watched him all night. He is around town with the Marquis Knox Band and I would guess they rock, because if he had a decent band (rather then his own average guitar) to wrap around that huge voice... it would be impressive. He is someone I definitely will catch again. He only was up for about 15 minutes and then we were “blessed” by the appearance of “Big George Brock”. Brock has been on the St. Louis blues scene for 50 years and looking him up on the web has a lot of stories to tell but the bottom line is that his band and backup singer were of average quality as was his harp playing. One thing about St. Louis is that you can see pretty good blues music 7 nights a week at bars in Soulard so this just left me a little cold. The highlight of the night was watching the old man lay on the floor of the stage wailing on his harp. Weather this was a stage ploy, he was having back spasms or a stroke remains to be told but at least it was different. He was... eminently missable.

The show started at 7:30 with the opening act which meant BB did not wander up till about 9 or more likely about 9:20. He travels with the BB King Blues band and the fact is... they can really play. The talent level of four horns, a bass, a drummer, a keyboardist and another guitar player is so high that you cannot help but smile just to hear how crisp it all is... and perfect time... perfect time. These guys just played for 20 minutes and were very good with one of the horn players playing band leader... and then the man was pulled up to stage side in his golf cart and wandered up on stage.

82 is old for a man. My dad is 81 and in good shape but shit... that is old. I have lost a step at 46, BB has lost a basketball court. He sat on his chair and leaned back... and introduced his band with the requisite solos (a nice break from the normal practice of doing that at the end) and they all shined. Then he talked. The post dispatch said he played a dozen songs but i only counted 5 on his hour and twenty minutes or so on stage. Some stories were funny, some were droll, some were inspired and a little thoughtful... and all of them were long. He played his U-2 Song “When Love Comes To Town” he played “The Thrill is Gone” he played “Let The Good Times Roll” and he talked.

He has no chops anymore and the bands guitarist did the heavy lifting but this was not the blues guitarist you might want if your fan. What he does have is an effortless style that beautifully strums the sainted “Lucille” as he smiles, and sings. And he can still sing. he does not have the wind he did as a young man but he carries a tune and like Dylan or some of the other older guys he changes his arrangements to suit his current vocal capabilities. Unlike Dylan you can understand the words. The cramped seats in the family arena afforded a good view of the stage but ultimately the late hour 10:45 and cramps in my legs begged for an ending of the set which due to Family Arena curfew had us in the car and on our way home well before 11:00.
It was a good show and a good experience. His band was awesome but as is often the case with “legends” this was more performance heart and a homage to his former greatness then it was a night of kick ass blues guitar. I am happy the guy is still around and how blessed would i feel at 82 to have a couple of thousand people come see me every night. He has tour dates through June and is among the long list of people who are better men then I. Take on of his old albums... put it on and listen and you will get a lot more of the man then this live show, but still, I was happy to go and pay my respects to the man, and his guitar.

Concert Review Number 6: Cracker At Blueberry Hill

Cracker came into town and hit the Duck room on July 65 It was...a GREAT SHOW! Now a good showm not a nice show...a GREAT SHOW! The Duck Room, in the absence of Mississippi Nights has become the premier small venue in town. The site lines are good and you can almost always work your way up to the stage. I dragged myself to the show (being an old man) and went solo (having no friends) and was convinced I would not be able to hold up but for the 100th time was rewarded by the burst of ebergy that great live music can deliver.

Magnolia Summer opened up and they have developed into one, if not THE best St. Louis band. Chris Grabau their lead singer and milti instrumentalist has a clear voice and a clear vision. Grabau spent most of the show playing a nice Gretcsh semi sloid body that just had a sweet sound. Sometimes he delves too far into Jay Farrar with his singing but the songs stand up and so does he and the band. They can play and I highly reccomend checking them out. It was a tight 45 minute set.

But...everyone...and I mean EVERYONE was their to see Cracker. David Lowery remains the funniest man in rock and they took the stage fairly promptly at 10:00. Lowery along with Guitarist Johnny Hickman have been rocking since Camper Von Beethoven first broke up in the ealy 90’s. Camper was an eclectic mix of rock, world music and..well...Balkan Beat Box. I could never get into it but when Lowery hooked up with long time friend Johnny Hickman and his rock hero guitar chops, it all came together.The band's website once noted Cracker as "The only band to ever open for both The Grateful Dead and the Ramones," a unique distinction which is also indicative of the band's sound and style. Cracker comfortably mixes influences and sounds ranging from classic country music, psychedelia, punk and folk into their brand of "Americana" style rock.

Lowery looks like a freak with a professorial beard and half moon glasses in tight jeans with legs that look too tiny to even hold him up. He looks like he has MS but has faught it off so far. The crowd sheered wildly and was made up of 20, 30 and 40 somethings once again showing the bands broad appeal. Over the evening they played all their hits but the early part of the set was made up of “Euro Trash Girl”, “Take me down to the Infirmary”, “Teen Angst” and several songs from their latest studio CD “Greenland”. The great thing about a band like Cracker is that they can take an album like “Greenland” which you might not have loved upon it’s release but when they play the tunes live...the rock your socks off and you cannot believe you missed their brilliance on your first 10 listenings. Songs like “Gimme One More Chance” (sounds like T-Rex), “Everyone Gets One For Free” and “Where Have Those Dats Gone” all seem brialliant when you Lowery and Hickman rip through them live.
I am a Lowery fan and loved his work in Camper Von Beethoven and all the production work he has done with other bands. Lowery put together a little chary on his website www.crackersoul.com which give you some ideas of his roots and relations. Cracker came into town and hit the Duck room on July 65 It was...a GREAT SHOW! Now a good showm not a nice show...a GREAT SHOW! The Duck Room, in the absence of Mississippi Nights has become the premier small venue in town. The site lines are good and you can almost always work your way up to the stage. I dragged myself to the show (being an old man) and went solo (having no friends) and was convinced I would not be able to hold up but for the 100th time was rewarded by the burst of ebergy that great live music can deliver.

Magnolia Summer opened up and they have developed into one, if not THE best St. Louis band. Chris Grabau their lead singer and milti instrumentalist has a clear voice and a clear vision. Sometimes he delves too far into Jay Farrar with his singing but the songs stand up and so does he and the band. They can play and I highly reccomend checking them out. It was a tight 45 minute set.

But...everyone...and I mean EVERYONE was their to see Cracker. David Lowery remains the funniest man in rock and they took the stage fairly promptly at 10:00. Lowery along with Guitarist Johnny Hickman have been rocking since Camper Von Beethoven first broke up in the ealy 90’s. Camper was an eclectic mix of rock, world music and..well...Balkan Beat Box. I could never get into it but when Lowery hooked up with long time friend Johnny Hickman and his rock hero guitar chops, it all came together.The band's website once noted Cracker as "The only band to ever open for both The Grateful Dead and the Ramones," a unique distinction which is also indicative of the band's sound and style. Cracker comfortably mixes influences and sounds ranging from classic country music, psychedelia, punk and folk into their brand of "Americana" style rock.
Lowery looks like a freak with a professorial beard and half moon glasses in tight jeans with legs that look too tiny to even hold him up. He looks like he has MS but has faught it off so far. The crowd sheered wildly and was made up of 20, 30 and 40 somethings once again showing the bands broad appeal. Over the evening they played all their hits but the early part of the set was made up of “Euro Trash Girl”, “Take me down to the Infirmary”, “Teen Angst” and several songs from their latest studio CD “Greenland”. The great thing about a band like Cracker is that they can take an album like “Greenland” which you might not have loved upon it’s release but when they play the tunes live...the rock your socks off and you cannot believe you missed their brilliance on your first 10 listenings. Songs like “Gimme One More Chance” (sounds like T-Rex), “Everyone Gets One For Free” and “Where Have Those Dats Gone” all seem brialliant when you Lowery and Hickman rip through them live.
I am a Lowery fan and loved his work in Camper Von Beethoven and all the production work he has done with other bands. Lowery put together a little chary on his website www.crackersoul.com which give you some ideas of his roots and relations.

More overlooked is the brilliant Johnny Hickman. Hickman looks like a cross between Rick Springfireld (gone bad) and Shcneider the super in “One Day At A Time”. He rips it up and appearantly can play anything from 4-4 bar blues to country and disco and everything in between. He just plays so well and frankly has such a good time. The band over all was as tight as any I have seen lately. No set list, Lowery calling out the tunes as they go and the band ripping into each and every one. He...inspires me.
They played for almost two hours ending with favorites “Low” and “Seven Days” and frankly...tearing the house down. A two hour show in that sweaty little room is an accomplishment and these guys sweat and bleed it...everyday. So me....I went home tired..... and I went home happy.

More overlooked is the brilliant Johnny Hickman. Hickman looks like a cross between Rick Springfireld (gone bad) and Shcneider the super in “One Day At A Time”. He rips it up and appearantly can play anything from 4-4 bar blues to country and disco and everything in between. He just plays so well and frankly has such a good time. The band over all was as tight as any I have seen lately. No set list, Lowery calling out the tunes as they go and the band ripping into each and every one. He...inspires me.

They played for almost two hours ending with favorites “Low” and “Seven Days” and frankly...tearing the house down. A two hour show in that sweaty little room is an accomplishment and these guys sweat and bleed it...everyday. So me....I went home tired..... and I went home happy.

Concert Review Number 4: Southern Culture On The Skids

Sooooooo...what do you say about Southern Culture on the Skids (SCOTS)? Kukla and I went out for a mad evening of some live music and a few beers at the Duck Room. Kukla is a sometimes willing accomplice to go see music with but I only drag him out when I know he will like the show. We last saw SCOTS at The Pageant when they opened up for BR-549 and frankly stole the show. That having been said they seemed like a safe bet for the intimate Duck Room on a week night. With the closing of Mississippi Nights if you want an intimate venue to see a show there is now really only The Duck Room and Off Broadway and sometimes The Lucas School House. If you get their early enough and stand in line for a little you can always stand right in front of the stage. The beer is always cold, the bar is always undermanned but it is also ALWAYS a good time.

The show opener was Brian Henneman and he showed up at 9:00 with his guitar and was on stage by 9:05 with very little tuning or bullshit. The Bottlerockets, his band trace their roots all the way back to Chicken truck which predated Uncle Tupelo. Henneman cut his teeth in those days as guitar tech (roadie) for Tupelo and then picked up some of the guitar work on their later albums. He has stayed around and frankly...after losing wight and sobering up has become a local treasure. He always wears hats to cover his bald head and he could use a little dental work but he looked good and he played...great. From the start he called out for what people wnated him to play and the crowd called out for the mellower and older stuff and we heard a ton of great music. Welfare Music, Gravity Fails, Kerosene, Smoking 100s, 1000 Dollar Car (both requested by Kukla), a brief Waylon Jennings set and then back for some more of his stuff. he can flat out play and his voice has held up well. He got done with a pleased group, packed up quietly...and disappeared.

Beatle Bob showed up later (perhaps he does not like Henneman?) By the time of the SCOTS show the place was packed but Kukla and I were right up front directly in front of the stage. Studio monitors at me knees. The bands drummer came out and set beers and water by everyone’s spot...Rick Miller and Mary Huff were no where to be seen. Miller showed up eventually in plaid shorts, green Converse and a Hillbilly Surf T-Shirt on and then at about 9:20 the fabulous Mary Hiff showed up. I say fabulous because with a red full wig, blue eye shadow and red metal flake lip gloss she is a site. I have no idea how old Huff is but she has been with the band since 1987 so...well lets say she is in her 40s but she looks pretty good and between her and Rick Miller and even their drummer who wears a straw pork pie and stands while he drums...it is as much performance art as a rock and roll show.

They finally all came out together and immediately broke into one of their first hits...”Too Much Pork For Just One Fork.” They then broke into Huff’s best vocal performance, the awesome “Nitty Gritty”. Huff plays a beautiful sea foam green bass which she immediately after the first soing stock her wad of gum on the head of the guitar. Miller plays a beat up old plastic Danelectro guitar. Off tot he side of the stage there were several beautiful Gibson and Fender hollow body electrics but Miller does not need any of that. With his cheap guitar and an effects box that looks like an HVAC system he simply tears it up. I have never been able to see Dick Dale but I have seen Junior Brown and The Flat Duo Jets and quite simply Rick Miller is my favorite surf guitar player. His work is precise and economical but never seems to bore or repeat and it is very accesable. Dave Hartman just stands behind the two of them sometimes beating the skins and cymbals with a maracha in one hand but always keeping...perfect time.

The band started in 85 out of North Carolina about the same time the B-52s were hitting the scene. I do not know who sported the big hair wigs and dramatic eye make up first but these guys certainly have held onto that retro look....with a passion. It was a great show with a lot of high spots including “Mexcian Radio”, Liquored Up and Lacquered Down” and a whole lot more. I managed to get a decent pic of the set list. This is a band that everyone should see...cars, bar-b-que, fried chicken and sexual pecadilloes all provide grist for entertaining guitar, twangy vocals and a damn good time.

Concert Review Number 2: The Silos

Concert review
March 26, 2007
Off Broadway
The Silos


Soooooooo...lets talk about the venue first. Off Broadway has plane and simple, with the closing of Mississippi Nights been putting on the best shows for a longer time then any venue in St. louis. Always a little beat leaning to the twngy, affected KDHX crowd but thre is really nothing wrong with that. The venue was owned bt the same people for years and they were trying to sell it for years and finally someone bought it. The venue has been kept the same and books the same and looks the same other then losing a lot of the brick-a-brack that hung in the old place. The wagon wheel light still hands prominantly and dominates the room.

But this has always been a screwed up venue. The shows never start before 9 and it does not make any difference whether we are talking Saturday or Monday. That is tolerable even on a Monday but for the fact that they always have a local opening act, along with the opening act, before the main act and...well that is three bands and inevitably that means the band you really want to see never goes on before 11:00 and on a Monday...to start your week, that is just too damn late for daddy. It is another case where I am old and stupid enough that i want to write them a letter... to explain how right I am and how wrong they are...share my wisdom....what an idiot I am.

I don’t remember the name of the opening band. They were good and tuneful. They had a vocalist who souded like Jimmy Ryan of the Blood Oranges and a female singer who could of been in my wife’s family she looked so familiar. I would of been happy with them as the opener. Joe Dee graham was the real opener and the Silos had been touting him on their website for some time. Graham is a songwriter of some repute. Gruff and Waits like in his delivery, every line is heartfelt and fraught with meaning and well...just kind of exhausting. When he got up the crowd that was there to see him became hushed like in church and he strummed and moaned and sang a few songs solo and then he was joined by the Silos who generally had a good time. Walter Salas Hamara who leads the Siols played guitar and on one number even pounded the skins. It is apparent they have an affinity for one another and are enjoying touring together. He did not change my life.

After another small break and getting some air the Silos started their set. I had prepared a set list for them with some of the butcher paper on the bar and crayons. Unfortunately it was disregarded. Their new album, (reviewed earlier in the year on this space) is fine but it is short on the memorable hooks and riffs. Hamara is an amazingly great vocalist and seems to sing so easy. I am certain that he could sing the phone book or an American Equity Mortgage commercial and I would find it beautiful and deep. he just has a great mournful voice. Graham played guitar with the band and stayed in the background and his rhythm section tore it up nicely.

Interspersed with the new material he sang “Take Some Drugs and Drive Aorund”, “When the Telephone Rings” and a few others. The set was kind of uninspired and it was just sooooo late. Beatle Bob was there and I got my first pic of 07 so I have that going for me. Hamara does this brilliant thing where he has an acoustic guitar all rigged up to an effect box and he can play as loud or as soft as he wants and can really rip the cover off of it if he wants to. he has been shaking up the Alt-Country and rock scenes since 93 and his great CD “Cuba” but for my money...get “Susan Across the Ocean.” At his heart he is just a rock and roller but he has a love of poetry and song structure which reward you if you listen...but not tonight. Tonight ne played the new stuff and not much else...and...sadly and embarrassingly enough i left before the encore.
Over all it just was an uninspiring show, Mondays anywhere are tough. Monday nights in St. louis at 11:00 are stone losers and he did not bring enough to carry this one off. I will never hesitate to go see the guy but I didn’t get home till 1:00 and that.... just does not work. I will give it 6 1/2 Slingers on the 10 scale.

Concert Review Number 1: Richard Thompson

Richard Thompson
The Pageant
February 22, 2007

I love live music. For the last 20 year or so I have been attending shows regularly first with my wifes permissionand then with the encouragement of my wife. The reasons were simple, I love music and to quote Neil Young:
“Live music is better, bumper stickers should be issued.”

I could not agree more. So in the old days because my wife was not a fan of standing in a smokey environment for 4 hours while I rocked, I would gather up friends, kindred spirits, people in and out of bad relationships, people who owed me, sad desperate people, anyone at all who would go to shows with me. Thn i began to get tired of going to shows and worrying about whether the people i coerced into it were enjoying themselves and i just went alone. Then a few years ago my oldest son started to take an interest in attending and suddenly I had (subject to age restrictions) a built in concert buddy who as long as I paid, would attend. Unfortunately he left for college and I realized since that time I think I have seen three shows in 8 months rather then about 1 a month that was my habit.

So last Thursday when feeling sorry for myself I thought...Richard Thompson, I love him...I should go. And I did. I always tell people that David Lowery of Cracker is the funniest man in rock but he might just have to be the funniest American because Thompson is the funniest man in rock. I have seen him 5 or 6 times in the past, almost always at the much missed Mississippi Nights club but I had seen Thompson at the Pageant once before. Thompson is about 58 and has been acclaimed since he was 18 when he started as guitarist with "The Fairport Convention" and met his first wife Linda. They made one devestatingly good album "Shoot Out The Lights" before he went on his solo career which has spanned 40 years. In August of 2003 Rolling Stone pegged him as the 19th greatest guitarist of all time. They under rated him.

The club was set up for a sitdown show. There are alot of good things about the Pageant but generally they can never figure out the right configuration. Generally for all ages shows they have the floor open but no drinking but tonight there were chairs everywhere and reserved seating. I got a seat by the bar eschewing my assigned seat for a straight ahead view behond the sound booth.



I am proud to say that I was young for the crowd or at least mid pack. There were not many woman and certain not a lot of good looking ones. The same was true, only more so for the men. Rarely have I seen so many baseball caps hiding baldness and so much thinning long hair. Whoever told these guys that long, thinning hair is a good idea? Not me.
Eliza Gylikson opened. She was great. Yawn. Beautiful voice, nice songs from Austin. Sounded Roseanne Cash like. Nothing wrong with that but...yawn. Thompson walked out same as always in his black jeans, shirt and ebret (covering his own baldness) and immediately charmed the crowd. He made some trademark wry comments and the broke into it. he was solo acoustic tonight and that is some of his best stuff.

He played a good song from his upcoming CD and it sounded tuneful. He then broke into “Walking On A Wire” which like many of his songs is heartrending in loss and pathos. He did hos first rock star guitar solo om “Crawl Back”. 3 minutes of acoustic butter wioth razors. Tour de force. Told us we could not sing and then tried (and falied) to lead a hootenanny. Broke in the sad “Down Where The Drunkards Roll and played a pretty, pianoforte guitar solo. His stuff always bounces between great singer songwriter fare and medeival syuff. he then did his new political sonabout Bagdad and disappointing dad. Nobody loves me here. “Dads Going To Kill Me”. At least were winning on Fox evening news he tells the crowd.



He played my favorite song “Persuasion” which was used on the soundtrack for the movie “Sweet Talker” although it has been covered by everyone from his son Teddy to the Finns (Crowded House). he also played my second favorite “Misunderstood” which the words are below. Thompson understands that woman and men don’t understand...each other or anything else and he is an expert at putting into song the spectacular miscues of love and loss. He also ripped of his classic Valerie:

“Leopard skin this, tiger skin that.
Matching luggage, lipstick, hat.
I can’t afford her on my salary.
But I am waiting, waiting, waiting for Valerie”

“I like a girl in satin who speaks in latin” he told us in his new song Hearts For The Smarts”. Cute song. Throw away. He then reached back to 73 for “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight”. How will I ever be simple again. Folk song. Beautiful phrasing. Cooks ferry queen. Dark and manic. Singing about “pre raphealite curls in her hair.” Thats the thing Thats the thing about Thompson. He is so literate...and lyrical and oh did I mention he is probably one of the greatest guitarists ever. EVER. You can have your Claptons and Vedders...whoever you want. I will take Richard Thompson. His guitar makes it rain and pour...washes over you...it can drown you.

Steve Pick from Euclid Records, formerly of vintage final, sometimes of KDHX and more importantly a Lutheran North Crusader was just down the rail. He also did gigs as a reviewer and still does for the Riverfront Times and sometimes for the Post Dispatch. Pick is an underappreciated local treasure. He writes great reviews, has impeccable pop sensibilities and...is Lutheran. He also is huge (tall) and somewhat haunted looking. Seems like a very nice guy...always.
He played a really nice set. the crowd was appreciative and he owned them but they were dead. This sitting and listening to good music is sick and unatural. This was a show that could just have easily been at the Sheldon for some of their patrons then held at a rock venue. The only disappointments for me was that even on the encores he never got to his song “Beeswing” and he never played his signature “Shoot Out The Lights.”

All in all it was a great show. The man is God and if you can see him...see him. It is always worth the buck.

She said "Darling I'm in love with your mind. 
The way you care for me, it's so kind. 
Love to see you again, I wish I had more time". 

She was laughing as she brushed my cheek 
"Why don't you call me, angel, maybe next week 
Promise now, cross your heart and hope to die". 

But I misunderstood, 
But I misunderstood, 
But I misunderstood 
I thought she was saying good luck, 
She was saying good bye 
But I misunderstood, 
But I misunderstood, 
But I misunderstood 
I thought she was saying good luck, 
She was saying good bye 

Things I tried to put shine in her eyes 
Wire wheels and shimmering things 
Wild nights when the whole world seemed to fly 

She said "The thing that's so unique 
When we're together we don't have to speak. 
We'll always be such good friends, you and I" 

Oh but I misunderstood, 
But I misunderstood, 
But I misunderstood 
I thought she was saying good luck, 
She was saying good bye 
But I misunderstood, 
But I misunderstood, 
But I misunderstood 
I thought she was saying good luck, 
She was saying good 
I thought she was saying good luck, 
She was saying good 
I thought she was saying good luck, 
She was saying goodbye 

Oh, she was saying goodbye, 
Oh, she was saying goodbye 
Oh, she was saying, saying, saying, saying

Richard Thompson: "I Misunderstood"

Richard Thompson iTunes Composite: (Evidently I have 173 Richard Thompson Songs in my iTunes library...ooops.)
1. Shoot Out The Lights
2. Valerie
2. When the Spell Is Broken
4. 1952 Vincent Black Shadow
5. I Misunderstood
6. I Feel So Good
7. Keep Your Distance
8. I Can’t Wake Up
9. Beeswing
10. Cooksferry Queen
11. How Will I Ever Be Simple Again
12. Walking The Long Miles Home
13. Crawl Back (Under My Stone)
14. Perusasion
15. Why Must I Plead
16. Wall of Death
Most all of these can be found on his most excellent collection “Action Packed.”