The Wrens haven’t released an album since 2003’s The Meadowlands, but that hasn’t affected their popularity a bit. In fact, it may have even enhanced it, making them a legend as much as a band. The two shows originally announced at Maxwell’s in their home state of New Jersey sold out months in advance. Friday’s early show added later sold out before I even knew it existed. The good thing about being the most-seen face at Wrens shows is that they weren’t going to let me be left outside. They all shook their heads in amazement a few weeks before when I told them I was planning on going to all three, but I’m pretty sure they would have been more surprised had I not.
The simple fact is that they are hands down the best live band on the planet. Only on occasion do the second, third or fourth bands on that list (Drive-By Truckers, Hold Steady and Calexico) even come close to reaching their dizzying heights. I’m often asked to explain exactly what is so amazing, but I always fail to put it into words. The songs are great of course, but honestly, of all their records (you know, all three of them) I only listen to the Meadowlands with any sort of regularity. The key seems to be the megawatt energy on stage. It crackles between the band and the audience, but it’s even stronger between the four of them. I guess that’s what happens when you are a band for twenty years and live in the same house for the bulk of those two decades. That still indescribable entity is what keeps me buying plane tickets, and keeps me in awe at every show.
At some point in each show Kevin gave a heartfelt plea to everyone in the audience to start a band with their best friends, because “it’s the most amazing thing you can possibly do.” It’s a nice thought, but I am pretty sure I wouldn’t want to hear anything a band I cofounded released, no matter how many years we were together. No one I know could conceive of a record as complete as the Meadowlands, write a song as gorgeous as “She Sends Kisses,” or play a show as electrifyingly mind-blowing. Nope, I’d rather they do it since I much prefer to be on the other side of the stage.
The concept was this- in honor of their twenty years together they would play three shows. The first would be a fan-request night, the second their last release in its entirety, the third new material, though there ended up being a lot of overlap. More than anything I wanted to hear “Ex-Girl Collection,” a song that had only been played live once and would by necessity have to be part of at least one show. Based on voting, it should have been part of that first night. It wasn’t. I was disappointed but that made it mean even more the next night, enhanced by the fact that I was standing right next to Okkervil River’s Will Sheff who sang every word. Sheff had covered it for a split single with Charles who in turn covered Okkervil’s “It Ends with a Fall.” I know there must be a reason why Charles never wants to play it, but I can’t possibly imagine what it would be since it was probably the highlight of all three shows.
In fact “Ex-girl” along with “Thirteen Months in Six Minutes” (never played live) may have been the reason that tickets for that show were impossible to come by. When it came time to practice that song, it was decided they needed another voice to pull it off. Charles called Beth Warwerna of Bird of Youth who jumped at the chance. She confessed to being nervous, but I told her that since they’d never played it live there wasn’t anything she could do to mess it up. She nailed it, her purring growl the perfect compliment. Warwerna was only one of many guests over the trio of shows. A couple of kids with a trombone and a baritone sax livened up a few tunes each night, for the first time ever the Wrens had a horn section. An extra guitar made “Ex-Girl Collection” possible, and their old friend, the fantastic Lysa who I’d just met earlier, joined them on keyboard.
Secaucus’s “I’ve Made Enough Friends,” apparently the most requested Wrens’ song ever, made two appearances, while “Kisses” made two (or was it three?). The most memorable of those was as the final song of the last show as they invited everyone to join them on stage. I figured there were already plenty of people on stage, but when Jerry purposefully took my hand, even after I shook my head no, and pulled me up I conceded without a fuss. It was a pretty special moment as everyone in the whole bar was singing the words (correctly or not) at the top of their lungs. I didn’t want it to be over it was so perfect.
Everything had been pretty much flawless. The only complaint I’ve ever had about Wrens’ shows has been the opening bands. My secret theory is that once they announce a show they give the opening slot to the first band to e-mail them and ask for it. This time they were a little pickier. Having been around as long as they have, they’ve made a lot of friends. The goal was to ask some of their oldest friends to play these shows. 12:01, the opener the first night, was a solid rock band. Remarkable because they didn’t suck, I was pretty happy with them. For the early show the next night Palomar was chosen. Not only do they go way back with the Wrens, but Charles is married to their lead singer. I’d seen them once years ago and thought they weren’t bad considering it was a bunch of girls. I meant to see their set tonight but instead spent too long at Kevin’s birthday party at the front of the bar. The baby of the band, he had turned 40 the day before.
The last band hadn’t actually even been a band for seven years, which figures since they were my favorite of the bunch. The Bob Fields had two releases back in the day and they promised to see if they could dig some up for me. The fact that they were willing to reform and out together such a remarkable set probably says more about how special the Wrens are than any of my effusive praise. I miss them already.
The Wrens early show
Late show
The Bob Fields
The Wrens
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