New Gig Thread

Post by **BlueChair** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 3:47 pm

Didn't even know Otis or M.G. were in NYC, though I guess we don't know the minute details of their travel plans

Mike Boom · Post by **Mike Boom** » Sat Sep 30, 2006 7:58 pm

...meet up with Otis, Mechanical Grace, Miss Buenos Aires and stormwarning before the show...

Could this be - TA DAH! - a secret meeting of the secret board elite!!

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 12:42 am

I'm in the board elite? This is awesome! I'm sending out announcement cards...

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:26 am

Mike Boom wrote:
...meet up with Otis, Mechanical Grace, Miss Buenos Aires and stormwarning before the show...
Could this be - TA DAH! - a secret meeting of the secret board elite!!

It's so secret that one of the members of the elite doesn't even know she's on it

Usually Otis posts wherever he is so I'm assuming there are some dark forces at work.

And he's gotten to meet MBA. I'm so jealous.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:17 am

Thought Otis had mentioned it somewhere. Maybe not.

Mike Boom · Post by **Mike Boom** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 4:45 pm

I'm in the board elite? This is awesome! I'm sending out announcement cards...

This obviously goes against the whole SECRET thing - I guess I was wrong! Perhaps your were "the beard" ?

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:26 pm

I do believe if you go back 3 or so pages on this very thread, you will find some 'Yo, we're going to see Sufjan' refs, and with them a ref to meeting up with MBA too. Too jetlagged and full of cold to check, and to load a photo of MBA/WSS/MG/SW in a watering hole near the Town Hall in the photos thread, and a rather nice one of Sufjan and friends here, but I will. The gig and the pre- and post-drinks were all splendid. Sufjan was totally impressive and his c. 15 piece ensemble stunning (8 strings, 3 brass). I was surprised by how little there was from Avalanche, in fact I can't recall anything, but I don't know it that well yet, but there were a few from the divine Seven Swans (e.g. Abraham). I don't know Michigan yet, but there were several from there too. Sufjan is unique. Musically breathtaking a lot of the time, and with a fascinating take on cultural and folk history. Town Hall is one of the most impressive venues I've been to. Lovely size, quite shallow, amazing acoustics, and a gallery of photos of the greats (Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Bartok, Dylan, Davis, Langston Hughes, etc. etc.) who have performed there. Audience were cool, I thought. Unusual for me to go to a gig where most of them are a decade or more younger than me (!).

It's difficult to know whether to drink or not pre-gig. You can get more into the intensity of things when you've had a few (e.g. Moz on 6 pints, EC last time in Hammersmith with the beer and tequila mix), but then the details pass you by a bit. So I wish I'd gone back sober for his second night there!

Whilst we're in the vicinty, ain't New York awesome? I've been to South Am 3 times, and a decent number of the greatest cities in Europe and a few others besides, but this was my first trip to the US other than transit and I can't think of anywhere to quite take your breath away and make you feel happy to be part of the human race like Manhattan. Managed to see quite a bit of it in the week I spent there, obvious things like Empire SB, 5th Avenue, Times Square, Central Park, sailing round the southern half of Manhattan and back, Ground Zero, and also the incredibly high quality and doable in one shot Frick collection. And quite a few different neighborhoods (see that?). And of course a pilgrimage to here. Didn't see Dave, needless to say, but it was nice to stand there and think of him happy and healthy up in his huge loft. And then go and see the teenage punks hanging around outside CBGB. Didn't run into Elv and Di, either. Anyone know which part they live in?

It was a good week work-wise too, and of course an immense pleasure to meet MBA and SW for the first time and re-meet with WSS and MG. I do believe WSS is the granddaddy of board meet-ups: NY, London, Sydney, you name it, he's been there. Where next?

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:38 pm

Otis Westinghouse wrote:I was surprised by how little there was from Avalanche, in fact I can't recall anything

Just "Dear Mr. Supercomputer" from The Avalanche. Setlist was...

Sister
The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
He Woke Me Up Again
The Transfiguration
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!
To Be Alone With You
The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
The Worst Xmas Ever
Dear Mr. Supercomputer
Jacksonville
Abraham
A Good Man Is Hard To Find
Majesty Snowbird
Chicago
---
They Are Night Zombies!!
Casimir Pulaski Day

If you'd like to see a video clip of "Majesty Snowbird" from Friday, the only new song played, go here:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2 ... ns_25.html

There are also some great pics here (I've never seen so many people snapping away at a concert before)...

http://flickr.com/photos/sarahana/tags/sufjanstevens/

Otis Westinghouse wrote:I don't know Michigan yet, but there were several from there too.

Just "Detroit" actually, which surprised me a bit.

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Town Hall is one of the most impressive venues I've been to. Lovely size, quite shallow, amazing acoustics, and a gallery of photos of the greats (Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Bartok, Dylan, Davis, Langston Hughes, etc. etc.) who have performed there. Audience were cool, I thought. Unusual for me to go to a gig where most of them are a decade or more younger than me (!).

Town Hall is something else, and perfect for a concert like this or the Eels with Strings shows, where good acoustics matter. I too felt like an oldster at the show. A lot of slightly nerdy New York alternative kids in attendance, and some real hardcore Sufjan junkies down in the orchestra, where storm and I were.

Otis Westinghouse wrote:Whilst we're in the vicinty, ain't New York awesome? I've been to South Am 3 times, and a decent number of the greatest cities in Europe and a few others besides, but this was my first trip to the US other than transit and I can't think of anywhere to quite take your breath away and make you feel happy to be part of the human race like Manhattan.

Totally agree and I feel lucky to live so close-by. I'm glad you got to see so much of it. The Frick is one of my very favorite places in New York, and it's great that you got a chance to experience Central Park when it was not under several feet of snow.

Otis Westinghouse wrote:It was a good week work-wise too, and of course an immense pleasure to meet MBA and SW for the first time and re-meet with WSS and MG. I do believe WSS is the granddaddy of board meet-ups: NY, London, Sydney, you name it, he's been there. Where next?

It was wonderful to meet you (again), as well as - for the first time - MG, storm and MBA. I feel like the time flew by. If you make it back again, hopefully we can enjoy a more leisurely get-together. Thanks again for all the music as well! I'm just now getting into it. Next for me is a month virtually alone with kids and work while my wife travels the globe. I may need a trip to London when she gets back!

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 3:27 am

December 9th would be a good time WSS

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:04 am

Oh yeah, Dear Mr Supercomputer. Thought there was more than Detroit as I thought I heard other refs to Michigan! 6 songs from Seven Swans. Even more than I realised. I've been really getting into that of late - fantastic. Thanks for links. Bugsinamber's pics are great (and at other gigs too), and clicking on the Asthmatic Kitty pool link there are quite a few others from the same night. Great video link! How nice to see and hear some of it again. And it brings home how you can see and hear a song of his once, after a few drinks, and then find every detail familiar on a second hearing. Sound on that clip is very good, even if, for me at least, it's very unsynced with the image. ryspace.com appears to have full show MP3s, though nothing (yet) on Dime. If there is, I'll download and happily send out copies. Hope you enjoy the one I brought of the two July '05 shows. Good sound there too. Looks like he's at London's Barbican Nov 3. Can I resist?

Several more clips of both Fri and Sat here, as well as other SS shows:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=iamtlo

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 8:48 pm

Got tickets for me and missus to see James Hunter in November at Revolution Hall in Troy, New York - part of a litttle Saratoga Springs weekend getaway package I've devised as a b-day gift for her - offseason but what the hell. It had better not fucking snow!

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:12 am

Who Shot Sam? wrote:Had a wonderful time at the Sufjan Stevens show last night, and it was a lot of fun to meet up with Otis, Mechanical Grace, Miss Buenos Aires and stormwarning before the show, and after (however briefly - sorry I had to leave early guys - I barely made the last train). Otis took a few snapshots and if they're not too frightening I imagine he'll post them up here at some point. As for the show, Sufjan and his band were in fine form. A lot of material from Illinois, The Avalanche and Michigan. Even a Christmas song thrown in. I snagged an inflatable Superman doll (they had thrown them out to the crowd), and the kids woke up this morning to find the Man of Steel staring them down in the living room.

Opening band was My Brightest Diamond, a project of Shara Worden, one of Sufjan's Illinoisemakers. This was very interesting. Reminded me a bit of Kate Bush - dark little songs about dreams and childhood memories. Great voice.

Good night out, but man it went by fast!

Have you seen this lads (and lasses)?

http://www.ryspace.com/index.php/2006/1 ... mber-29th/

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:24 am

Indeed, although I hadn't checked it out - was hoping to see if it emerged on Dime. Presumably this will be more compressed and 'lossy' than files 3-4 times the size of Dime, but I'm checking it out all the same. Ta.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 7:45 am

Not as good as the fantastic '04 and also v good 2 x '05 ones I haave from Dime, but great to hear nonetheless. Tremendously easy to download. No sign ups, just click and you're away. Great to hear the recordings of memorable shos you were at.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:14 pm

Bad news is: Futureheads at Paradise have been cancelled.

Good news is: Just got my ticket for Frank Black at Avalon!

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:44 pm

Heard that Beck is playing a Jersey City gig - get in there Miss Buenos Aires!

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:58 am

Eep! Thanks for the tip! And as I seem to have misplaced my manners, I would also like to say I had a great time throwing back a few with my secret board elite friends. And also to say that we've developed a secret board elite handshake. Which we are not going to teach you.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:50 am

I'm going to form my own secret elite gang. With its own secret handshake.

Who wants to be in it?

No PM's - it's a public secret elite.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:56 am

Booked to see Pernice Brothers at the Iron Horse in lovely Northampton, Mass. in early December. That's it - no more shows for me until January. The only NY show they are playing is a CMJ showcase, on the same day as the Decemberists show we're attending. Even with the travel factored in the Iron Horse is cheaper, the crowd is better and the dining options in NoHo are superior.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:11 am

I could have gotten tickets for Paul Weller at the Roundhouse (supported by The Magic Numbers) on October 25th. However in order to retain my Husband of the Year title (with Mrs VG - the competition is not open to non-husbands) I have kept my promise to see Keane with her on that night. I hope she realises the sacrifice I've made.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:14 am

verbal gymnastics wrote:I could have gotten tickets for Paul Weller at the Roundhouse (supported by The Magic Numbers) on October 25th. However in order to retain my Husband of the Year title (with Mrs VG - the competition is not open to non-husbands) I have kept my promise to see Keane with her on that night. I hope she realises the sacrifice I've made.

That's definitely "Husband of the Year" material!

Does this mean he's out of rehab now?

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:17 pm

Going with the Bwaps to see Weller in Dec.

Also have front row tickets for Billy Bragg, and this at the local theatre.

Frost and Fire
Singing the Season
Norma Waterson
Martin Carthy
Eliza Carthy
Tim Van Eyken
An evening of music, song and dance from a time when Pagan rite and Christian rhyme lived side by side â€“ a time when Christmas was less of a marketing opportunity and more of an expression of continuity. This is a uniquely English take on the sort of thing found in just about every culture in the world.

Waterson:Carthy will be joined by mummers, dancers and brass, as well as three young singers who go by the name of Devil's Interval.

"There is a special magic when the clan (Waterson:Carthy) pools its resources. The effect is sensational." The Times

Can't wait!

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:44 pm

in a spooky kind of coincidence, I'm thinking about this little halloween show

Lucas Richman, conductor

Markus Groh, piano

Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain
John Corigliano - Three Hallucinations for Orchestra
from "Altered States"
Liszt - Totentanz (Death Dance)
Berloiz - Symphonie fantastique

OS, do you think I'll get the Mr. to this one?

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:59 pm

I've already broken my vow to not do anymore gigs until after the New Year. Micah P. Hinson is playing at Maxwell's in Hoboken in November - on a Saturday - for $8. Too good to pass up.

Post by **BlueChair** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:10 pm

Just got in from seeing Randy Newman at University of Toronto's Convocation Hall. The last time I was in there I was wearing my graduation gown and picking up my Bachelor's Degree. Go figure that it also makes for a really cool concert venue.

This was Newman's first time in Toronto in over twenty years, so the audience was clearly really into it. Barenaked Ladies guy was a few rows behind Red and I.

Here's my precious attempt at a setlist

1. It's Money That I Love
2. Mama Told Me Not To Come
3. Living Without You
4. Short People
5. Birmingham
6. Marie
7. The Girls In My Life, Pt. I
8. The World Isn't Fair
9. I Miss You
10. Red Bandana
11. A new song.. not sure the title
12. A Few Words in Defense of My Country (another new one)
13. You Can Leave Your Hat On
14. I'm Dead
15. Political Science

--

16. Last Night I Had A Dream
17. Great Nations of Europe
18. In Germany Before The War
19. Baltimore
20. You've Got A Friend In Me
21. Bad News From Home
22. My Life Is Good
23. Dixie Flyer
24. Real Emotional Girl
25. Rednecks
26. Louisiana 1927
27. Guilty
28. Shame
29. I Love L.A.
30. I Think It's Going To Rain Today

Encore:

31. Sail Away
32. Feels Like Home