It seemed like an ideal pairing. Former Madison resident Dietrich Gosser still has plenty of local ties, while current resident Marty Finkel has a ton of friends and family that I’ve seen pack venues for his shows. Californian John Craigie treks his way back and forth across the US several times every year, the kind of touring that translates to fans in every town, so where was everyone tonight? Good question. It was one of my smallest crowds yet in the basement, but if anyone was disappointed they didn’t show it.
Marty started the evening with a short set that featured several new songs. While some of them are slated for his next release under his own name, others are being sorted into side projects Spinning Swords and Failed Wizards. I’d heard the first Spinning Swords record and really liked it. He has been promising a follow-up for years, but instead has released two more Marty Finkel records. Live, however, it is impossible to tell the difference, and the same was true of the Failed Wizards’ song he played. I’ve never quite understood the need for multiple side projects, especially when the personnel consists essentially of you, but I’m starting to suspect Marty may be suffering from Will Oldham syndrome. No matter, as usual, his set was full of the charm and catchy pop that makes every show of his a good one.
Before John Craigie started his set he told me he was planning on playing nine songs and asked if that was OK. “Nine songs?” I questioned, “That’s not very many.” “Well, if you’ve seen me before you know that I tell a lot of stories.” I had, and it is true. And honestly, it’s what makes him so engaging live and the main reason I booked him. He was right of course- those nine songs and the twice-as-long stories between them took a full hour. While he didn’t tell his funniest bit, “Water into Wine,” or the just as funny story about the sound guy who once made him play it, he was as entertaining as always. The sing-along “Chuck Norris’s Tears Cure Cancer, Too Bad He Never Cries” takes all the “facts” about Chuck Norris that circulated on the Internet several years ago and turns them into a song. Despite their well-worn humor, it’s still funny.
He introduced the song “The Piano Tuner” by telling us that it was the worst song he was going t o play all night. He had written it in hopes of getting it into the movie of the same name, figuring he had an in since he used to date the sister of the guy who wrote the book. While it wasn’t the worst song he played, it was pretty ridiculous since he hadn’t bothered reading the book before he wrote it, and it ended up sounding like Blake Thomas making up songs on the spot on a Tuesday night. No, the worst song he played was “Too Much Dylan.” I’m sensitive to bad Dylan impersonations, the quickest way to alienate me is to do a whiny sing-song voice and think you’re funny. You’re not. Still, his affable nature and friendly drawl make him hard to stay mad at, but next time maybe he should only play eight.
I’ve seldom seen Dietrich Gosser and percussionist Dan Kuemmel so relaxed during a show. They were so comfortable playing for the meager crowd that I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dietrich talk more, and Dan actually talked a little. Truthfully I could have done without the story about the crickets (you had to be there), but it was nice to see them so at ease. Many of their stories had to do with the making of the new record, recorded mostly in Arizona (home to all sorts of creepy crawlies), but recently Dietrich has decided that last year’s long labored-over What the Buzzsaw Sings is actually pretty good and many of the songs in their set came from that record. I could have told him that, and in fact I have, many, many times. I was delighted to hear “Noah’s Ark,” which didn’t make their 30 Minute Music Hour set, and “Ocean,” which did. As usual, Dan’s percussion was fascinating, his box of toys producing pots and pans and unidentified percussion, as well as actual toys like the well-loved Happy Apple.
Someday I’ll figure out how to get more people to come to my shows, but until then it is good to know that often musicians are happy to play for anyone who is listening, even if there are only a handful of them.
Marty Finkel
John Craigie
Dietrich Gosser & Dan Kuemmel
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