Punk Rock Skunk

2011-12-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin/Ha Ha Tonka; December 10, 2011; The Soda Bar, San Diego

At one point in college I wanted to move to California. I was convinced it was the place for me, and San Diego was the city. Of course, my motivation had everything to do with the TV show Simon & Simon and nothing to do with any real knowledge about the city. I’m glad that isn’t the way it turned out, but it was nice to visit what had once been the city of my dreams.

The Soda Bar was another venue in an odd location, especially because once I walked in I was convinced I was in a Northern Wisconsin bar, raised semi-circle booths lined the walls, there was a pool table in back, and brown and gold vinyl were the decorating materiasl of choice. Tonight may have been my favorite show of the CA trio. Not only was it my last night, but it was the last night for the tour and everyone was in high spirits. The closing song each night had been both bands jamming on Oasis’s “Champagne Supernova,” but tonight it featured real champagne. The scene was like a locker room after the divisional championship, except more was actually going in mouths.

We spent the night at Luke’s girlfriend’s place in Ramona. She lives in a trailer on her parent’s property, and she put the rest of us up in guest trailers. We had a bonfire that night and in the morning her mom made us all breakfast. Now that’s the way to end a tour.

Ha Ha Tonka

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

"Champagne Supernova"

2011-12-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

Ha Ha Tonka/SSLYBY/Letting Up Despite Great Faults; December 9, 2011; Bootleg Bar, Los Angeles

My trips to California so far have been limited to San Francisco, so this was my first time seeing So Cal. It’s a long drive from San Fran to LA, but as usual it didn’t seem long riding in the van with HHT. Lennon had opted to ride with the Boris boys today, so I took this opportunity to ride shotgun. The landscape was beautiful and unusual, what really stood out was a barren hilly area topped with motionless wind turbines. I had my first In & Out burger today, and yes, it was better than a regular fast food burger though I’m not sure I liked it better than my beloved Whopper. The menu was simple, burger, fries, soda, shake, but apparently there is a whole secret menu that you have to be in the know about to order from.

I spent a lot of time in a hospital waiting room earlier this year and while there I completed a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle of the LA skyline. It was odd to see the real life versions of these things, the W hotel, the Fitzgerald, and of course the HOLLYWOOD sign. The Bootleg Bar was in an odd location, surrounded by businesses instead of other nightclubs, but it was a great space. Doors led to hallways which led to party spaces, outdoor decks and a theater. As luck would have it, there was a benefit fashion show happening in the theater prior to the rock show and the venue invited all of us back. It was one of those crazy shows with un-wearable fashions that yet were all for sale. We saw dresses made from playing cards, Mylar balloons and X-Men comic books, heard commentary from the cross-dressing fashion police, and were treated to a few cabaret-style songs. Bonus. The only food nearby was down the block where $1 tacos were served from a stand on the sidewalk, and they were delicious.

There was a local opener tonight, who had a name even more awkward that SSLYBY, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, um, huh? They had an Asian singer who sounded surprisingly like the Psychedelic Furs’ Richard Butler. They were good, and definitely had some friends who came out just to see them. SSLYBY played second tonight, and I again I enjoyed them immensely. Guitarist Will, who already stands out as a long-haired blond in a band of brunette preppy haircuts, had picked up a cowboy hat today that he wanted to wear. He rounded out the ensemble with Luke’s cowboy boots which he drew attention to by tucking his jeans into them. It was night two of my “merch-off” with Nathan, and again I think he might have won, though it wasn’t for lack of enthusiasm on my part. I like touring with Boris, I wish I had been on this tour longer.

Letting Up Despite Great Fault

SSLYBY

Ha Ha Tonka

2011-12-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin/Ha Ha Tonka; October 8, 2011; Hotel Utah Saloon, San Francisco

The Hotel Utah Saloon has its charms- the food was delicious, the staff super friendly- but its capacity as a venue is not one of them. In fact, I’m not even sure why someone thought they should have shows here, at least not ones they expect to draw more than twenty people. And this co-headlining bill certainly did that. The room was tiny and oddly shaped, with a balcony above it that offered a right on top of the band view of the stage, still, over a hundred folks braved it. My friend who lives in San Francisco picked a safe corner to watch the show from. It was her first time seeing Ha Ha Tonka and she reported that she really enjoyed them and that the sound didn’t suck in the back. I was glad on both counts, especially because the sound did suck in the space stage right that the merch area was wedged into. In fact Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin’s very entertaining merch guy Nathan elected to wait the show out just outside the music room. Good call.

I had seen SSLYBY several years ago at the Belmont Street Festival in Chicago. I watched one song before deciding they weren’t my thing and wandering off to another stage. I feel bad about that now, because as it turns out they are exactly my thing. There are two lead singers in the band, John and Phil, and they split the set between them. It would be hard to pick who I liked better if it weren’t for Phil’s song “Yellow Missing Signs,” which became my new favorite song tonight and I looked forward to it every night. It’s actually a sad song about three women who went missing several years ago in Springfield MO and still haven’t been found, but it’s disguised in a ridiculously catchy dance beat. I look forward to seeing them again the next two nights.

2011-12-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

Stew and the Negro Problem; December 5, 2011; Mitchell Theater at Vilas Hall

Mark “Stew” Stewart is an unlikely UW Madison professor. He’s critically acclaimed musician and the author of a Tony award winning semi-autobiographical musical Passing Strange. Yet, here he was hosting his last Monday night of music and interviews as he finishes up a semester teaching a songwriting class. While other nights have featured guest speakers and musicians, his final show was with his band the Negro Problem, enhanced with a few of the students from his class. The young trumpet, trombone and violin players all held their own even though Stewart himself admitted they had no idea what was going to be thrown at them that night. Often he would just point their direction, encouraging them to take a solo, and they would oblige. The rest of the band consisted of regular members, the drummer, the expressive keyboardist and bass player Heidi Rodewald, who is also his songwriting partner

I wasn’t really sure what to expect tonight, I was only marginally familiar with TNP and hadn’t actually heard any of the music, but I went anyway because it was free, early, nearby work, and most importantly, my friend Bill was going to be there. He had been to one of the earlier shows which featured noted faculty member Richard Davis. He said that night had consisted of Stew playing a song and then asking Davis about it. This was much more music and less talk, though Stew is an excellent and humorous storyteller. He has a warm, smooth speaking voice that accurately predicts his singing voice. Surprisingly, the performer I was most reminded of while watching him is Van Morrison. I couldn’t quite explain it, but there was something in his vocal and performance style that reminded me of one of Ireland’s most famous musicians.

It definitely wasn’t his songs, since I have a hard time picturing Van singing the line “The naked Dutch painter in your kitchen does not want to sleep with you,” from my favorite song of the night. Another memorable one was “Black Men Can Ski” which resulted from a stay at a ski lodge. The song which gained him the most cred with the younger audience, the much younger audience, was a song called “Where’s Gary?” that was featured on an episode of Sponge Bob Squarepants. Many of the songs came from the musical and had that musical quality to them… you know what I mean. It wasn’t necessarily my kind of music, but I still enjoyed the night as something completely different from what I am used to.

2011-12-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

M Ward/Carlos Forester/Mike Coykendall; December 4, 2011; Schubas

I felt like I had won the lottery. Tickets for M Ward’s one-off Schubas show sold out in three minutes, and I had a pair. It was still somewhat of a mystery why he was even playing the much-too-small club on a Sunday night, but I wasn’t questioning it. He’d spent the last few years concentrating on She & Him, a duo with Zooey Deschanel. Surprisingly I don’t despise the band because of Deschanel (who I think is one of the worst actresses ever) or because of their awkward syntax moniker, but because for all the time he spends on that project that means no new M Ward records, and the years since Hold Time have felt like an eternity. He had played a Daytrotter benefit in Rock Island the night before (that I certainly would have been at had I not had Robbie Fulks playing at my house) and we theorized that he was playing the show tonight just because he could. In fact, he called the two night run his “Rock Island Line” tour. And as you may have guessed, that song showed up in the set as part of a terrific encore.

One of the first times I saw M Ward I didn’t like him, I couldn’t figure out why a guy who was supposed to be such an amazing songwriter was playing so many covers. Tonight however I embraced the covers. The aforementioned “Rock Island Line” was fantastic, and “Roll Over Beethoven” was equally inspired. The energy of the entire show is in a large part due to the stellar band Ward assembled for the tour. Longtime sideman and opening act Mike Coykendall was joined by fellow opener Carlos Forester, both on guitar or bass, whatever the song called for, while Scott McPherson was behind the drum kit. A most pleasant surprise was seeing Nashville musician Chris Scruggs on steel guitar (and sometimes other guitars). I had seen the very recognizable Scruggs only once before playing with BR5-49 and instantly fell in love with him.

Last year I saw Jason Collett with Zeus and Bahamas, and Collett who was ostensibly the headliner played the first song of the night. The revolving door of musicians on stage kept it interesting for those who only knew the headliner. While not quite as integrated as that show, the lines between openers and headliner were blurred. Coykendall took the stage first but only played a song or two before calling up McPherson and Forester soon after that. I liked both of them, especially Forester whose gentle voice was hypnotic, and I picked up his new release. Eventually Scruggs joined them and soon after Ward. The duet “Campfire Songs” that he sang with Forester was the highlight of the first half the night.

On previous occasions that I had seen Ward, he’s had the venue request no photography. The Pabst didn’t look for cameras but the politely worded signs were enough to keep me from taking pictures. It seems his time in the spotlight with Deschanel has accustomed him to the attention, and there were no such requests tonight. Still, I hesitated to take more than a handful of pictures and few short videos; sure he would abruptly change his mind if he spotted me. He was still wearing a baseball cap pulled low so that most of his face was in the shadow, but I swear sometimes he was smiling.

I know I was. The set list couldn’t have been better. Other than the exclusion of “Big Boat” (the song that got me into after Ward after that less than amazing show), I heard everything I wanted to, most notably “Chinese Translation” whose forlorn questions like “What do you do with the pieces of a broken heart?” are belied by the lighthearted melody. It’s impossible to pick a second favorite, “Whole Lotta Losin’,” “Never Had Nobody Like You,” “Fisher of Men” and the appropriately titled “Magic Trick” were all terrific. My only complaint was that it was too short, just over an hour. Winning the lottery couldn’t be as good as this.

2011-12-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

Robbie Fulks; December 3, 2011; Kiki’s House of Righteous Music

Used to be Robbie Fulks and his band played Madison frequently, a festival here, a Harmony (and eventually a High Noon) show there, but in recent years he’s been lying a little low. It’s not just Madison, he tends to stick closer to Chicago these days, playing a weekly residency at the Hideout and only occasionally hitting the road. After seeing him this summer at the Marquette Waterfront Festival I decided it was time to ask if he wanted play another house concert. His schedule was pretty tight up until Thanksgiving, but we picked this day not knowing it would be the same date as the Big 10 Football Championship Game. There was still a sold out crowd but I did have a few cancellations in the week before the show, including my best house concert customer.

It had been three years since the last time Fulks had played at the house, accompanied by the fantastic Robbie Gjersoe. This time at least I knew Gjersoe was coming, avoiding an embarrassingly speechless moment when I opened the door. I’ve been a fan of the journeyman guitarist, who plays with the Flatlanders and Kelly Willis to name a few, ever since I saw him single-handedly save a Jimmie Dale Gilmore show which seemed destined to crash and burn. The Robbies play well together; both are fantastic guitarists and share a goofy sense of humor. When Fulks pulled out his new ukulele, Gjersoe leaned over and whispered, “If you eat right, you’ll be a big guitar some day.” The unveiling of the ukulele was accompanied by an amusing story of the very serious instrument dealer Fulks had bought it from.

In addition to indulging an impressive and serious bluegrass jones on several occasions, Fulks played a lot of fan favorites. Last time through the basement I knew only a fraction of the songs he played, many of which were from his 50 VC Doberman, a download only record which contains a whopping fifty songs that I never had the courage to tackle. This time however I knew the bulk of them, and the set included several excellent selections from his extensive catalog, like “Took A Lot of Pills and Died,” “Tears Only Run Way” and “North Carolina is the Cigarette State.” He also took requests, “Parallel Bars” and “God Isn’t Real,” while turning down some, “(I Love) The Bangle Girl” (“Because I don’t anymore” he explained). In addition, the new songs he played, like the observant “Normal People” and the hilarious “Fine Batch of Biscuits” were instantly memorable.

He seemed to enjoy the unplugged setting immensely, commenting on how many times you sound great in the dressing room and then terrible on stage due to poor sound systems. Fulks certainly has the power to play this way, even though the basement was packed, you could hear every word. Always the professional, he wrapped up the set at the agreed upon hour and a half on the dot. It was one of the easiest shows I’ve done, and one of the most fun. Hopefully I won’t have to wait three years for him to do it again.

2011-11-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

Social Distortion/Chuck Ragan; November 29, 2011; Orpheum Theater

Chuck Ragan

Social Distortion

2011-11-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

Robbie Fulks & Jon Langford; November 28, 2011; The Hideout, Chicago

Robbie Fulks has been doing a Monday residency at the Hideout for the last several years. Most weeks he invites a guest and chooses a theme- Steve Frisbie and the Everly Brothers for instance. These shows have allowed him to explore and indulge many of his musical interests, which are far ranging indeed, everything from classic country to Thelonious Monk to an intriguing upcoming show featuring the music of the Velvet Underground. But when one of Chicago’s most recognized musicians came to visit no one was quite sure what would happen.

Punker gone country Welshman Jon Langford has lived in Chicago for almost twenty years; he’s released a slew of records with many different bands, several of them on the Bloodshot label. Fulks used to be on Bloodshot, which released his first three records, and he’s lived in Chicago about as long. Even so, they had only shared a stage once before, and oddly enough I was there. Fulks used to host a radio show on satellite radio called “Robbie Fulks’ Secret Country.” I had been lucky enough to be there with guests Langford and Cowboy Jack Clement, a been-there, seen-that classic country musician who had a wealth of entertaining stories about everyone from Johhny Cash to Jerry Lee Lewis. The combination was a winning one, and it was a great show. I almost would have predicted that tonight’s entertainment would have also featured the music of some old time country star, or perhaps a seminal punk band, but in fact it was all about Langford. Fulks usually runs these shows, but tonight he gave up the reins as his guest took over.

Instead of the usual format, this was more of a songwriters in the round type of event, with each of them taking a turn (or sometimes two in Langford’s case). They began the night with an original song written just for the occasion before moving into their own material, with the other playing usually along or adding backing vocals. The song choice was impeccable, Robbie dug into some of his earliest material, while Langford played many of my favorite songs. Songs like the hopeless “God Isn’t Real” from Southmouth (Fulks) were followed by the sage advice of “Get the Money” (Langford). The highlight of the night was Langford’s “Nashville Radio” sung by Fulks. The undeniably catchy song vividly chronicles the perils of the road to success. If I were picking I would have cued up Fulks’ “Fuck This Town” next, an equally bitter and jaded look at Music City. Another highlight was the title track to Gold Brick, which Fulks called the best song Jon had written, saying, more or less, “in fact you might as well give up now, because that was the high point.” A cover of “Okie from Muskogee” was just icing on the cake

The music was ridiculously entertaining; the banter even more so, with one-liners zinging back and forth. Too bad it couldn’t go on forever, but in fact it was one of the shorter Monday night residency shows, done just a little over an hour after it began. Still, it was certainly worth the trip, especially when I had the luxury of yet another cheap Megabus ticket. With the show starting and ending so early, I was even able to take the bus back that night. I can’t wait to do it again.

2011-11-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Blake Thomas; November 19, 2011; Stoughton Opera House; November 19, 2011

The Stoughton Opera House has hosted some pretty impressive names over the years- Justin Townes Earle, Greg Brown, Junior Brown, Tom Wopat, the Smothers Brothers, and now Blake Thomas. The formerly local musician who relocated to Minneapolis last year was an unusual booking for the venue, located above Stoughton City Hall (which causes some confusion for folks attending their first show here), but the booker is a fan and he was committed to this show. For his part Thomas made it worth the drive, assembling a band of Madison’s finest players- the ubiquitous Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines on all manner of instruments and cello respectively, Chris Sasman on drums, Josh Harty on guitar, and Louka Patenaude on bass. The latter had played three string bass on Thomas’s most recent release The Window and the Light after a string broke just as they were about to start recording. Nonplussed, Patenaude played the session with the remaining three. He recreated that feat tonight, and it wasn’t even the same bass.

The band dressed for the venue, many of them in jackets and ties, with Thomas looking exceptionally sharp in his “wedding suit.” The perfectly fitting antique garment had belonged to his new wife’s grandfather, or maybe it was great-grandfather, and he had worn it just last month for their wedding. Other than the fact that your butt does get a little sore after sitting on the wooden seats for several hours, the Opera House is a great place to see a show, the sound is terrific and the room itself, renovated over the last decade, is stunning.

Tonight’s show was divided into two sets, each featuring songs from his four releases. The only non-original in the set was an old traditional song. Though after he said it was the only cover, Thomas amended that it “is the only planned cover, but we don’t want to burn any bridges.” The song was part of an unintended trilogy of waltzes to start the second set. Having only realized it as he introduced the third, he told us we would just have to live with it. Thomas and Harty took the stage for the first of those, joined by the band later on. In one of the songs, when Thomas reached the harmonica solo he had an unexpected malfunction and only an odd noise came from the harp. “Well, that was embarrassing,” he admitted before whistling the solo instead. At the conclusion, he tried again and played the harmonica part flawlessly. “I didn’t want you to miss out on that,” he grinned. The show had several lighthearted moments, whenever he needed to tune, he would ask the audience a question, “Quick, what’s your favorite animal? Shout it out.” A very loud “Beaver!” came from stage right. I was about to yell “Kangaroo” before I realized it that was the wrong answer. It isn’t my favorite.

The biggest surprise was probably “Captain My Heart,” from his second release 40 Minutes. I feel like the catchy tune, one of my favorites, has been absent from the live set for several years. All of Flatlands, his third release (and I still think his best), greatest hits were here, “Flowers,” the amazing “You’ve Got Me Feeling Like the Moon” and “Up In Flames.” When the gentleman sitting next to us asked the name of the latter, I mistakenly told him “Flowers,” which is exceptionally embarrassing since I had actually come up with the name for that particular song. The enthusiastic and attentive audience demanded an encore, but I am pretty sure they were surprised by the one they got. Thomas returned alone, and told the story of how when he started writing songs for FAWM (February Album Writing Month), whenever he would post them to the website they would be removed the next day. He then played “Matt Ladish Is On Fire,” a hilarious song that had become the traditional closer during his last month playing weekly at Mickey’s. It was a brave choice, but the audience, most of whom I am sure were hearing it for the first time laughed, a lot.

Thomas certainly proved himself worthy of the Opera House stage tonight.

2011-11-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

The Features; November 16, 2011; The Frequency

The Features were this year’s SXSW discovery for me. I encountered them unexpectedly at the Rachel Ray party, a party I had mocked for years coincidentally, early in the day, and the combination of a new favorite band and an endless supply of tequila made for one of my best afternoons in Austin. I found out tonight that they were all hungover for that show, I never would have guessed. The band has a fierce energy, propelled by drummer Rollum Haas who makes the incredibly complicated and inventive rhythms he’s playing look easy. Keyboardist Mark Bond’s crazy carnival melodies may be the best use of keys in a band I’ve seen, and bassist Roger Dabbs does more than just keep the beat. They’re a remarkable ensemble, fronted by one of the most enigmatic singers I’ve seen. In addition to Mark Pelham’s distinctive voice, he also projects remarkably well, often stepping off mike for one of their many rounds of “la la la’s.” Don’t be fooled, these aren’t Christmas carols he’s singing, they are intense songs and they pack a punch.

In fact most of the set ignored the slower songs that I think are some of their best in favor of the band’s upbeat music. They blasted through the heavy hitters of this year’s terrific Wilderness, destined to be my record of the year, before playing the slow dance “Fats Domino” for the encore. The intense “Lions” (as in “couldn’t tear us apart”) and the propulsive “Temporary Blues” from previous release Some Kind of Salvation as well as the new “Golden Comb” were set highlights. As I remarked after the Chicago show, even the slightly troubling “Big Mama’s Gonna Whip Us Good” sounded terrific, and a little less creepy, live. My friend seemed surprised at the Wednesday night crowd, which half filled the tiny Frequency, for a band she’d never heard of. All the more surprising because she is a little obsessed with Tennessee, she thought she would have heard of a band from Nashville, especially one with six full length records and this much buzz. Between their electrifying live shows and a song on the new Twilight movie soundtrack, that buzz is only going to get bigger.

2011-11-07T06:12:00.000-08:00

AA Bondy/Gold Leaves; November 7, 2011; High Noon Saloon

AA Bondy admits that he wanted his new record be to be even quieter and mellower than his previous two records. And he’s succeeded. While his last two records had a few upbeat moments, notably the catchy “Vice Rag” from the American Hearts record, Believers never comes close to breaking a sweat. I always say there’s mellow boring and there’s mellow awesome, the latter being especially difficult to achieve, the Great Lake Swimmers, Pernice Brothers and Mojave 3 being some of the best. Bondy has always been just on the awesome side of the line, but he is getting dangerously close to stepping over.

Live he slows everything down even more. Songs like the terrific aforementioned “Vice Rag” are slowed to glacial pace, and “Killed Myself When I Was Young” seemed to be in slow motion. The set began with “The Heart is Willing,” perhaps the most buoyant of the new record, and went into lullaby mode after that. The stage was darker than usual, with most of the light coming from the video projection on the screen behind them, which only added to the sleepy mood. Here’s the weird thing, despite feeling like I was about to drift off during the entire show, I still enjoyed it. It wasn’t as good as his last, equally sedate appearance at the High Noon, but it was still good.

Amusingly, Bondy kept thanking us all for coming out on a Tuesday night. No one bothered to tell him it was Monday; I guess they didn’t want to harsh his mellow.

Gold Leaves

AA Bondy

2011-11-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

Ray Davies/The 88; November 6, 2011; Barrymore Theater

I missed Ray Davies the last time he was in town. From all reports it was a pretty amazing show and I kicked myself afterward. I mean, how many chances does one get to see the Kinks’ legendary frontman in a theater as intimate as the Barrymore? I wasn’t going to make the same mistake when he came through town this time. I balked a little at the $40 ticket price, but again, I didn’t want to waste another chance. Luckily, fate was smiling on me and as I walked toward the door after parking my bike a friendly stranger asked if I needed a ticket. A friend had bailed on him and he sold it to me for half price.

Openers the 88 were an energetic band from California who played a set of their own music before backing Davies for half of his set. I can see why he liked them, they were engaging and charming, plus they reminded me a little of Oasis. At least one audience member was not as taken with them, after only a few songs he impatiently yelled “Ray!” Lead singer Keith Slettedahl looked slightly crestfallen and explained they were excited to see Ray too. The rest of the audience clapped even harder after the next song as if to make up for the idiot in our midst. That didn’t deter him and he yelled again. “Shut up,” came a shout from the other side of the theater. “I hate to tell you this, but we’re Ray’s band too,” Slettedahl confessed, and after the next song yelled “Ray” himself in the brief silence that followed the applause. With the money I saved on a ticket I bought their most recent CD after the show. Not as good as the live show, but still a good purchase.

Davies looks good. Despite the rock and roll lifestyle, the years have been very kind to him, he seems healthy and his voice is great. Which is why I was disappointed that he kept encouraging people to sing along. I expect that on classic rock mainstays like “Lola” (which he didn’t play) and “You Really Got Me” (which he did), but on lesser hits like “Waterloo Sunset” I would have preferred to only hear him. So it isn’t surprising that my favorite songs were the obscure ones, like “A Long Way From Home” that Lucinda Williams selected to play with Davies for the See My Friends record, and songs from his most recent record. The irony there being that usually the last thing you want to hear from someone who has been around as long as Davies is songs from their “new” record.

As promised, the 88 did join him for half his set, filling in for the absent Kinks quite nicely. They all looked unabashedly happy to be on stage with the legend. He was also accompanied for the entire night by the terrific Bill Shanley who was a remarkable guitar player. The songs the duo played together were beautiful, so it was even more annoying when the sing-alongs happened during those songs. I was surprised at the end of the night that I hadn’t known more, but as it turned out it was probably lucky.

The 88

Ray Davies with Bill Shanley and the 88

2011-10-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

Sebadoh/Mazes; October 31, 2011; High Noon Saloon

I love Lou Barlow. I love his floppy hair, his narcotic hypnotic voice, his self-deprecating humor. But I couldn’t quite remember why I don’t love Sebadoh. I’ve been to all his solo shows in Madison, and I listen to those CDs and the Folk Implosion stuff, but Harmacy, my one Sebadoh CD, hasn’t been off the shelf in years. After two of the best songs from that record, “Ocean” and “On Fire,” showed up early in the set I was even more mystified. Then Jason Loewenstein who had been playing bass switched guitars with Barlow and took the mike and I remembered. Sebadoh is a tale of two songwriters, and while I guess technically they could be more different, they seem at best jarringly at odds with each other. Barlow is the indie singer songwriter, the jangly Mr. Tambourine Man and Loewenstein is a whole lot punk. By the end of the night I had almost gotten used to the dichotomy and Loewenstein’s songs weren’t quite as abrasive, but I’d still rather a full night of Barlow.

Luckily it did seem that he sang more than half of the set, he certainly did most of the talking. It was Halloween, so it didn’t seem weird when he took the stage wearing priest outfit. Not weird at all that is, until he said he found it in the parking lot of the BP down the street where he had gone “to get some protein.” Since he had committed to wearing the outfit, he claimed he needed to commit all the way and he led us in the “Our Father” to start the show. Other than the handful of songs I knew from Harmacy I didn’t recognize most of the set, but I learned from the T-shirt (more later) I bought after the show that this was the “Harmacy Bakesale remembering tour,” so I guess that means those two records were featured.

When I arrived it looked like it might be another depressing Monday night crowd, but it did fill in gradually and by the time they played there was a healthy amount of people. And all of them were right up front. Barlow couldn’t have been happier, “I always have a great time in Madison,” he declared, “but no one ever comes to my shows.” Unless you go back to a miserably jam packed Sebadoh show at O’Cayz Corral a long, long time ago (which oddly enough followed a show at the Barrymore), he’s kinda right. Even his show at the tiny Frequency earlier this year hadn’t felt crowded. He struggled to remember the last time Sebadoh had played here and I was surprised no one yelled it out; I couldn’t have been the only person who was at both shows. For the encore he added another Halloween accessory to his ensemble. He hoisted the glowing eyed zombie which had been lurking side stage onto his shoulders and tried to play the final song. The little fella kept getting loose until he tucked him under his guitar strap. Yes, a little strange, but it was Halloween.

The only thing they had for sale was T-shirts in “a variety of indistinguishable covers. Um, colors,” according to Barlow. True to his word when I asked for a small black one he pawed through the pile before handing me one. I looked at it suspiciously, “is that black or blue?” He looked crestfallen, “please don’t be picky.” I handed him fifteen dollars and took the shirt.

Mazes

Sebadoh

2011-10-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Gurf Morlix with Kevin Triplett and his documentary “Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah”; October 27, 2011; Kiki’s House of Righteous Music

Blaze Foley was a generally unknown singer songwriter when he was killed by a friend’s son. Twenty two years he still isn’t a well known name, Kevin Triplett wants to change that. He’s spent the last twelve years lovingly assembling the movie that he brought to the basement tonight. Along the way he met Austin producer and musician Gurf Morlix who had played with Foley on his few recordings. This year Morlix released a record of fifteen Foley covers, and the two hit the road together spreading the word about the Duct Tape Messiah. The name refers to Foley’s penchant for using duct tape to accent his clothes and cowboy boots to mimic (and mock) the steel tips the trendy urban cowboys he loathed were sporting.

Before tonight the only thing I knew about Foley was that Lucinda Williams had written “Drunken Angel” about him; I learned more writing the blurb about the show- that he was friends with Townes Van Zandt (who famously said “Foley only went crazy once, decided to stay”) and that his songs have been covered by Lyle Lovett and Merle Haggard. He had a strange career, getting some great breaks but then usually shooting himself in his duct-taped boot, often by getting drunk or once losing the masters of his record. He also had a strange childhood with an abusive, alcoholic father and interesting siblings. The film covers all these events honestly through very personal interviews, including Foley’s muse Sybil Rosen, and some rare live footage, tying the chapters together with creative animation and Foley’s own artwork. Even if you don’t know a thing about Foley the film is an intriguing watch, and I highly recommend it. After the showing Triplett took questions from the audience. Looking to add to my collection, I asked if his colorful, folk-artwork would ever be made available. Happily he replied that was one of the things he was working on.

After a short break, Morlix returned with his guitar to play a set of songs. Having played and recorded with Foley, he had personal insight on many of the songs. Perhaps the most amusing of these was a song Foley wrote after seeing a woman deliberately lock her car door as she passed him hitchhiking. It starts off “Lock your door lady or I’ll jump in your car, don’t you know how nasty we are?” “Wouldn’t that Be Nice” goes on to detail all the horrible things he would do to her if she had stopped for him. It’s an amusing laundry list, ranging from “mess up your hairdo” to “buy me some earthworms, smear ‘em on you,” before he sums it up, “Wouldn’t that be nice?” He chose the title track as much for convenience as any other reason. Since he didn’t want to give the record a title and then a subtitle of a tribute to Blaze Foley, naming it after the talking blues “Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream” covered both bases. “If I Could Only Fly” is perhaps the best known and most covered of Foley’s songs and it is easy to see why. The honest love song appeals to everyone, Haggard even named his record after it, and Morlix did it justice. My favorite of the collection is “Big Cheeseburgers and Good French Fries” the main items in a laundry list of things that make him happy. “Might be stupid to you,” he sings, “but it ain’t that crazy to me.” Foley was a big fan of John Prine and in songs like these you can hear his influence.

The humble and gregarious Morlix is a treat live. His aw shucks charm and wry wit make him a terrific entertainer, and it was hard decide which version was better, his or Foley’s. The last time he played the basement Morlix introduced us to the fantastic and very much alive Sam Baker. This time through we got to meet Blaze Foley. Morlix is batting a hundred.

2011-10-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Peter Case/Dietrich Gosser; October 22, 2011; Kiki’s House of Righteous Music

Peter Case is a storyteller. Yeah, I know, most songwriters are storytellers, but not like this. From the second he arrived Saturday afternoon until the he left after breakfast on Sunday, continuing on tour to Chicago, he regaled us with tales from the road. His memory for people, places, and years was uncanny, and there was scarcely a musician I mentioned that he hadn’t toured with and had some amusing anecdote to pass on. He grew up in the same home town as Butch Hancock, the last artist to play at the house, and he confirmed Hancock’s stories right down to the part where Case sang Howling Wolf songs to Hancock before his voice changed. A scenario that’s pretty amusing to imagine. Of all the stories, perhaps one of the best was told during the show. The “strangest gig ever” ended with he and his son sharing a room (because they were too freaked out to sleep alone) in a gigantic house in the middle of nowhere where the first floor was occupied by pigs. Not just messy folk, but actual pigs. I had just put a new tape and happened to be watching the timer on the camera during this epic, and his tale clocked in at close to fifteen minutes.

He did play some songs too, don’t worry. Case has had a long career to draw from. He first brushed up with fame with New Wave band the Nerves who had a minor hit with “Hanging on the Telephone.” His next band the Plimsoles scored with “Million Miles Away” and an unlikely cameo in the cult classic Valley Girl. (In this case “cult classic” translates directly to “not very good”) He also has a connection to the next artist to play at the house, Gurf Morlix, whom he toured with along with first wife Victoria Williams as the Incredibly Strung Out Band. His solo career has found him increasingly exploring blues and folk. The second of his solo records, the awkwardly titled The Man with the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, still contributes to the live set with “Put Down the Gun” showing up early in the night. The catchy tune incorporates a bit of theater wisdom, stating that “the gun in the first act always goes off in the third,” before qualifying that with “there’ll be no third act at all if someone’s killed tonight.” Another classic from that record “Entella Hotel” exemplifies his storytelling knack with fully realized characters sketched out in the span of five minutes. He also drew from his most recent collection of new material, 2010’s Wig, which was written and recorded in just a few sessions with a band that featured the excellent DJ Bonebreak (X and the Knitters) on drums.

Since moving back to Madison, Dietrich Gosser has kept a pretty low profile, playing out infrequently at underpublicized events like a rare Saturday show at the Shitty Barn in Spring Green and a Tuesday night at Mickeys. Which is a shame, Gosser is one of the most talented songwriters I know and I’d see him every week if I could. His “new” record, The Man Who Invented Gold,” was recorded several years ago and finally “released” this year as burned copies. The layered record isn’t as immediate as his earlier recordings, taking a little longer to sink in, but it pays off. His too short set was a mix of new material and songs from that record including the terrific “Abraham.” The oldest song it the set, it missed being included on What the Buzzsaw Sings and shows up on Gold. He was a little rusty and maybe even a little nervous, but that didn’t make it any less terrific. I look forward to having him back in the basement soon. The same holds true of Case who proclaimed the basement “his new favorite venue in Madison.”

Dietrich Gosser

Peter Case

2011-10-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Lemonheads/Shining Twins /Kevin Junior; October 21, 2011; Double Door, Chicago

It’s hard to know whether to be happy or sad for the Lemonheads as they continue on the It’s a Shame about Ray tour. On one hand, it’s a shame that the 1990-something record remains their biggest commercial success, due mostly to the popularity of their upbeat, accelerated cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” and this tour just seems to be a way of capitalizing on that. On the other hand, it’s pretty amazing that Evan Dando is still around to assemble a band to do these tours given his documented propensity for self-destructive behavior, especially early in his career. Then of course there is the irony that the original release of Ray didn’t even include “Mrs. Robinson,” and it is well known that Dando doesn’t like to play it live.

He had it both ways tonight. After running through the first twelve songs on the under thirty minute release, he started the final track, singing the first line before aborting it and going into “The Outdoor Type.” No complaints here, the track from the underrated Car, Button, Cloth is my absolute favorite Lemonheads song. His hilarious confession of pretending to be outdoorsy just to get the girl amuses me every time. “Never rolled a sleeping bag, let alone a mountain bike,” he admits, “I lied about being the outdoor type.” And that isn’t even my favorite line- that honor goes to this classic, “I can’t go away with you on a rock climbing weekend, what if something’s on TV and it’s never shown again.” “We can go now,” I announced at the song’s completion, even though I didn’t mean it.

Following the set list dictated by the CD, Dando had kept the show moving during its first half. He didn’t talk much as they played the familiar tunes. After that things got a little more random, and he could have used a set list for the rest of the night. He played songs as they came into his head, and sometimes that took awhile. Perhaps more requests would have helped, he’s always been good about taking suggestions (how do you think I got “The Outdoor Type” played when he opened for Aimee Mann so many years ago) and it seemed like he could have used some. He did hit many of my other favorites, most of those from Come On Feel the Lemonheads, their follow-up to Ray. “A Great Big No,” “Into Your Arms” and the very silly “Being Around” all sounded great. “Big Gay Heart” was just as odd as the first time I heard it. Things got weirdly sloppy after that. Dando invited some friends up and they played several songs, one unlikely choice was the Beastie Boys “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party.” After one song, Dando took a seat behind the drum kit and started playing. It was the happiest I’d seen him all night.

During the show a movie played behind the band. It appeared to be taken through the windshield of a car as they drove around, much of it in Chicago. They could have filmed on the way to the venue except it was raining in the video, and tonight was clear enough that we had eaten outside under a heat lamp at the trendy Mexican restaurant Big Star down the street. Often these videos are distracting, and I find myself watching it instead of the band, but this one was so innocuous that I didn’t pay much attention to it. Which was also true of the opening bands. The hilariously hairsprayed Kevin Junior opened. Apparently he was from Chamber Strings, a band I’d never heard of that had a buzz a few years back. It was fine, but uninteresting. The second opener was a bit of a surprise. I predicted I would hate it as I watched one of the band members set up her awkward drum kit. Despite the fact that Shining Twins consisted of just two girls, who both sang, for half their set (they were joined but a dude on guitar for the other half), they were totally listenable, even enjoyable. In this case the answer to the question, “what’s worse than one girl singer?” was not “two girl singers.” No one was more surprised than me.

Kevin Junior

Shining Twins

The Lemonheads

2011-10-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka (opening for Robert Randolph & the Family Band); October 14, 2011; First Ave, Minneapolis

The two questions I get asked most frequently at the merch table are "where are these guys from?" and "where's the bathroom?" Luckily I know the answer to both of them, the Ozarks in southern Missouri and upstairs. The venue is big, with lots of dark corners, and it isn't immediately obvious that the restrooms are up the stairs. First Avenue just may be the most famous mid-size venue in the country, forever associated with Prince and Purple Rain. The rumor was that Prince was going to show up tonight, though I guess that is probably the rumor every night. The sound guy gave him a 20% chance given that he is allegedly a Robert Randolph fan, but the purple one was a no-show, much to Lennon's disappointment. He'd spent the day deciding what he would say to Prince when he met him.

First Avenue is a cool venue, but it's even cooler when you have an All Access pass. I guess I should have been using it to explore the nooks and crannies of the venue, but instead I just used it to get past the not very threatening security guy blocking the way to backstage and the green room (which was actually green, that always makes me happy) where we'd been set up with a case of beer and a bottle of whiskey.

Ha Ha Tonka played a great set, and I sold a lot of CDs to folks who had never heard of them before. Tonight Randolph's set seemed even longer and jammier. The guy definitely rocks the pedal steel in a way I've never seen before, but I have to admit I got bored. Still it was fun and certainly worth driving myself to the Twin Cities and then getting up early for a wedding in Shawano the next day. Though let me just say, I much prefer riding in the van.

soundcheck, this place really is a barn

my sweet All Access pass

Ha Ha Tonka

2011-10-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka (opening for Robert Randolph & the Family Band); October 13, 2011; Barrymore Theater

When I booked my trip out east I originally thought I would be able to do five shows with the band and then head home while they headed south for a series of dates with Jill Andrews. Well, I didn't get to stay as long as I wanted, but they didn't head south either. Instead I found myself at the merch table in the lobby of the Barrymore, a thousand capacity venue that is one of Madison's oldest theaters, just five days after I had left them in Columbus. The boys had given up the four shows with Andrews when Robert Randolph offered them the opening slot for four dates in the Midwest.

The crowd wasn't as big as it could have been, some blamed the Primus show also in town, but it was still pretty cool to see them on the big stage in a theater where I have seen so many great shows. I managed to duck into the theater for half their set, but was content to stay at the table during Randolph. It's not really my thing, so I was surprised to hear that HHT has played with them many times. Though it wasn't reflected in merch sales, the crowd did seem to dig them, and that certainly can't hurt the next time they are in town on their own.

2011-10-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka/Dolfish; October 8, 2011; Rumba Cafe, Columbus, OH

No free food tonight, but friends of the boys were nice enough to drive us to Jimmy John's which is apparently a band favorite. There was however all the tap beer we could drink, and they had good stuff on tap. The room was small but the crowd was definitely into it. Opener Dolfish, who apparently has known HHT for awhile, sang short, alternately hilarious and depressing, observations on life. His interesting voice reminded me of Langhorne Slim on his first record, before he smoothed it our and became commercially viable. He was nice enough to give me a download of his upcoming record, five songs that fit on a 7". He promised to come to Madison soon, I hope he meant it.

Dolfish

Ha Ha Tonka

2011-10-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka/Hoots & Hellmouth/Petticoat Tearoom; October 7, 2011; Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC

The Rock & Roll Hotel was a pretty awesome venue with a secret upstairs green room that you needed a code to enter, and delicious food with vegan and vegetarian options that appeared magically from somewhere. The crowd was great and the vibe was electric. The only slightly suspect area was the dance club upstairs, though it probably pays the bills for the rock club since it was packed later that night. Local openers Petticoat Tearoom were pretty terrific despite their terrible name which seemed to be the result of finding the two sissiest words ever and putting then together. Their cover of Pure Prairie League's "Aimee" was memorable and inspired.

Soundcheck

Petticoat Tearoom

Ha Ha Tonka

2011-10-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Mekons/Chris Mills; October 6, 2011; Iota, Arlington VA

When I told Chris Mills after the show that his set had been a-maz-ing, he told me he’d “been working on his singing.” Maybe it was because I hadn’t seen him in awhile, but he may be right, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard him sound better. The next night he was opening for the Mekons back in Brooklyn, and he thought I should be there for the full band show, but I can’t imagine it could be better than this one. He’s just released a career retrospective called Heavy Years that he promoted with a tour earlier this year, his first real tour in years. He jokes that it’s a reference to his weight, but the title track is one of two terrific new songs on the compilation that make it worth owning even for, especially for, completists like me. During the tour and tonight, he used that CD as a set list. It makes for a good overview of his last four records, but it also misses some of what I consider to be the high points.

I’m not the only one. Someone up front asked for “The Silver Line,” he agreed to play it, but confessed that he might screw it up. He did, but it still sounded great. After all, it’s hard to ruin one of the ten greatest songs ever written. No lie, someday I will make that list. Earlier in the night I had played him the ring tone I made for my iPhone- that song’s breathtaking opening. Having “The Silver Line” play every time I get a call was reason enough for a new phone. On the mornings when I use it as my alarm I’m happy all day. There were other great songs in the set, the heartbreakingly hopeful “In the Time of Cholera,” based on the Gabriel Garcia Marques novel, and lighthearted extended metaphor “You Are My Favorite Song.” Apparently the latter traced one of its lines, “were you born on a barroom napkin,” back to the Mekons somehow. The set ended with “Signal to Noise,” a dark horse from Kiss It Goodbye, and his perennial favorite closer.

With all my (strictly amateur) experience, I had volunteered to do merch for the Mekons that night. I figured I’d sell a few CDs, watch the show and then sell a few more. That was not the case; I was nearly constantly busy from the moment Sally Timms set me up behind the table till the last patron left the bar. I sold piles of CDs and all their signed posters and had a really great time; unfortunately I didn’t get to see much of the show. I could still hear it, and the light-hearted banter that zinged between the band’s eight members may have been the highlight. Oh, whoops, no, the highlight was the return of Langford’s shiny suit that he had worn at the block party. “Wow,” a girl next to my gasped as he walked by, “I am so glad I got to see that.”

Chris Mills

2011-10-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka/Hoots & Hellmouth/Tall, Tall Trees; October 5, 2011; Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn

What a great place, it's like an amusement park. The venue half of the building was huge, I joked that "it's a barn, we're never going to fill it." Unfortunately I had to explain that was a Blues Brothers quote and not how I really felt. The bowling alley was right next to it, and despite the proximity, you couldn't hear the games being played. This is how you know it's an upscale bowling alley... instead of the typical plastic benches they had leather couches. The restaurant too was a big step above bowling alley food, with a price tag to match (the fried chicken was $22!). I would have used another quote from my favorite movie, but it was obvious they weren't going to get it. Thank goodness for meal vouchers. Local openers Tall Tall Trees were terrific, with a sound I couldn't quite pin down but reminiscent of Bright Eyes on occasion. Too bad their most recent release, already a few years old, doesn't capture that sound. Hopefully the next one will. In any case I'd love to see them again.

Tall, Tall Trees

Hoots & Hellmouth

Ha Ha Tonka

2011-10-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Cultivate Festival; October 1, 2011; Lincoln Park

Two things impressed me about the Cultivate Fest held in Lincoln Park, the actual park, on a perfect fall day. One was what good taste Chipotle has; the other was how much money they spent. From the music line-up to the beer tent, the burrito chain offered a stellar selection of treats for the ear and the stomach. Best of all, it was very affordable thanks to their generosity. The beer tent for example offered a wide selection of regional beers, not all of whom were created equal, for five bucks a pint. The high octane Dragonsmilk Ale that we started with was a steal for that price, and a beer that strong that early may have set the tone for the day. The fest itself was free, with a chance to earn a free burrito just by checking out the informational booths to learn about sustainable farming and ethical treatment of animals. Thank you Chipotle, you may have succeeded in luring me away from Qdoba.

I only knew two of the bands in the five band line-up, but they were enough to get me on a Megabus at 7 am. I hadn’t seen headliner Calexico in years. One of the top ten live bands on the planet, they never disappoint with their Mexicali flavored rock. They seem to have heeded even further south since I saw them last, incorporating even more lyrics in Spanish and flamenco flavored guitars to the mix. No matter how many people are on stage with them, the stars of the show are always the group’s core members, Joey Burns on guitar and John Convertino on drums, and they did not disappoint. Admittedly, by this point I had taken complete advantage of being there with a friend who works for a booking agency whose laminate had opened the door to all the Goose Island Green Line I could drink. His job couldn’t get any cooler. Nothing could have disappointed me.

The Cave Singers was one of the bands he was responsible for, and first up on stage for the day. I’d heard the name but hadn’t heard them before. I was immediately charmed by their earnestness and their spare line-up. The three piece relied on drums and guitar while the lead singer added percussion. The overall sound reminded me of one man band Scott H Biram if everything didn’t sound so much the same (not that there is anything wrong with that in his case). The guitarist was definitely the focal point of the band, hunched over, hair covering his face, as he pulled notes out of his instrument. They should definitely play the basement.

They were followed by tongue twister band Rural Albert Advantage (even lead singer Nils Edenloff refers to them as the RAA) who wouldn’t exist without Neutral Milk Hotel. I missed their first two songs finishing a burrito in the green room, but at least I could still hear them. There were just as entertaining as they had been earlier this year at the High Noon, their charm came through even in their too short set. All the sets that day were short; we figured it was because they didn’t want the music bleeding over into the multiple chef demonstrations that were also going on. They were followed by White Rabbits, a rather generic but thoroughly engaging and photogenic band. I was surprised when they introduced their friend Britt on bass… as in Britt Daniel from Spoon. Not sure how I missed him, there’s no mistaking that profile. The only obvious flaw in Chipotle’s diverse line-up of bands appeared to be Mayer Hawthorne and the County. An up and coming neo-soul band that half our group fled from after a few notes. I stuck it out and found it enjoyable and danceable, if not exactly original.

Thanks Chipotle for a really great day. I hope to see you again next year.

The Cave Singers

Rural Alberta Advantage

White Rabbits

Mayer Hawthorne & the County

Calexico

2011-09-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka; September 26, 2011; Cubby Bear, XRT Free Ticket Show

2011-09-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hideout Block Party; September 24, 2011; The Hideout

My original plan had been to stay with Ha Ha Tonka until DeKalb, but once I found out Jon Langford would be performing at the Hideout Block Party with the Burlington Welsh Men’s Choir it was obvious I would have to skip the House Café. It wasn’t the first time I had ditched them for Langford, and it wouldn’t be the last. I’d heard a lot about the choir after the recording of Skull Orchard Revisited, the excellent re-working of the first Skull Orchard record which comes packaged with a book featuring Langford’s artwork and stories about growing up in Wales, but I never expected to see them live.

For a large group of men they are surprisingly understated, and the record never feels choir-y. Even as they took up half the stage, they never overpowered the band, and I was pleased to see David Nagler, the genius behind the arrangements for Chris Mills’ The Silver Line, directing them. The rest of the band was no less noteworthy, Sally Timms and Tawny Newsome on backing vocals, Joe Camarillo on drums, Alan Doughty on bass and the talented and handsome Jim Elkington on guitar. Despite all this talent, the real star of the show in my mind was Langford’s stunning suit. The mysterious black material shone and shimmered in the afternoon sun (which by the way, wasn’t even supposed to be there, an 80% chance of rain had been predicted all week) and it was hypnotic.

The suit wasn’t the only amazing thing; the music was also pretty spectacular. Quite simply, this may be the best show I have ever seen from Langford and company under any name. The set was heavy on the old/new songs, but also included selections from last year’s excellent Old Devils. One highlight was the sing-a-long murder ballad “Delilah” with Sally Timms playing the victim. If Langford was a fashion horse, Timms was something quite different. Her almost matching skirt and top were complimented by fuzzy Viking helmet complete with horns and built in blonde braids.

Skull Orchard Revisited is a great record that should not be overlooked as simply a re-recording. Its packaging with a book, while inspired and quite cool, has probably kept it from being as widely heard as it might have been had it been released the traditional way. I don’t know how he found the Burlington Welsh Men’s Choir (they aren’t even from Wales, they’re from Canada) but they add so much. We even got a chance to hear them do a couple of their own songs. I definitely made the right call skipping Dekalb.

Langford with the choir was the reason I was there, but that wasn’t all the music there was. It started at noon, and we had already missed three bands by the time we arrived for Booker T. Jones. Yes, that Booker T, and yes he did play “Green Onions,” as well as a bunch of other familiar music. Following Langford was another legend, Mavis Staples, of the Staples Family Singers. She has a truly great voice, but I found myself getting a little bored until she invited Andrew Bird and his violin onstage for a rousing cover of the Band’s classic “The Weight.” It was a little less sloppy than Trapper Schoepp and the Shades version the night before, but no less enthusiastic. Bird finished out the night with a terrific set that included selections from all his solo records, as well as several promising new tracks slated for the next release. The best part however was the special guests. Bird’s Bowl of Fire band had just achieved the perfect line-up, as demonstrated by the excellent release The Swimming Hour, when he broke up the band and ventured into solo performance using samples and looping. I miss that band. Tonight was sort of a mini reunion, with chanteuse Nora O’Connor and drummer extraordinaire Kevin O’Donnell joining the band for several numbers. Oh yeah, and to start the show there was a giant bicycle driven whale that sounded a lot like Bird's violin.

What a day, it was worth suffering beer lines a mile long, before they eventually ran out, and overflowing Port-a-Pottys for.

Booker T. Jones

Jon Langford & the Burlington Welsh Men's Choir

Mavis Staples with special guest Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird with special guest a giant whale

2011-09-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka/Trapper Schoepp & the Shades/Charlie Parr; September 23, 2011; Club Garibaldi, Milwaukee
Charlie Parr

Trapper Schoepp & the Shades

Ha Ha Tonka

2011-09-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka/The Ragadors/Ian Olvera & the Sleepwalkers; September 22, 2011; The Crunchy Frog, Green Bay
Ian Olvera & the Sleepwalkers

Ha Ha Tonka

2011-09-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Blake Thomas & Josh Harty; September 17, 2011; Willy Street Fair

2011-09-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

Mason Jennings/The Pines; September 14, 2011; Majestic Theater

Five minutes before the show started I realized I had made a terrible mistake. There was no way this giggling, squealing bunch of college girls and frat boys there to see Mason Jennings were going to shut up for the Pines opening set, and they didn’t.

I used to be a Jennings fan back around the time of his first couple records, but I had grown less interested as the music headed in a Jack Johnson direction and his crowds did too. But still, I didn’t want to miss a chance to see the Pines, the terrific duo of Benson Ramsey and David Huckfelt, currently touring with Benson’s brother Alex on keyboards. The crowd was surprisingly somewhat quiet for the first two songs, listening politely during Huckfelt’s “Pray Tell,” and growing even quieter at the start of Ramsey’s haunting “Heart & Bones.” But that was as good as it got, the chatter increased exponentially for the rest of their set. Most of the time I was able to tune it out, but by the time they got to their final song I pretty much wanted to kill everyone around me.

I would have left after their set, but the fellow Pines fan (and only person I didn’t want to kill) that I met during their set told me they were going to be playing some songs with Jennings. Still I am not sure I would have stuck around if I hadn’t run into Marty Finkel. He had jumped off the Jennings’ bandwagon even sooner than I had and we spent the set identifying whether the songs we recognized were from the first or second record. Surprisingly, there were still a fairly large number of these songs, and I was delighted to hear old friends like “Butterfly” and “California” (not sure if it was one or two, but it was the good one). It turned out to be a pretty enjoyable night. The Pines are doing a long run with Jennings, I only crowds in other cities treat them better, they certainly deserve it.

The Pines

Mason Jennings

2011-09-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Butch Hancock/Josh Harty; September 13, 2011; Kiki’s House of Righteous Music

I’m still not sure how Butch Hancock’s booking agent found me, but I’m not going to question it. I’m still in awe that somehow I was hosting one of the members of the Flatlanders. Even though he has attained legendary status Hancock couldn’t have been more down to earth. “Is this the right place?” he asked eagerly as he pulled into my driveway, moments before shaking my hand and giving me a hug. As people arrived for the show, he greeted each of them, asking where they grew up or some other unexpected question. Not only was he quite charming, he was also well-prepared. Even though half the shows he was doing on this tour were in clubs, he brought his own Bose system with him. The Bose stick is a pretty remarkable invention. The single tall skinny speaker puts out a surprisingly warm and full sound and it’s perfect for a solo performer.

I know the Flatlanders’ catalog pretty thoroughly, but I was unfamiliar with his solo material. I bought his most recent release 2007’s War and Peace, but the heavily 9-11 colored release was a little too preachy. Instead I listened more intently to the Flatlanders’ records. Turns out that Hancock is the main voice on those records. Even though his isn’t the best of the three, it does blend well with his bandmates, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Joe Ely. And once I picked out their distinctive voices, it was obvious that Hancock does much of the work. Not only that, but Ely and Gilmore have both recorded many of his songs on their records.

Unfortunately, he didn’t do any Flatlanders’ songs (at least ones I recognized) during his very entertaining 80 minute set, but he did do a few I knew. The first of these was “Leo & Leona” which happens to be my favorite song from Ely’s new release Satisfied at Last. I’d discovered that Hancock had written the epic travelogue when I was reviewing Ely’s CD, but I didn’t expect him to play it. It was pleasant surprise. Talking later about that song he said that he’d decided the best songs were the ones that were like a map and travel from town to town. “Like the rooster song,” he added. “You mean ‘El Gallo del Cielo’?” I questioned. Hardly just a rooster song, Tom Russell’s tragedy is the most emotional song about cock fighting ever written, Another he’d written was “Just a Wave, Not the Water” one of the most beautiful songs Jimmie Dale Gilmore has ever recorded. I didn’t know he’d written that one and his version rivals Gilmore’s. Sure it was a little disappointing that he didn’t do any of the Flatlanders songs I loved, but I really can’t complain because it was a truly terrific show. The songs I didn’t know proved as entertaining, even more so, than the ones I did, and there were many laugh-out-loud moments.

The night began with local musician banging out Hancock’s hilarious “West Texas Waltz” on accordion. It isn’t Schwall’s best instrument but it was quite appropriate for the song. Terrific singer songwriter Josh Harty opened the show for real with a great set if his own music which also included two great covers he’s made his own, a Buddy Holly song and Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” a song which he claims has been roundly criticized in the British press. Their complaint can only be that he dared to cover their native son, not with his version of it, which is honestly awesome.

Butch Hancock can come back anytime he wants, and hopefully he’ll mention the House of Righteous Music to his Flatlander buddies, especially Ely.

Jim Schwall

Josh Harty

Butch Hancock

2011-09-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Peter Mulvey/Brianna Lane; September 11, 2011; East Side Club

The East Side Club has emerged as a viable venue this summer. The idyllic setting on Lake Monona offers a stunning view of the lake and downtown as well as a peaceful spot to take in a show. While it certainly wouldn't work for every show, since there is no actual stage and the small sound system might have trouble with a full band, it was the perfect venue for Peter Mulvey and Brianna Lane who were on their annual bicycle tour. Every year Mulvey gets a little more serious about this, and his touring just keeps getting greener. In fact, he has already stated that 2013 will be the year he tours strictly by bike, train or bus. This year’s trek included stops from Evanston to La Crosse to Minneapolis. Before tonight’s show they had pedaled from Rockford IL, and as always the trip had made Mulvey a little punchy.

He’s always quick witted, funny and charming, but these bike trips bring out another side, the just plain silly. These are my favorite shows, where I just shake my head and wonder what the hell he’s talking about, while at the same time laughing so hard my stomach hurts. And this is why I knew I had to go tonight, despite being exhausted from partying all night with the Wacos. I’ve heard every song live a dozen times, and some of his stories that many times too, but nights like tonight, where every sentence out of his mouth is a zinger and the stories seem especially poignant, are the reason I keep buying tickets. He started the show with “The Knuckleball Suite,” his ode to the Café Carpe and its curmudgeonly owner Bill Camplin. “It’s a warm summer evening, you can just hear the Knuckleball Suite,” the song begins. He could just as easily been talking about tonight’s venue. The biggest surprise of the night was a request for “Dreams” from the audience. Written during his time busking in the subways of Boston, it ponders the rat race, the future, and well, dreams.

The spunky Brianna Lane has been a nice counterpart for these tours. For one she’s game for these insane sounding treks on a bicycle, for the other she shares Peter’s quick wit and love of nature. She was especially enamored of the duck that circled the stage while she played, though she kept calling it a he, even though it was obviously a she mallard. She thought it appropriate to play Melanie’s “I’ve Got a Brand New Pair of Roller Skates,” and it was considering the first line is about riding a bike. She got some unexpected help from an audience member who started singing along from all the way in the back and swirled her way to the front of the stage, dancing dramatically and singing loudly. I’m still not sure how Lane kept a straight face. I’ve seen Lane a couple times before but I don’t really know her songs, so I was surprised to hear one I knew quite well. “New Tattoo” was a co-write with Jeremiah Nelson, and I heard that song many a Tuesday night at Mickey’s.

Not only do they travel together well, she and Peter sound good together too, and they collaborated on several of the same tunes they had done last year- the very appropriate Jayhawks’ “Bicycle” and the Magnetic Fields’ cover of choice “The Book of Love.” For once they did not have a lengthy ride planned for the next day; instead they were staying in town and playing an early show at Revolution Bicycles. How appropriate.

Brianna Lane

Peter Mulvey

2011-09-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

The Waco Brothers/Semi Twang; September 10, 2011; The Frequency

The Bloodshot Records site announced tonight’s show at the Frequency as “a rare non-Chicago appearance!” And it’s true, while the group does play it’s home city frequently, for example they had played the night before and were playing again next Saturday, I’ve barely seen them outside of SXSW. In fact, if memory serves, not counting the Bloodshot Beer-B-Que in 2009 which featured a full line-up of Bloodshot artists, the last time they had played Madison it was at O’Cayz Corral. The show did seem somewhat of an afterthought, and was only announced a few weeks before. What they hadn’t considered was that it was a football weekend and the Iron Man was running the next day- there wasn’t a hotel room to be found. That’s the story of how I had three-fifths of the Waco Brothers spend the night. But that’s another story.

Openers Semi Twang line up like a parallel universe Waco Brothers, five middle aged men, four microphones and a bald bass player. Except, sadly, it’s a more boring universe where all the songs sound the same and there’s much less kicking. I know that the band leader Milwaukeean John Sieger is a much lauded musician around these parts, but I just don’t get it. Their set seemed overly long, but it probably wasn’t.

Despite the fact that I see them twice a year at SXSW for Bloodshot’s Yard Dog day party and their Saturday night showcase, I don’t feel like I have actually seen the Wacos in forever. After all, as Bloodshot’s most enthusiastic volunteer, I spend most of my time at these shows working the merch table, talking unsuspecting folks into Ha Ha Tonka CDs for their own good. So it was nice to be able to stand right in front of the band and actually watch the show, and what a show it was. It’s hard to imagine five people having more fun. Three vocalists keep it interesting. Jon Langford is of course my favorite, and I am a huge fan of everything he does. OK, well maybe not the “sexy” dancing he was doing tonight, but most everything else. His Welsh accent is even more pronounced when he sings and his songs are the ones that stick in my head. It’s no coincidence that the two Langford prints I have hanging proudly on my wall are based on Wacos’ songs, and one of them “The Death of Country Music” may be my favorite of their tunes. Not to say this was the first time I saw it, but this was the first time I noticed his awesome blue Airline guitar. It’s one of my favorite guitar brands and an uncommon one, the only other two I’ve seen were played by the guy from the Comas and Joey Burns of Calexico.

The rest of the songs are handled by Milwaukee native Dean Schlabowske and mandolinist Tracy Dear. If it seems a bit odd to have a mandolin in a country rock band, the Wacos don’t seem to care. “He’s very secure in his manhood,” Langford pointed out referring to the tiny instrument, “there’s a reason I have to have this big guitar, and Alan has that,” he claimed pointing to bass player Alan Doughty’s instrument. Even so, Dear, who’s also known as the World’s Greatest Living Englishman, did sing the silliest song of the night, a singalong about tiddly winks or something. For a change, it’s the one that’s been stuck in my head ever since. “That guy should be the bass player in every band,” a musician friend of mine said, gesturing toward Doughty . Agreed. Far from the typical standing still stereotype, Doughty was all over the tiny stage, most every picture I took of him was a blur.

The Waco Brothers excel at the well chosen cover. George Jones’ classic “White Lightning” and an enthusiastic version of “I Fought the Law” are all part of their usual set. Not that there is anything usual about their choreography. I never remember exactly which song (or songs) the synchronized kicks are a part of, but it is always awesome. It seems odd that this collection of locals and British ex-pats would be the most entertaining country rock band on the planet, but once you’ve seen them, it doesn’t seem that odd at all.

Semi Twang

Waco Brothers

2011-09-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Kevin Devine/The Features; September 9, 2011; Bottom Lounge

There are several truly amazing things about the Features. The first is their keyboard player Mark Bond. He caught my attention on our first meeting at the Rachel Ray party during SXSW, where the band I came to see turned out to be a disappointment, but the discovery of the Features more than made up for it. Like girl singers, keyboards can be awesome, but far too often they are just a cheesy distraction. Not in the case of Bond, he is essential to the band’s sound. Meanwhile, somehow I didn’t notice drummer Rollum Haas who just may be the most amazing thing. He makes the intricate rhythms look easy. Once you are tuned in to him, he just continues to impress. Of course, it takes Mark Pelham’s songs and voice to pull it all together. After that first show I called him Will Sheff without the attitude, but the Whigs’ Parker Gispert without the fancy dancing (and with smarter lyrics) might be more accurate.

I only caught half their set at Stubbs, where they were the first band of the day on the smaller inside stage while people crowded the outdoor stage in preparation for the generic Texan Bob Schneider, but it was enough to lead me to hunt down their most recent release which turned out to be the 2008’s Some Kind of Salvation. I listened to it non-stop until the release of Wilderness in July. Now I can’t seem to tear myself away from that record, and seeing them live only cemented my affection for it. Don’t tell Ha Ha Tonka, but the Features just might have my record of the year. Like Ha Ha Tonka, many of the comparisons I’ve read liken the Features to Kings of Leon, which again seems off base simply because I do not like Kings of Leon and I really like both these bands. In the case of the latter, it is more understandable since they have toured with KoL and Salvation and Wilderness were both released on their imprint.

There wasn’t a lot of talking during their too short opening set, but it didn’t really seem necessary. The set consisted mostly of songs I knew from the two records, though one of the standout tracks “Thursday” isn’t on any of their records. It seemed like much of the crowd was there for them, and there was a lot of very vocal approval after every song as well as a lot of singing along. “Golden Comb” and “Fats Domino” were both highlights, even “Big Mama Gonna Whip Us Good,” which is not my favorite track on the record, was terrific live. Though I will admit that the song itself is super catchy, it’s just the title/chorus that troubles me a little.

While a tour with Kings of Leon does make sense to me, opening for Kevin Devine does not. Next to the Features, Devine’s music was soulless and wimpy. I wouldn’t want to be him following them every night. The audience seemed to dwindle as his set went on, and eventually I joined them. I gave it a chance, but I’d already seen what I came for. I only wish I was seeing them again soon.

The Features

Kevin Devine

2011-08-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Orton Park Festival, August 27, 2011
The Josh Harty Band

Great Lake Swimmers

2011-08-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

Great Lake Swimmers/Snowblink/The Lumineers; August 26, 2011; SPACE, Evanston IL

The Great Lake Swimmers were scheduled to play the Orton Park festival the next day, but I felt like I needed to see them in a quiet listening room instead of outside with a bunch of drunk Madisonians, especially since I hadn’t seen them in pin-drop conditions for quite some time. So I engaged in my favorite new hobby, riding the Megabus for $2.50 round trip to Chicago, and headed down there Friday afternoon. SPACE is a very nice room, but this is the first time I had been there for a sold out show (good for them by the way), and I was lucky my bus arrived 45 minutes early or I would have been standing in the back of the room instead of in a well-located seat.

First band the Lumineers was a joy to watch. High energy acoustic music with a distinct old-time flair, it was easy to get caught up in their infectious songs. The winning combination of male-female vocals along with mandolin, cello, and keyboards (all handled by the baby-doll adorable Neyla Pekarek) in addition to the standard guitar-bass-drums configuration made them a crowd favorite. They sealed the deal by playing their last two songs from the back of the room, proving that they didn’t any of the modern conveniences of electricity. I should have bought a CD, and I’m still not sure why I didn’t. I was pretty sure I wanted nothing to do with second band Snowblink from the second they started setting up. I don’t mean to be catty, but sometimes you can judge a band by what they wear, and her dress was one of the ugliest I have ever seen. I also questioned the deer horns glued to her guitar, turns out that was the coolest thing about the duo. Everything I hate about girl singers was on display here, I couldn’t wait for them to be done.

Of course it was worth the wait. The Great Lake Swimmers continue to astound me. Their music is breathtakingly beautiful, and while they have picked up the pace on the newer songs, I’m always amazed that something that mellow can be so good. It may be the most difficult trick in the book, and they have aced it. It’s been two years since the terrific Lost Channels came out, so I wasn’t quite sure why they were touring at this point when a new record had to be coming soon. Turns out that was exactly why, they’d been in the studio and they wanted to road test some of these songs before they released it. The new stuff was consistently great, picking up where Channels left off, keeping that record’s more upbeat style while showcasing lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Tony Dekker’s heart breaking/melting voice.

In fact my only complaint about the show was that the only voice I want to hear is Dekker’s but too often violinist Erin Aurich‘s voice overwhelmed his. I like Aurich , she’s adorable and a terrific fiddle player, and she has a great voice (though questionable fashion sense), I just don’t want to hear her. I would almost rather just see Dekker solo, so enchanted am I by him. Wait, I take that back, make that Dekker and guitar and banjo player Erik Arneson, that is all I need. Oddly enough, even though I had come to SPACE to see the band in a better listening environment, the Madison show at Orton Park the next day turned out to be the superior one. Girl’s voice didn’t bother me near as much and the only annoyance from the audience was a woman with a shaky egg who thought she was part of the band. Best of all, I had made a request in Evanston for the next day that he honored.

Last year at an overcast and drizzly Waterfront festival I had embarrassed myself by yelling, surprisingly loudly, for “Imaginary Bars” when they returned for an encore. A surprised Dekker looked at me, and I added a quieter, “please…” He played it solo, and when he got to the line “The sun fell down and went to sleep,” the clouds parted and the sun came out. Wanting to avoid a repeat embarrassment, I went up to him after the show tonight and asked for it for the next day. He smiled, “oh yeah, last year the sun came out.” “That was me,” I admittedly sheepishly. “You got it.” This year he introduced the song by recalling last year’s events, “let’s see if we can recreate that.” Again, he played it solo. It was exquisite. He looked at me after and smiled, “Thank you” I whispered. Thank you.

Lumineers

Snowblink

Great Lake Swimmers

2011-08-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Hold Steady/The Donkeys; August 24, 2011; Turner Hall

The last time the Hold Steady played Turner Hall they sold it out. Tonight’s show was not sold out, in fact it wasn’t even that crowded. We’ve become accustomed to yielding ten to twenty yards once the band starts. Tonight we backed up only a few feet as the show started. We couldn’t help thinking that maybe no one likes them anymore. After all, the last record got a lukewarm reception from fans who couldn’t quite figure out why after four records Craig Finn has suddenly decided to start singing instead of talking his way through every song. The departure of keyboardist and backing vocalist Franz Nicolay was also puzzling, he had been a crucial part of their sound since joining the band. It was his keyboards and backing vocals that gave the Hold Steady their Springsteen sound, and they seemed to like it that way. For the record, I like Heaven is Whenever, a lot. It took a few listens but it grew on me quickly.

The first time I heard these songs live, in the unlikely location of Hayward WI and the three words I never thought I’d hear “Thank you Hayward!” Nicolay’s absence didn’t seem as obvious. That was likely because there was a keyboard player, he was just hidden at the back of the stage, sitting down and playing and singing backing vocals. This time there was no buffer and his absence was starkly obvious. This resulted in a weird phenomenon, at least for me, the new songs sounded the best while the old songs seemed a little off. Maybe it is because Finn is now actually singing on these songs too, and that is something I’m just not used to. Or maybe it is something else, I just don’t know what. I was delighted to hear songs like “Massive Nights,” the glorious ode to high school, Homecoming and drinking, and the false accusations and petty jealousy of “Little Hoodrat Friend,” and of course Finn’s wild gesturing between “cigarettes” and “eyes” in “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night,” but honestly, the new songs sounded better.

There’s also the matter of guitarist Tad Kubler. It would appear he has a stylist, or at least someone who told him his current cut was a good luck for him. We joked that the only way this was acceptable was if his girlfriend did it, and she was still in cosmetology school. Not that there is anything wrong with that of course, appearance shouldn’t matter, but it was just so damn distracting. Overall, I certainly enjoyed the show but the jury is out on whether I go very far out of my way to see them in the future.

The nicest surprise of the night was the opening set from the awkwardly named The Donkeys. I’ve become accustomed to terrible openers in Milwaukee. Turner Hall has a better track record than the Pabst, where I have to think long and hard to come up with an opener who wasn’t dreadful (the Thermals are the only one I can think of). So I wasn’t expecting much from Donkeys. They had started right on time and were already playing when we walked up the stairs to the massive ballroom. It didn’t take long for me to proclaim I liked them, and only a few songs more before I decided I would buy a CD if it was $10. I stopped short of naming them my new favorite band, the Features still solidly occupy that spot, but I did buy a CD even though it was $12. Most of the foursome sang lead at some point, and their distinct voices made for an interesting mix. My favorite was the bass player who reminded me of a young Bob Dylan if he’d been taking hair styling tips from Lyle Lovett. After the show I encouraged them to come to Madison sometime, and they said they definitely wanted to come back to Wisconsin. I hope they do, because until then I am just going to yell “Donkeys!” at every other band I see. Thanks Hold Steady for introducing us.

Donkeys

The Hold Steady

2011-08-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Matt the Electrician/ Galynne & Markondrums; August 21, 2011; High Noon Saloon

Matt the Electrician (yes, he really did used to be an electrician) is kind of a sissy. He writes deeply sentimental songs about his wife and children, and talks about them frequently and lovingly during his set. Additionally, he plays the un-manliest instrument ever, the banjele, a banjo-ukulele hybrid of course which I was hoping was actually called a manjo. He whistles, a lot. But somehow, instead of all this adding up to a nauseating folk singer stereotype, think the guy who gets the guitar bashed over his head in Animal House, he’s a smart, charming, and most importantly, very entertaining musician.

He hasn’t drawn the best nights to play Madison. He visited the House of Righteous Music on a Sunday and barely a dozen people showed up. He’s only been here once since then, opening for the Weepies for what seemed a ridiculously over-priced show. Someone must have paid the $20 and a lot of them must have remembered the name Matt the Electrician because there was a very respectable crowd for a Monday night. This time around he was traveling with Scrappy Jud Newcomb, who played guitar and did backing vocals. Newcomb is a fellow Austinite singer songwriter and part of the Resentments, a sort of “supergroup” of Texas musicians. I’d expected he would play some of his own tunes, but he took his sideman duties seriously.

I recognized many of the songs, either from the CDs I had or from seeing him as Jon Dee Graham’s “friend” at the Continental Gallery last March. My favorite of these is “Animal Boy” written for his young son who apparently is never satisfied, “You are an animal boy, you’re hungry all of the time, you are an animal boy, you think it’s always dinner time.” At the house he did a terrific cover of Rick Springfield’s classic “Jessie’s Girl,” complete with an extensive and hilarious intro, tonight they sprung the Police’s “Bring on the Night” with no warning at all. It was awesome. I wish Matt made it to Madison a little more often, it is always good to see him.

Galynne

Matt the Electrician

2011-08-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

The Pines; August 19, 2010; Café Carpe, Fort Atkinson

I say it every single time, but I wish I got to the Carpe more, since the Fort Atkinson institution may be the most charming place on earth. Comfortable café up front, music room in the back, all seemingly unchanged in the last several decades. A more recent addition is a back porch which overlooks the Rock River that flows through the center of town.

I first heard of the Pines when their friend Ben Weaver told me about the band, saying they would be perfect for the basement. But Carpe co-owner Bill Camplin has known them much longer than that, and they have been playing there for years. Just as he knew they would, the Pines have seen their attendance increase for recent shows. It’s no wonder, a well reviewed record produced by Bo Ramsey (Greg Brown’s producer, sideman and friend) and an impressive appearance on Andy Moore’s Wisconsin public television show the 30 Minute Music Hour will do that. I’m probably not the first to say that the Carpe is the perfect venue for them. An always respectful listening room, it also has a stellar sound system. The tables and mismatched chairs seem to be in a different position every time I am there. Tonight our chair choices were either too close or too far away (well, for me at least, since you couldn’t possibly be too far away in that room). We chose the row of theater chairs too close and didn’t regret it.

My previous encounters with the Pines have been as a duo or a trio with terrific drummer JT Bates. Tonight there was a new face on stage, keyboardist Alex Ramsey, yep, son of Bo, but also brother of one of the Pines two frontmen Benson Ramsey. Alex added another dimension to their music, his angular notes sometimes battling the spare guitar sounds before embracing them. They started the set with David Huckfelt’s haunting “Pray Tell,” a series of questions (“Who hung the moon so low in the sky”) with no answers, and followed it with Benson’s “Heart and Bones,” his distinctive Dylan-ish voice holding the whole room in thrall. They traded songs like that for the entire night, old favorites from Tremolo mixing with new songs slated for a record early next year. The new material is promising, certain to land them a spot on my year end list. Their guitar playing is completely in tune with one another, Benson adding subtle slide to David’s songs and David adding beautiful acoustic strums to Benson’s. The few times they sing together it sounds so lovely I wish they would do it more. But that’s my only complaint about a band that gets better every time I see them.

2011-07-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

WMSE Backyard BBQ; July 31, 2011; Cathedral Square, Milwaukee

Shane Sweeney and Micah Schnabel of Two Cow Garage are two of the absolute nicest guys I have ever met, so why can’t they keep band mates? Original drummer Dustin Harigle quit on the eve of a short tour of the Midwest (including a stop at the House of Righteous Music) several years ago, forcing them to do the tour drummerless. They replaced him with Cody Smith who seemed a great fit for the band till he recently also quit. They told me they have a new drummer but he couldn’t make this gig due to a prior engagement. Even before Smith left, they’d lost keyboardist Andy Schell, which left me wondering who would fix the van. His makeshift mechanic skills were nearly as important on the road as his musical ones. I can only speculate that none of them had the drive and determination that Sweeney and Schnabel do. Even as Sweeney has started a family, the band still tours frequently, and spending long hours on the road for little money isn’t for everyone.

So it was just the two of them, but honestly that is all they really need. It is certainly all I need. Sure they rock a little harder with the full band, there’re more blistering guitars and throat shredding vocals, but I’ll take the two of them trading songs on acoustic guitars any day. It was a big stage for just two people, especially when one would step back to let the other play, and their white T-shirts blended in with the big tent they played under. Both have upcoming solo releases, Sweeney’s first, Schnabel’s second, and they drew heavily from these, so the bulk of the set was unfamiliar. Most of those I did know came from Schnabel’s first solo CD, the excellent When the Stage Lights Go Dim, a reflection on life on the road with its too-late night and too-young girls. “I hardly ever play this song live anymore, but you’re pretty cool, so I’m going to try it,” Sweeney said looking at me. “If I forget the words you’re going to have to help me out,” he continued before playing the first couple notes of the song I knew it would be. One of the first Two Cow Garage songs I ever heard and still my favorite, “Saturday Night” is the story of choosing a good time over someone you love, all the while swearing that “I’ll make it up to you, next Saturday night.”

I might not have even known about this show if it wasn’t for Bloodshot’s e-mail about Bloodshot bands in the Midwest. After seeing Whitey Morgan and the 78’s listed for this event, I checked the rest of the line-up and was delighted to see Two Cow on it. Morgan is a recent Bloodshot roster addition. While they won’t do anything to change the perception of the label as a strictly alt-country haven, they do outlaw country better than just about any other current band. The obvious reason for this is Morgan himself, an imposing man with an impressive beard, you believe he has lived all the hard life stories he tells. In spite of that, bass player Jeremy Mackinder may be the coolest man on stage, his mound of curly red hair a fiery swirl as he plays. The real secret to the 78’s sound, unsurprisingly, is the pedal steel. It’s high and lonesome song adds that extra layer of emotion to everything they do. Live they play mostly originals with the occasional well-chosen classic country tune thrown in. He even dedicated one of these to the Two Cow boys, calling them his new friends, “even though I just met them I can tell they are cool.”

The five piece band filled the stage better than the slight figures of the Two Cow boys, but they had nothing on the band before them. The multiple piece Jambalaya Brass Band played the sort of contemporary Cajun jazz that was perfect for chilling on your blanket on the lawn. Not that you could actually chill, with temps in the upper 90’s, but you know what I mean. The last band of the night was the Budos Band. I was curious, but it had already been a long day at the end of a long weekend. Thanks to WMSE for putting on this remarkable free event. I hope to see you again next year.

Two Cow Garage

Whitey Morgan & the 78's

2011-07-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Sugar Maple Fest featuring the Shotgun Party; July 30, 2011; Lake Farms Park

Josh Harty had his CD release show the same night as the second day of Sugar Maple fest, but I didn’t make it. I felt bad, but as I see it, it’s his own fault. I was too exhausted to go to the High Noon after spending most of the day at the traditional music fest. I went to see the Shotgun Party, basement alumni and guaranteed good time. They are a can’t-miss show anytime, but even more so this time since it was, sadly, their last time playing Madison. The band is splitting up and following different paths. It isn’t an ugly break-up, they all still love and respect each other, but I guess they felt it was time. Of course I never would have booked the Shotgun Party in the basement if they hadn’t mentioned their friend Brennen Leigh when they first contacted me. And I wouldn’t know the Fargo-born Austin musician if it weren’t for Harty who is also from Fargo. So you see, it is totally his fault that I didn’t make it to his CD release show.

I was planning on seeing both of their sets, one early and one late in the afternoon, but on my way there I got a flat tire on my bike. I haven’t had a flat since my tire was mysteriously slashed at the swimming pool when I was in fifth grade. I was about a mile away from home, and I did exactly what I did after discovering my flat at the pool, I walked my bike home and asked someone to fix it. Then it was my dad, today it was the nice gentlemen at Willy St Bikes.

I’m not a fan of girl singers. My joke is usually “what’s worse than a girl singer?” The answer, “Two girl singers.” But that is not the case with the Shotgun Party. Guitarist Jenny Parrot has a very distinct voice, a girly yodel that fits her perfectly, while fiddler Katy Rose Cox has a more traditional voice, but one that blends with Parrot’s nicely. Parrot usually sings lead, but Cox has a few songs of her own. Some of the best are the duets between the two, like the high-spirited “Great Big Kiss” from their new CD Here’s What You’re Getting. Their set drew from all three of their releases going back such classics as “Gladiola” and the naughty “Canned Peaches.” In addition to the entertainment on stage, we were treated to some very entertaining dancing on the floor in front of it. Foremost among the dancers was a remarkably unselfconscious teenage boy in a tight pink Shotgun Party shirt. He bought the shirt even though it was a girl’s shirt, claiming it was discrimination not to have pink in men’s sizes. When Jenny asked for two volunteers, his hand and that of one of his many dancing partners, and adorable redhead in a yellow dress, shot up. Jenny handed them each a maraca and told them to “go crazy” during “Why When I Cry.” They took her advice and the stage bounced noticeably as they danced around the stage.

The last time they played Sugar Maple, two years ago, Katy had to miss it because she was on tour in Europe with another band. Filling in was the fiddler from the Asylum Street Spankers. This year it was bassist Andrew Austin-Peterson who was absent, having already left the group. His replacement… the bass player from the Spankers. Luckily he seemed to have the wardrobe necessary to play with the Shotgun Party and he looked sharp in red next to the two girls.

The band has definitely made a lot of friends and fans of all ages in Madison. They will be missed.

2011-07-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Bobby Bare Jr with Carey Kotsionis; July 29, 2011; Kiki’s House of Righteous Music

It used to be that Bobby Bare Jr. didn’t want to play Madison or house concerts. Now it seems he’s anxious to do both. Not even four months after an appearance at the High Noon, his third visit in less than a year, he was playing the basement bringing with him the remarkable Carey Kotsionis. He’s done several of these house shows recently, playing unamplified in people’s living rooms across the country. I offered him the PA, but much like Will Johnson, he passed, preferring the freedom of not being plugged in. Actually, he had wanted to play the entire show in the backyard, but after I warned of mosquitoes and noise, he was convinced to at least start in the basement. However he couldn’t be coerced to play an encore unless everyone followed him upstairs and out the back door where he ended the night with “Come Visit Me in Music City.” One of my favorite songs of his, in it he claims “the cops all carry capos in case you want to change your key” as he extols the virtues of Nashville. Later people told me they were glad he hadn’t played the whole set out there since they got a night’s worth of mosquito bites during a five minute song.

Before the show I had asked him if he was entertaining requests, from his response I was pretty sure he wasn’t, but at least he asked what it was. Kotsionis claimed that if he wasn’t going to play “The Monk at the Disco” than she would, and she spent the next several minutes trying to figure out Bare’s tune. Turns out it is more complicated than either she or I thought, and it was apparent she was not going to be able to play my favorite song, at least not tonight. Luckily it seems Bare was just teasing me, and he wasn’t even through the first set when he announced after playing several songs from Young Criminal’s Starvation League, “Flat Chested Girl from Maynardville” and “I’ll Be Around,” that he was going to stick with that record and played the song. It is arguably his catchiest tune, and the fish out of water tale which deposits a holy man in a club where a tall bartender offering to sell him blow is the least of his problems was definitely a hit with the crowd.

Much like the night at the High Noon, Kotsionis came dangerously close to stealing the show. The spunky little girl in the dress and cowboy boots played a killer set all her own. When I was introducing her at the start of the second set, I confessed “Don’t tell Bobby, but Carey was the real reason I wanted to do this show.” From upstairs came an accusing voice, “I heard that….” Even though this year was the first time I had seen Kotsionis, it turns out I’d been hearing her for a long time since she’s the voice on many of Bare’s records. I’d always assumed it was Deanna Varagona since that was who I’d usually seen play with Bare live. Once I heard Kotsionis it was obvious how wrong that assumption was. She ended her set with the title track from her debut EP, “Magic Cowboy Boots,” a track that live she prefers to play a capella accompanied only by the stomping of her own boots. Impressive.

Bare returned to play a few more songs to end the night. One of these was “Cover of the Rolling Stone.” The Dr Hook hit may seem an odd choice for him, until you learn that the song’s author Shel Silverstein was a close friend of his father and that Silverstein offered the young Bare advice and opinions up until his death. Bare assembled an all star cast to cover his songs on a tribute CD and was also hosting a free concert in New York featuring many of the performers. It is probably surprising to people who only know Silverstein from his children’s books that he was a prolific songwriter and in addition to “Rolling Stone,” he wrote “A Boy Named Sue” for Johnny Cash. Bare talked more about this the next morning on the public radio show “Whad’Ya Know?” which he had been asked to appear on. When we met the host Michael Feldman before the show he said that he would have like to have come to the show but he didn’t know where it was. Which was too bad, because that might have finally convinced my mother that what I do is legitimate.

Bobby & Carey on Whad'Ya Know

2011-07-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Murder by Death; July 24, 2011; Wicker Park Fest, Chicago

When I was buying my ridiculously cheap Megabus ticket ($6.50) for this weekend, I looked at Sunday’s line-up to see if there was anyone worth sticking around for. Blitzen Trapper was playing, I like them, but then I remembered how terrible that last record was. On the other hand, Murder by Death might just be worth staying for. I’d seen them twice last year when HHT was on tour with them. And while I didn’t fall madly in love with them, I did find them entertaining if perhaps a little samey. After meeting them all the night before at a party, I was even keener to give them another chance.

Hands down, my favorite thing about them is Scott Brackett. Okkervil River lost one of their greatest assets when multi-instrumentalist Brackett left the band. Their loss is Murder by Death’s definite gain, and his backing vocals, keyboards, accordion and especially trumpet add so much that I can’t imagine them without him. My second favorite thing is cellist Sarah Balliet. The pixie-ish wife of lead singer Adam Turla spends each song as if in a trance, and I do love the cello in rock music. My third favorite thing is that many of their songs are about drinking, how can I not love a band like that? I admit to paying much more attention to them this time than the previous two, and I enjoyed it.

I’ll certainly see them again, especially if tour manager/sound guy/all around awesome dude James Dean (who does the same for Ha Ha Tonka) is with them. Wait, I think I need to re-write that list of things I like best.

2011-07-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha Tonka; July 23, 2011; Wicker Park Fest, Chicago

I saw Ha Ha Tonka a lot last year, pretty much once or twice a month for most of the year. This year I will probably end up seeing them even more than the sixteen times I logged last year, but it hasn’t been nearly as well distributed. There was the flurry of activity at the beginning of the year, SXSW, where I saw them a ridiculous six times in four days, my awesome week on the road with them out west two weeks later and then dates in Madison and Iowa City just after that. Now here it was the end of July and I hadn’t seen them in three months. I know, it doesn’t sound like a tragedy, but trust me it is.

It was a sweltering day, the early rain had burned off into oppressive heat, but I still wouldn’t have minded getting there a little earlier than I did. I wiggled my way close to the stage, only to spend half their too short forty minute set praying for the sun to drop behind the top of the stage. It was hot on stage too, but I’ve never seen them turn in a lackluster performance not matter what the circumstances. In fact, that may be exactly what I love so much about them. They always play hard, whether they are playing to six people or 6,000. Bassist Luke Long dumped half a bottle of water over his head early on, it may have cooled him off, but it made him even hotter.

Today’s set was a reverse of what I had gotten used to earlier in the year. It kicked off with debut record classics “St Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor” and “Caney Mountain,” which usually show up as set closers, and ended with “Usual Suspects” from the new Death of Decade, their go-to set opener for the better part of a year. My absolute favorite song “Close Every Valve to Your Bleeding Heart,” a song so amazing I still get shivers every time I hear it, wasn’t part of the set, but that’s OK. I know I will hear it again sometime. Drummer Lennon Bone confessed that he had worried about that as they put together the set list, “what if Kiki’s here?” There weren’t any surprises, but that’s OK too. They won’t surprise me till they finally play “Surrounded” the unfairly forgotten gem from second songwriter Brett Anderson.

There aren’t many bands I could see play essentially the same songs and still enjoy it every single time. But I do enjoy it. It’s been worth every bus ticket, plane ticket and drive.

After the show when the merch was packed up (of course I jumped in to help) and the equipment loaded out, I was offered a pretty special opportunity. “Do you want to go see Chance in a play?” Lennon asked. I’ve met Lennon’s charming brother Chance several times, and knew he had a number of talents, but I didn’t know he was an actor. “Yes,” I replied immediately, “I really do.” We headed downtown to see The Last Act of Lilka Kaddison at the Looking Glass Theater. This was the first run of an intriguing play that had received its final rewrite the day before it opened. Chance played the lost love of the title character as a ghost and in a number of flashbacks, and he was remarkable. We found out later that David Schwimmer had been in the audience, but I was more impressed with the actor that I knew personally.

Chance Bone onstage after the show with one of his props

2011-07-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Jon Langford and Walter Salas-Humara; July 21, 2011; The Frequency

At first Welshman Jon Langford and New Yorker Walter Salas-Humara seem an odd pair, but on closer inspection it actually makes perfect sense. There are many parallels, Langford formed seminal punk band the Mekons in the UK over thirty years ago, while back here Salas-Humara started the Silos, a critically praised roots rock band. Members from both of these bands have come and gone, but both remain a constant presence. In fact, Salas-Humara is the only constant member of the Silos. Langford has released many of the records from his many bands on Bloodshot Records out of Chicago, a city which he has called home for two decades. The Silos released their 2007 record on the same label. But what may be the main factor that brought these men together is their artistic output not with a guitar but with a paintbrush.

Their techniques couldn’t be more different. Langford creates detailed paintings, populated with images of cowboys, skulls and revered musicians- Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, John Cale, often styling an entire painting after one of his songs, painstakingly fitting the lyrics into the context of the artwork. Salas-Humara paints dogs, Walter’s Dogs he calls them appropriately enough. They are not painstaking, they aren’t even realistic- they have spaghetti legs, tongues hanging out, sometimes two heads- but they are adorable. He has recently expanded his art into other areas- T-shirts, handbags, and stuffed animals- and he even offers “portraits” of your dog. While it may have been the art that brought them together for that first show, it is their camaraderie that has kept them doing these shows, each year expanding to another city.

It was supposed to be an 8 PM show, but at 8 PM they were just starting their dinner at the nearby Tornado Room, Langford’s dining spot of choice for better than ten years. Salas-Humara started the night, playing several songs before Langford made his way to the stage. The show was even more cooperative than the one the year before. There were a couple songs on which they both played guitar, but usually while one was playing a tune, the other tapped on the bongos. Yep bongos, trust me, it sounded cooler than it sounds. Just watching their enthusiasm (especially Langford’s) on the oft-maligned drum percussion pair was a highlight of the show. Both have more than their share of dark songs, but they are endlessly jovial on stage. Salas-Humara in particular has what is perhaps the most winning and infectious smile I have even seen; it lights up his face and the room.

While Salas-Humara featured songs from the Silos’ new release Florizona, Langford mined a group of songs that once were old but are new again. His most recent Bloodshot offering is Skull Orchard Revisited, a book featuring his art and stories as well as writings from his father and brother centering on his childhood in Newport, Wales. Most of these songs were originally featured on the first Skull Orchard release, but they were re-recorded with the Burlington Welsh Men’s Choir for this special release. The Vancouver group is also much cooler than they sound, instead of turning it into a Mormon Tabernacle spectacle; they add depth and beauty to the songs. My favorite of these is the story of how the filming of the epic Moby Dick brought a temporary spotlight to the depressed Newport. “All the locals were extras, all the locals got paid,” it was enough to get me to finally rent the classic. (Spoiler alert, Ahab really is bat-shit crazy and Ishmael is the only one who survives the expedition.) He also delved into last year’s Skull Orchard record, the excellent Old Devils including “Luxury” and “Getting Used to Uselessness.”

Salas-Humara had a number of requests but he honored the classic “Susan Across the Ocean,” a heart-breaking song of loss. I’ve been lucky enough to have had both of these terrific artists play my basement and they weren’t going to let that go unrewarded. During “Sheila” a song of mistaken identity, one verse became “You say your name is Kiki, you look like Sheila,” which made more sense than Langford’s improv suggestion of “Gaynor,” to which he finally added “Gloria Gaynor.” With two sets and a long break, the show went much longer than it should have, but it is hard to complain about something this entertaining.

2011-07-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hamell on Trial/Galynne & Markondrums; July 15, 2011; Kiki’s House of Righteous Music

The ranks of people who have only played the house twice lost another member as Hamell on Trial made his third appearance in just over two years. With a one man show as tight and scripted as Hamell’s you don’t expect many changes from time to time, especially when the shows are less than a year apart, but he surprised me by starting off the night with a half dozen new songs. He’d been writing songs at a furious pace since the last time I saw him, posting one a day to his website for 365 days straight. While the new songs were great and the audience reception was enthusiastic, it seems that people just want to hear the old stuff. The loudest applause of the night was for the songs that he plays every time. And when it came time for requests, it was for those from his Hamell catalog, like “Don’t Kill,” that he plays most every time. But I’m not going to lie, I would be disappointed if he didn’t do “John Lennon” or “The Meeting.”

The first of those tells a story he says is absolutely true, where as a child he ran into John Lennon when he and Yoko were in his home town. The tragedy is that he ran into Lennon literally, and was promptly told to “Fuck off” by his idol. The second could be considered Hamell’s creed and contains some of his best lines describing exactly what it is he does. “I’m like the Beastie Boys except I’m only one,” he claims, later saying “I’m like Nine Inch Nails except I don’t need machines.” The meeting is between him and us, the songs and the guitar, and it features some of fastest strumming. In fact it always amazes me that the battered 1940’s Gibson acoustic has survived the many years of abuse that he gives it. They just don’t make ‘em like that anymore.

Like the songs, he tends to use a lot of his jokes over and over, but the audience doesn’t seem to mind that either, laughing like they were hearing for the first time. They’re that good. The best of these was one I didn’t remember hearing before about a penguin and some vanilla ice cream. Ask me about it, it’s pretty hilarious. Hamell’s ridiculously adorable son Detroit also told his joke again, pulling the microphone down to his level to tell the one about the UPS man. Yep, that one. The truly new thing this time was that Hamell had brought some of his art with him. The brightly colored paintings often feature a musical theme, and I love my painting of the guitar player with bottles strewn around his feet playing songs to the moon.

I met openers Galynne and Markondrums when they came to my first Hamell show. This time they were joining Hamell for his three shows in Wisconsin. They describe their music as “soulful, conscious, sing-a-long pop songs.” It wasn’t really my thing, but they were lovely people. I especially enjoyed meeting Galynne’s charming son Jordan who palled around with Detroit most of the night despite being twice as old as him.

I suspect Hamell has joined the list of artists who will only place my house when they come to Madison. And that’s pretty cool.

Galynne and Markondrums

Hamell on Trial

2011-07-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ian Moore/Bare Wires/Lotus Moons; July 10, 2011; Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco

The two times I saw Ian Moore at SXSW this year were the highlights of the week for me, breathtaking shows so amazing I almost cried. I wished I saw him more often, but he doesn’t tour much outside Texas and the West Coast, and he hadn’t been to Wisconsin since 2008. After I got back I realized I buy plane tickets all the time to see bands, why had I never bought one to see Ian? Luckily on his current short jaunt he was playing San Francisco where a friend of mine had just moved. Coincidentally enough, that friend Connie was with me the first time I saw Ian Moore. The show was at the long gone East End, and it was back when Ian was still a long haired guitar player heralded as the next coming of Stevie Ray Vaughn. I actually didn’t love him then, and if it hadn’t been for Jon Dee Graham I likely never would have seen him again, but thankfully I did.

Jon Dee and Ian were playing together at a bar in Milwaukee and after seeing Ian’s set of gorgeous melancholy, including a Neutral Milk Hotel cover, I was convinced there must be two Ian Moores. (Funnily enough, he said he gets that a lot). It was love at first, er, second sight, and I’ve been seeing Ian ever since whenever I get the chance. After being packed in front of the stage at the Continental Club in Austin, tonight’s crowd was a little disappointing. Yes, it was a Sunday night, but don’t they know how amazing he is? There were a few people who seemed to be in the know, the photographer who snapped a million pictures and the hippy who came up front for the older hits like “Muddy Jesus” and “Keep You Satisfied” holding his video camera high as he danced, but for the most part the crowd was polite but certainly not over-enthusiastic.

No, he didn’t make me cry, but it was still a stellar set focusing mainly on his most recent release El Sonido Nuevo. The set opened the same way the record does, with the fiery “Secondhand Store.” The most likely to get me choked up is the love story “Belle My Butterfly,” my favorite on record and live. Ever since I first met him after the release of Luminaria, his most introspective record to date, his shows have gotten progressively more rock. I love the newer songs, and I certainly love his mind-boggling guitar playing, but I do miss the delicate songs from that record. One thing that hasn’t changed is his use of falsetto. I am not often for the falsetto, but one as beautiful and perfect as his is a pleasure to hear. Back in the days of Luminaria, the shows were often just Ian on guitar and (the amazing and very good looking) Kullen Fuchs on a variety of instruments, perfect for that record’s mellow vibe. These days the band is a rock trio consisting of Matt Harris (The Posies, Oranger) on bass and Kyle Schneider on drums. They are a tight and powerful band, fascinating to watch. If only I knew what the hell a Lossy Coil was.

The other two bands on the bill were entertaining enough. I preferred the first, the Lotus Moons, a bunch of skinny young boys, all of whom could sing, with a penchant for 60’s garage rock. The second band Bare Wires were also good players, but admittedly the best thing about them was the lead singer’s 70’s mustache and his fancy shirt. It was a good bill, totally worth a plane ticket. Hopefully this is just the first of many times I get on a plane to see Ian Moore.

The Lotus Moons

The Bare Wires

Ian Moore & the Lossy Coils

2011-07-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Jon Dee Graham/Andrew Duplantis; July 5, 2011; Kiki’s House of Righteous Music

For the first time in many years Jon Dee Graham is actually able to sell all his records at his shows. New West has refused to repress early classics like Summerland and Hooray for the Moon, and they have long been out of print. Hooray for the internet, because of that he was able to find copies in Russia (or so the story goes). Not that it matters much to me since my collection is already complete, but the good part about it is that not only can other folks round out their collections, but it seems to have reminded him about all the great songs on those records that haven’t been getting much attention in recent years. And he spent much of his second set remedying that. After spending time in bands like the True Believers and playing guitar for other artists, his first solo release was Escape from Monster Island. Many of the songs are about his relationship with his young son, like “$100 Bill,” poignant without being sappy. But head and shoulders above the rest of the record is “Airplane” and its short lead-in track “Wait” often played together live.

I’ve said many times that “Airplane” is the song most likely to make me cry, but not because it is sad, no, simply because it is so amazing. The emotional heft of that song can feel like a punch in the stomach, and Jon Dee knows it which is why that was the selection from Monster Island tonight. It had been far too long since I’ve heard it live. Summerland, his second record, was my introduction to him. He was opening for the Gourds at the long-gone O’Cayz Corral and I was much more interested in him than in the main act. It’s hard to pick a favorite from that record, but if I had to, it would be “October” the song they played tonight. “Bury me in a pile of dead leaves,” the song opens, his growl of a voice sounding like autumn itself, before he posits “tell them I died of October.” When they reached Full, his fourth record, there seemed to be some inter-band debate over which track to pick. “Tie a Knot?” I suggested. Apparently I picked a winner, and the rip-roaring sea shanty was next up.

It wasn’t all a trip down memory lane of course, and songs from his most recent release It’s Not as Bad as It Looks figured heavily into the night. The title comes from the first words Jon Dee said to the state trooper who found him after his car went off the road between Dallas and Austin. Even though Jon Dee’s weary pessimism is part of his charm, he’s a lot more optimistic than he would like us to believe. Songs like “Lucky Day” have a happy to be alive charm, which of course he is. “This might actually possibly be my lucky day,” he claims after finding five dimes heads up on his dresser at the Motel 6. Later he names off the songs on the radio like a good luck mantra, “Neil Young, The Who, The Clash all in a row.” Of course, it isn’t all sunshine, but he skipped the tear-jerking “I Said.” The record’s opening track and tonight’s opening song “Beautifully Broken” is another winner, even if it isn’t as positive.

This was Jon Dee’s fifth appearance at the house, and it was drummer Joey Shuffield’s fourth. But despite the fact that Andrew Duplantis has been playing bass with him for ten years, it was his first time in the basement. He took advantage of it by asking if he could do an opening set. I’d only heard Andrew play solo once before, and it had been years ago. These songs were more interesting than the ones I’d heard then, probably influenced by his very happy marriage and his young son. In fact the lyrics to one of the songs he played were written by his wife, and Andrew challenged himself to write a song around it. After he finished it, she gave him some advice about how to play it. While he initially resisted, it turns out she was right.

Each Jon Dee show in the basement has been an occasion. After five shows, he definitely deserves the title of “favorite uncle,” um, long story. Tonight though may have been his best show yet. Song selection, band, audience, all added up for a truly amazing show. I know I say that all the time, but everyone in attendance agreed. I can’t wait till he comes back again.

Andrew Duplantis

Jon Dee Graham & the Fighting Cocks

2011-06-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Monkees; June 29, 2011; Genesee Theater, Waukegan IL

I was a junior in college when I fell in love with Monkees. M-TV had a Monkees marathon, showing every episode over the course of a weekend. My roommates and I watched nearly all of it, and by the end we each had our favorite Monkee (mine was Peter Tork) and the opening song was engrained in our brains. In addition, we ate so many bags of cool ranch Doritos and drank so much cherry Pepsi that I haven’t had either since. My youngest sister, fourteen years my junior, also fell for the Monkees at the same time. Mickey Dolenz was her favorite, though she didn’t quite understand that he wasn’t still that age. Even though she did eventually figure out that he was old enough to be her dad, she remained a Monkees fan. So much so that she didn’t even hesitate when I told her I told her the ticket price for the 45th anniversary tour. “Of course I want to go, it’s the Monkees.” Sadly, as with other reunion tours, going back to the first revival following the M-TV attention, Mike Nesmith sat this one out.

Nesmith was undeniably the musical star of the band, something I didn’t appreciate till later or I likely would have chosen him as my favorite. While Dolenz and Davy Jones were actors first and singers second, Tork and Nesmith were musicians. He wrote Linda Ronstadt and the Ponys’ hit song “Different Drum,” which still surprises people when I tell them that. He also wrote many of the Monkees best songs. While their hits were written by well-known songwriters like Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka and Carole King, Nesmith’s songs were better and have definitely held up over time. In the show, Tork seldom sang, “and if you ever heard me sing you know why,” he joked the first time I saw the band back in 1986. He stuck to backing vocals or the occasional humorous turn like the silly “Auntie Griselda.” However something has changed since then, and when he took lead vocals on some of Nesmith’s best numbers like “Papa Gene’s Blues” and “What Am I Doing Hanging ‘Round,” he sounded great.

Arguably he sounded the best of the three. While Jones sounded basically the same, Dolenz seemed to be trying too hard, like he was putting on his opera voice and oversinging every song. That ruined beautiful songs like “Sometime in the Morning,” while one like “Going Down” fared better since its James Brown style scat singing kept him in check. Jones’s songs were always the silliest, and sometimes verged on nauseatingly saccharine like the ridiculous “I Want to Be Free” with its absurd plea, “Don’t say you love me, say you like me.” Luckily we were spared the dreadful “On the Day We Fall in Love.” While those songs can be tedious, it is impossible not to be charmed by him on lighter songs like “Cuddly Toy” and “She Hangs Out.” Plus, he definitely still has his sense of humor. When they took the stage he quipped, “I’m Davy Jones’s Dad, Davy will be out later.” In addition to the three Monkees a backing band of nearly a dozen members filled the stage. While they played, a big screen behind them showed scenes from the series. Instead of being distracting, it actually enhanced the show, and I left with an overwhelming desire to go home and watch every episode (a feat I half-heartedly attempted the following Sunday). One of the more amusing segments strung together clips of Davy with stars in his eyes, a frequent occurrence since he fell in love every week.

During their heyday the Monkees took a lot of heat for not playing their own instruments, which seems a silly criticism of a band that was made for TV. Eventually they did win the right to do an entire record themselves, that record and accompanying movie Head left a lot of people scratching theirs. These songs were never featured in any episode of the show and are entirely unfamiliar to me (and likely much of the audience), so I was surprised (in an admiring way) when they dedicated a portion of their set to these songs, notably “The Porpoise Song.” But that was almost the only thing I didn’t know. Gina looked at me shocked when they announced one song as Paul Williams’ “Someday Man.” “I don’t know this one,” she admitted, and I didn’t either. Otherwise the set was nothing but sing-a-longs, saving the biggest hits for the end. Defying those early critics, they all played instruments during the show. Peter played on nearly every song, switching between keyboard, guitar and banjo. Dolenz was behind the kit on many songs, there was a second drummer, and they played together in perfect time. Jones, who once appeared on Paul Schaeffer’s Top Ten Tambourine Players of All Time list three times (with the Monkees, solo and with the Monkees reunion), mostly stuck to percussion, maracas and tambourine, but he did pick up an acoustic guitar on accession, though he looked slightly uncomfortable with it.

It was a little cheesy at times, and the jokes seemed scripted and sometimes awkward, but it was a completely enjoyable experience. And for three guys looking at seventy, they put on a pretty great show. When the fiftieth anniversary show comes around I’ll be there, and I’m sure Gina will be with me.

2011-06-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Theodore; June 28, 2011; Bremen Cafe, Milwaukee

2011-06-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Chris Mills/Theodore/Trapper Schoepp & the Shades; June 26, 2011; High Noon Saloon

Trapper Schoepp & the Shades

Theodore

Chris Mills

2011-06-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

Theodore; June 25, 2011; Cranky Pat’s

After I booked Chris Mills a show in Madison, I immediately thought of Theodore to round out the bill. The St Louis based band has been an instant favorite of mine since I first saw them at Twangfest in 2009. Of course, it wouldn’t be worth it for them to come up just to play a show with Chris, so I decided to ask my friend Trevor Lee Hopkins who books for Cranky Pat’s in Neenah if he would be interested in having them play. He responded enthusiastically, which confused me initially since I was surprised he had heard of them. Turns out they had played the Mill in Iowa City back when he was still booking there, and he couldn’t wait to book them again. I wasn’t quite sure how we would get people out to see a band most of them had never heard of. Then I got an e-mail from Trevor, apparently local hero Corey Chisel wanted that night, and did I think it would be OK if Theodore opened. While I am not the biggest Chisel fan, I couldn’t think of anything better, at least I knew there would be people there.

Not only were there people there, but it was a sold out show. And everyone got there on time, so Theodore took the stage to a packed house. Since the record release in May, founding member and drummer Jason had left the band. (While I miss him terribly, it is much easier to cook for the band now that I don’t have to worry about a vegan.) They had a replacement drummer already, but he was unable to make the tour. The solution was their friend Matt Pace, a keyboardist and trumpet player for the band Rats & People. While they all seemed to think it wasn’t going to be near the quality that I was used to, I thought Matt did an awesome job and I never would have guessed he wasn’t a drummer. As a bonus, he also had a keyboard set up next to the drum kit and a pocket trumpet that he pulled out to add to the two part horns of JJ on trombone and Andy on trumpet. I’d never seen one before, but this one that JJ found on E-bay is the cutest little trumpet I’ve ever seen.

Theodore has gotten louder and more intense since I first met them, moving away from the mellow, high and lonesome sound of their first records toward a more forceful sound, drenching the songs in feedback and noise before pulling back to a clean melody. As Michelle likes to call it, they’re rocking more. While I miss the tranquil sound of their earlier work, the current material is undeniable and powerful. Lead singer Justin Kinkel-Schuster is the epicenter of this storm, his emotional voice drawing the audience in. After their set, I heard many compliments, “a breath of fresh air” someone told me, and even sold a few CDs, while just as many people asked if they were on iTunes (they are). Before and after the show they got all the pizza (Cranky’s has amazing pizza) and drinks they wanted, a bonus for a band on the road counting every dollar. Overall I couldn’t have asked for a better gig for them, many thanks to Trevor to making this happen.

2011-06-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Chris Mills/The Faders/Magnolia Summer; June 24, 2011; The Hideout, Chicago

Bottle Rockets guitarist John Horton had been telling me about Magnolia Summer, the other band that he’s in, and how it was different from the Bottle Rockets. From what he said I wasn’t really sure whether or not I would like them since I believe he mentioned King Crimson in his description, which to me is synonymous with nerdy guitar rock. Whether that is true or not, I liked Magnolia Summer quite a bit, and much of the reason for that was Horton’s guitar work. In Magnolia Summer he stretches out a bit, taking long solos that he doesn’t get much of a chance to do with his main gig. The band isn’t breaking any new ground, but they do what they do very well. For lack of a better description, I would call it a St Louis sound, recalling bands like Son Volt with their instantly familiar melodies and lead singer Chris Grabau’s likeable voice.

They were the first band of a very solid line-up on a Friday night at the Hideout. Having played with Chris Mills the night before at Off Broadway, they went on the road to do it again tonight. Next up were the Faders, the new project from Head of Femur’s Matt Focht and Colby Stark. I would have expected they were on this bill thanks to Fader keyboardist Dave Max Crawford (who I teasingly called a ringer due to his impressive Chicago music pedigree) who has played with Mills frequently over the years both as a member of the City that Works, Chris’s “big” band that includes horns and a string section, and in smaller ensembles, but it was actually Faders bass player Dan Dietrich who was responsible. Dietrich owes what a friend of his called “the coolest studio ever,” Wall to Wall Studio where Chris recorded the Wall to Wall Sessions straight to two track in three days back in 2005. This was their second show, though you would never guess, they were tight and polished. It’s Focht’s distinctive voice that makes the band great, much as he was the driving force behind Femur. Stark’s backing vocals and sunny disposition add color.

Many of Chris’s Chicago gigs are one offs, scheduled around holidays and visits back home, but tonight’s show came toward the end of a full-fledged tour. He left New York the week before, heading west playing shows in support of Heavy Years 2000-2010. The retrospective collects tracks from his last three releases, in addition to a few new and unreleased songs, making it essential for completists like me. Inexplicably it omits the title track to his perfect record The Silver Line, despite the fact that in my opinion it is one of the ten best songs ever written (though surprisingly it’s not even my favorite song of his). This made for a more varied set list than I’d heard recently. Though Kiss It Goodbye’s “Signal to Noise” usually makes the set, often as a closer, many songs from his back catalog don’t get played live. He excused the rhythm section to play a short solo set which included the excellent request “Crooked Vein.” The Silver Line’s “Suicide Note” received a not entirely unexpected guest spot from Crawford who stepped to the stage with his trumpet just in time for his distinctive solo.

I was disappointed, as I always am, that Gerald Dowd was not going to be behind the kit, but at least this tour’s “not Gerald” drummer was Son Volt’s very worthy Dave Bryson. A week into the tour he seemed to have settled into the role, and was generally excellent, though some of the songs seemed faster than I’ve heard them before. (Admittedly that may not be his fault.) Long time bass player Ryan Hembrey was of course on board, but for the first time he was standing to the right of Chris instead of on his left. When you’ve seen Chris as many times as I have, that is more discombobulating than you would expect. It was a great set, and there were many times that I found myself blissfully happy to be there, unable to stop smiling. Which was a pretty great feeling, especially when you’ve seen Chris as often as I have.

Magnolia Summer

The Faders

Chris Mills

2011-06-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Communist Daughter; June 22, 2011; High Noon Saloon

2011-06-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

Marquette Waterfront Festivale; June 12, 2011; Yahara PLace Park

Sleeping in the Aviary

Robbie Fulks

Bottle Rockets

2011-06-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Iowa Arts Festival; June 4, 2011; Downtown Iowa City

I came for Joe Ely the night before, but I stayed for today’s line-up, an impressive one that included some all time favorites and some new ones. Sam Knutson had been introduced to me as Iowa City’s resident singer-songwriter, though at the time he was running sound for Ha Ha Tonka at the Mill. He gave me a copy of his un-mastered CD, a creative collection he intends to put out one of these days. As the first act on the stage today he stuck to some of his more tried and true songs, some of them more than a decade old. He was accompanied by a relaxed rhythm section that had obviously played with him before. There was a short break before David Zollo who started early so that he could head out of town to another gig. I remembered Zollo from his days in High and Lonesome (one of the greatest alt country band names ever), and while his set wasn’t that memorable today, it was certainly pleasant.

That left a big break before Teddy Thompson was scheduled to take the stage, so I took refuge from the heat in a neighborhood bar for a Bloody Mary and nacho time out. It seemed a bit odd that the solo Thompson had been booked for an outdoor festival, but the very civilized crowd was quiet and attentive during his set. Even though Thompson looks angry in most of the pictures I took, he seemed to be really enjoying himself. His dry British humor spiced up the between song banter. “I’m going to play another song,” he stated matter-of-factly, “because that is what I am paid to do. I showed up here thinking I would try out some stand-up comedy, but they told me no, I had a contract to sing.” “I have some really interesting sweat stains going on here,” he bemoaned as the heat grew more oppressive, and someone yelled at him to take off his shirt. “I might,” he grinned, “I’ve been working out you know.”

Thompson’s newest release Bella is another strong collection, though the song titles seem to suggest a cycle of failed relationships. The opening track “Looking for a Girl” details a wish list of qualities for the perfect girl (drinks, smokes, takes a joke, good in bed, you know, the usual requirements), while subsequent titles “Take Me Back Again,” “Take Care of Yourself,” and “Gotta Have Someone” suggest that even when he knows what he’s looking for it doesn’t always work out. He dedicated part of his set to songs from his country covers record Up Front and Down Low where he takes on classic American artists like Ernest Tubb’s “Walking the Floor Over You” and Charlie Louvin’s “You Finally Said Something Good (When You Said Goodbye).” “I’m qualified to do country songs,” he claimed, “I am from the south… of England.” He went on to claim that the British seemed to know more about real country music these days than we did, “What have you done to it?” he asked, concerned. “Well, not you in particular, but as a country.”

He was followed by my long-time favorites the Bottle Rockets. I’d talked to them earlier in the day, and they didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see me so far from home, even when they were scheduled to be in Madison the next weekend. It must have made some impression though because after a conference following the first song of the encore, Brian stepped up to the mike, “She is all the way in Iowa, we might as well play her song.” I was grinning ear to ear from the first note till the last of “When I Was Dumb.” This was definitely an earned encore. Brian had already put away his guitar and pedals when the crowd’s enthusiasm brought them back. “I’ve only gotten my pedals back out once before, you guys are pretty special.” They deserved the crowd’s admiration, they had just played a blistering set that drew from their entire catalog. Classics like the bouncy “Hey Moon” and the tragic “Kerosene” from their self-titled first record paired up with tunes “The Long Way” and my personal favorite “Get on the Bus” from Lean Forward, their most recent release. I found out later that lead singer and songwriter Brian Henneman actually is a bus rider, which didn’t surprise me at all.

The night ended with Alejandro Escovedo. I enjoy Escovedo, but (at the risk of blasphemy) I don’t love him the way most of the alt-country crowd does. That meant rather than stay right up front I could return to the Beverage Area and watch the rest of the show from there. I’m glad I didn’t leave though since Escovedo brought Bottle Rocket guitarist John Horton out to play on a couple covers at the end of the night. This is often my favorite part of one of his shows, as he tends to pick some interesting ones. I’ve seen him do “Beast of Burden” many times, but tonight it was the underrated “Miss You.” Horton was awesome. Yep, very glad I stayed.

Sam Knutson

Teddy Thompson

Bottle Rockets

2011-06-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

on the way to Iowa City I stopped at the Field of Dreams movie site. There isn't a lot to do, but it was still pretty cool. June 3, 2011

2011-06-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

Iowa Arts Festival; June 3, 2011; Downtown Iowa City

Ha Ha Tonka was recently offered the opening spot on Joe Ely’s tour. They’re too young to even know who he is, but I was so excited I swore I was taking the full two weeks off and going with them. Unfortunately it didn’t end up working out, but it did lead me to the Iowa Arts Festival where Ely was one of several impressive acts. I had thought about attending last year when the Pines, Jeffrey Foucault and the Honeydogs were all featured, but the threat of rain kept me from making the three and a half hour drive. This year’s line-up was even better. As opposed to Madison’s Art Fair on the Square where music is an afterthought, the Iowa Arts Festival balances music and art equally and they do it well.

The ninety plus degree day turned into an equally sweaty evening, but under an umbrella in the “Arts Festival Beverage Area” with a cold beer proved a fairly pleasant way to watch first band Crooked Still. With guitar, upright bass, fiddle, cello and banjo they were pretty good if you like that sort of thing. I made friends with a retired couple who enjoy music as much as I do, and we talked about the bands we love. Once Joe Ely took the stage however I left the beers behind to be up close. The very civilized crowd who had set up their chairs for the evening stayed seated, but they left plenty of space in front for me to wander up. I was immediately impressed with his band, an experienced bass player, an adorable young drummer and a fantastic guitar player who switched easily between acoustic, electric and slide.

Ely will be releasing his twenty something-eth studio record Satisfied at Last on June 7th and he played many of the instantly memorable songs from it tonight. The melancholy “Mockingbird Hill” features two lonely characters straight out a Harry Chapin song. Ely said part of it came from a conversation he overheard, and he made up the rest. “You Can Bet I’m Gone” tells the interesting story of a man who picked a unique way to be put to rest- he had his ashes put into shotgun shells and then had his friends invited over for a shooting party. “Leo and Leona” features another pair of Ely’s colorful characters, though this time in the south of the border world of bullfights. There were no shortage of the hits either, “Me and Billy the Kid” drew cheers from the crowd and the epic “The Road Goes on Forever” had folks singing along. At the end of the night I was even more disappointed the tour hadn’t worked out, I could have easily seen Ely a dozen more times.

2011-05-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

Blake Thomas/Whitney Mann/Count This Penny; May 28, 2011; High Noon Saloon

Blake Thomas moved to Minneapolis in October after spending six years, more or less, in Madison. During those years, the longest stretch he’s lived anywhere since he left home, he released his first three records, made a lot of friends and made even more fans. They all came out tonight to celebrate the release of his fourth CD, the Window and the Light. The songs on Flatlands, his previous release, spilled out him in a very short amount time, the product of an uncertain and emotional time in his life. In contrast, the songs on this new CD were years in the making. While they don’t have the same emotional punch as the confessionals on Flatlands, they are just as strong and demonstrate an increased range in his songwriting. From the Tom Waits-ish “I Just Don’t care like I Did Before” to the excellent “Cradle to the Ground,” this is a different Blake Thomas than the sensitive singer-songwriter we’d gotten to know over the course of three records. For one, he likes to rock a lot more.

And the title track is a prime example of this, an extended jam that well surpasses the five minute mark live and on CD. The all star band, which included Mary Gaines, Chris Wagoner, Louka Patenaude, Chris Sasman, and Josh Harty, that backed him tonight recreated the recorded version well. In addition there were many guest musicians in the course of the evening. Jeremiah Nelson played guitar on “Bad Love,” a song he had written that Blake covers on the record. Nelson also gets a shout out in one Blake’s songs, “Tell Jerry he can have the Mossman when exhaustion takes me.” The Mossman in question is an acoustic guitar from a company that burned down many years ago. Teddy Pedriana added some of his psychedelic keyboards while his Blueheel bandmate Justin Bricco added the face melting guitar solos. On the songs from his earlier releases, the core band of Sasman, Patenaude and Harty were joined by the ridiculously talented Shauncey Ali on fiddle. Perhaps the special-est guest of the night was Blake’s fiancé Mary Fox who took a turn at the microphone for the duet “Let Me Play in Your Show,” a song she had written about Blake many years ago.

Tonight was a co-release show with Whitney Mann who was releasing her second EP. Mann is a favorite of local critics for her sweet voice and sincere songs. Her talented band also included her fiancé Kyle on guitar. At least half the good sized crowd was there to see her, and it was easy to see why she has so many fans. Also on the bill were Madison newcomers Count This Penny. I had met two of the trio, guitarists/vocalists Alan and Amanda Rigell, in my basement for a show there and it was nice to finally see them play. Their third member is a banjo player who lends their Appalachian pop an authentic air. Unpretentious and refreshing, Count This Penny is a new local band worth checking out. How can you not like a band that is named after a Sesame Street skit?

Count This Penny

Blake Thomas and his band